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I have, but I haven’t.
I turn my attention back to my captors, a tinge of worry settling into my gut. Realization that the girls’ need for chic comfort is also missing.
“Neither of you are dressed to get on an airplane.” They share a look that I used to enjoy seeing and now fucking hate because it’s directed around me instead of including me.
“I have work,” Aurora squeaks at the same time Cedar hangs her head, then whips it back against the headrest and rolls to meet my eyes.
“We can’t come with you. You’re not going to want us there.” There’s a light in her eyes, a levity, which begs for trust that I really don’t want to have to give.
“You bitches!” I slap both of their shoulders with the backs of my hands in somewhat of a jest, anxiety rearing its ugly head right in my gut.
Oh, God. That’s even worse.
“It was her idea!” Aurora defends herself verbally and physically, her laughter uncontainable.
“You traitor!” My bestie abandons her defense from my assault only to turn her own onto our driver. Aurora laughs and swerves the car between the lines of the back roads as she bats away Cedar’s hands.
“Better not be jostling my suitcase around back there! You know I hate wrinkles!” I push at both of them, Cedar sinking back in a sighing smile as my sister straightens out the car and clears her throat with a chuckle.
Their ease soothes me. The lack of total panic on their part calms me.
Little by little.
“Like the plane ride isn’t going to do that already.” I huff at my sister’s reminder, roll my eyes to the ceiling, and flop back into the seat with crossed arms.
The night begins to take over the scenery I watch over as we drive, darkening the edges and triggering the few streetlamps to turn on. I sigh into my seat, an exhaustion I haven’t been able to bounce back from settling into my bones, demanding a reset.
Just like this one.
Fuck, am I really doing this?
Feigning annoyance for my sister as Aurora checks on me in the rearview mirror, yet I can’t deny the corner of my lips as they rise in a smile I haven’t truly felt in a long time.
I guess I’m leaving on a jet plane, and I’ll be all by myself.
2
REX
Ringing.
I hear the phone chirping from the poolside where I abandoned it when I got to the penthouse. It hasn’t stopped making noises since I got here and I’m in no mood to answer the damn thing.
It’s almost 3 p.m.
I’ve been up all fucking night.
Whoever is on the other side of that ring is clearly insane to call me when I should be sleeping, or in another time zone. It honestly could be either.
Or the caller has no idea that my career grants me the weirdest sleep schedule ever.
With a short chuckle to myself, I drag my tired and achy bones out of the leather recliner I had delivered before I got home with enough pops and cracks to make me reconsider my choice. It was placed under the overhang on the patio so I could still enjoy the outside air despite the weather. Though not where I’d intended on landing when I walked in considering the rager going on around me, it seemed like the best time to try it out when the bottle landed in my lap.
Just as comfy as the website conveyed. Five outa five stars, will recommend to my brother.
Speaking of, that better not be him on the still-blaring phone. I step over and around bodies as I make my way across the patio of my penthouse in the blinding midafternoon sun. Some still hang onto consciousness from their lack of sobriety while others just gave in long ago and passed out despite the risk of being T-bagged, drawn on, or falling into the pool and drowning. Toby grins at me from the concrete as I go to pass him, an empty rum bottle still firmly wrapped up in his fist, his long hair a wild and whipping mess around his head.
I kick his boot out of spite, the movement jostling the chick drooling on his arm, and flip him both birds.
