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“This is why I like you, butterfly. You don’t hold back with me. A woman like you would do—”
“Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get ready for school. I’ll be at the usual place with the money.”
“Keegan!”
My blood ran cold at being called my name. I couldn’t stomach listening to him talk about us being together. It wouldn’t happen in a million fucking years.
“Plan to stay for a while when you come.”
Asking why was pointless. Wakeman made a demand. So long as I owed him, there was no true freedom. It would be all over as long as I got back on track. I would be done paying him off by the end of the school year. “Then move it to the weekend. I can’t miss school, and here you don’t have any say-so of what happens.”
“And where exactly is here?”
He was going to find out regardless. “Aridole.”
Wakeman whistled. “See you on Saturday, butterfly.”
The line went dead, and the phone dropped from my hand. I stared at the clothes that weren’t really mine and swallowed back the bile. The idea of me being with Wakeman was revolting. He’d been mentioning that I’d be perfect at his side since I was thirteen. It looked like he hadn’t given up that sick fantasy. Remembering that awful day, no, year, was the last thing I wanted to do.
A ding from my phone pulled me out of my draining thoughts. I picked up the phone, and my heart lodged in my throat as I checked who was messaging me. A breath left me as the anxiety bled out. It was just Mac.
“Don’t be late, and remember to go over everything I sent you.”
I had, but I still was lost on the so-called power structure. I hurriedly texted him back, my fingers still trembling from my talk with Wakeman.
“Don’t worry, Mr. president, I read it. Still, don’t think any of this will be important to me.”
There was too much on my plate to be worried about a bunch of rich kids. My phone rang, and I didn’t hesitate as I answered.
“I’m just popular this morning.”
“What?” Mac asked.
“Nothing. What do I owe the call when we were already texting?” I picked out my outfit. It was the most comfortable-looking thing in my closet.
“Because I feel like you aren’t taking this seriously.”
“Oh, what gave that away?”
“Keegan, I thought you didn’t want to ruffle feathers?”
True. I sighed. “Fine, I’ll read over the textbook of information again over breakfast.”
“There is one more thing.”
I paused, hearing the severity in Mac’s voice. “What?”
“The kings have claimed you,” Mac said. Before I could reply, he kept talking. “This could be a good thing. Means you are less likely to be targeted by others, but then again, it could mean the opposite. Not really sure they have never claimed anyone.”
“What am I, a dog?”
“Knew you weren’t going to like it,” Mac grumbled.
“And yet you told me.”
Why was he telling me stuff anyway? We only knew each other because of the party, and he owed me nothing. If anything, I was indebted to him, and that hole was getting bigger by the second. The nauseous feeling that had gone away came back, and bile burned the back of my throat.
“Yeah, because it’s common knowledge,” Mac said.
