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Carson doesn’t waste a moment, bending over to get in my face. “Now, what was this misunderstanding?”
“I didn’t cheat,” I whisper, not having the strength to raise my voice any louder than that. My head pounds. “Just a rumor.”
He drops into a squat, gently brushing the hair away from my face. “A lie?”
I nod. “My professor has the right assignment,” I answer clearly. My heartbeat starting to settle in my chest as air fills my lungs almost painlessly now. “It’s a groundless rumor. Nothing for you to clean up.”
He hums, clicking his tongue in contemplation. He almost looks…disappointed.
“That doesn’t excuse all the lying, Brielle.”
Fuck. I was so caught up in the cheating, I forgot all about the dorm room situation.
“No excuse for that?” he taunts me. “Weeks of lies and for what? Living in this shit hole they call a dorm room? It’s almost like you didn’t want me to know where to find you.”
I scramble for something to say. Anything. “I just didn’t like the girls in the house,” I say, turning my face away from Carson. He drops his hand away from me but leans in closer.
“Don’t ever lie to me again,” he whispers darkly. At least he seems to be appeased by that. He knew I wouldn’t get along with the girls living in the legacy house. They’re the same girls who harassed me at the party.
I nod my agreement and he stands but doesn’t move away from me. Rather, he nudges my leg with his foot until I look up to meet his eyes. Shame, fury, and defeat all war inside of me.
The victory is clear on his face as he looks down on me. “You look rather good at my feet, Darling. Maybe you should get used to being there.” When I don’t respond, he laughs. If I thought the guys’ laugh sounds hollow when they mock me, it’s nothing compared to the chilling sound of Carson’s. I don’t think he’s capable of ever being genuinely happy or amused. There’s only evil that lurks under that mask of his.
The sound of the key in the door makes him exhale loudly and the fear inside of me at the thought of him doing something to Shelby has me trembling. He grabs my arms and roughly forces me to my feet before pressing our bodies tightly together. I almost gag as I feel his erection digging into my belly. He was really getting off on all of this. His tongue forces its way into my mouth as he purrs against my mouth. “Until next time.”
He doesn’t wait for a response, just pushes away from me and shoves past a startled Shelby as he marches from the room leaving nothing but wreckage in his wake. When Shelby looks at me, I can’t hold it in any longer.
I break.
ChapterSixteen
Her golden hairstill shines bright under the starlight as she dances in the space where the sand meets the waves. This is the third year in a row we are doing a bonfire on the beach for my birthday and every year gets better and better.
Brielle and the guys stormed into my room this morning with coffee and pancakes like every other year for almost as long as I can remember. Being with them makes even having to endure spending my eighteenth birthday at school all day seem worth it. Everything else melts away watching Bri dance back and forth between Ash and Eli in her red bathing suit. Does she even realize the effect she has on us all? My eyes are drawn to the bright scrap of fabric over and over again. Hudson acts like he’s just making videos on his phone, but I see him playing all of her favorite songs to keep her dancing. Keep her smiling. I couldn't imagine spending my birthday any other way.
Of course my father would never miss the opportunity to use a party to show off his wealth. It will be lavish, and completely over the top, and have absolutely nothing to do with me or my birthday. It’ll be my party in name only, very much like I’m a Hollis in name only. I’m sure if my father could find a way around it, I wouldn’t even have that.
Yet, none of that seems to matter as I lie back, my feet in the warm sand with the best view I could imagine. When Bri looks this way and finds me watching her, she flashes her smile in my direction and my heart beats a little faster, just like always. Around her I don’t feel so lost, so alone. With her and the guys I have everything I’ll ever need.
I watch as she whispers something to the guys who share a glance with her, me and each other, before they all start to head back towards where I am laying out on the beach. The guys cut off towards where we left the trucks, but Brielle heads straight for me.
“Don’t tell me you are done dancing already, Sunshine Girl?” It’s becoming an effort not to stare at her long toned legs as they eat up the space between us until she is dropping onto the arm of the chair I am currently occupying and slipping her legs between mine for support.
Naturally my arm curls around her back to ensure she stays in place as she stares down at me with an eye roll. “Please, you know I can out dance you any day, Hollis,” she teases, flicking her eyes behind me with a secretive smile as I lean back and grin.
I pretend I didn’t see the birthday cake in the truck on the way here, and that I don’t hear the guys fighting over who gets to light the candles.
“I bet you can’t,” I taunt and her grin turns vicious as she slips from the chair, my hand grazing along her smooth skin as she moves.
“You know I am never one to turn down a bet, Z.” She drops down to her knees in the sand in front of my chair and I almost choke on my tongue at the sight but she continues. “But I’m not taking that one right now.”
Before I can protest a hand comes from behind and conceals her from sight as a palm is placed across my eyes and the chorus to happy birthday starts almost immediately. I bark a laugh as I hear the shuffle of feet against the sand, before the hand drops away and reveals Brielle now holding a small red velvet cake with a candle burning in it.
I let them sing, my focus remaining firmly on the girl who has enthralled us all until she holds it up close to my face and whispers, “Make a wish.”
Her eyes are gleaming through the flicker of the fire and as I stare at her, as I feel all of my brother’s stare at her, there is only one thing I can truly wish for.
I wish I could keep her forever.
