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My phone vibrates against my ass cheek and I slip it out of my pocket, smiling down at Dominic’s name. “Well, well, well, I’ve hardly been gone three hours and you’re already calling me,” I say, answering the phone as I flop down onto the too comfortable bed.
“Shut up, I had to make sure you made it there alright.”
“We did …”
“And?”
“And it’s just as bad as I thought it was going to be. Everywhere I look, there’s a sign of how much money they have to waste. There’s a fucking indoor pool and you can press a few buttons and it somehow becomes an outdoor pool. The whole ceiling opens up, Nic. It’s crazy. There are secret rooms, private bars, and a butler with his head shoved so far up his own ass that he probably eats his own shit for breakfast. Not to mention, the guy has a douchebag son who’s in serious need of an ass-whooping.”
“Yeah, I know,” he says dangerously.
“Right … wait. How do you know the guy is a douchebag? I don’t even think I told you where I was going.”
Nic scoffs and it turns into a deep chuckle. “You really think I was going to let you walk out of Breakers Flats without knowing exactly where you were going and who was going to be around you?”
My eyes practically roll into the back of my head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“You’re my girl, O. I’m always going to be looking out for you. No matter what.”
“I’m not your girl anymore, Nic.”
“Don’t start with me, babe. I just watched you walk out of here. I’m not about to listen to you reminding me of how I fucked it all up.”
I scoff, fighting a grin. “You fucked it up real bad.”
“Cut the shit, Ocean,” he says with a sigh before getting back on track. “Just do me a favor and stay out of Colton’s way. The guy is bad news and I don’t want you getting caught up with him.”
“Seriously? It might already be too late for that,” I laugh, picturing the way Colton is probably fuming to daddy about their little house guest. “But what kind of bad news could he be? Surely he couldn’t be any worse than you or the boys.”
“Just … stay away,” he says with that familiar annoyance when having to deal with me, but deep down I know he loves it. He lives for this shit. Keeping something from me ‘for my own good’ is one of his favorite pastimes and because of that, I know he’s not about to give me what I’m looking for.
“You realize I’m currently living in the same house as him. Staying away from the guy isn’t exactly going to be that easy when I’m sitting across from him at the breakfast bar.”
“Ocean, I’m being serious.”
“So am I. What’s the big deal? He’s just some arrogant rich dude with a chip on his shoulder.”
“He’s bad news, Ocean. He’s not like the guys you’re used to dealing with who get put down and stay down. Guys with money, they keep coming back until they win. It’s a game to them. Something to keep them entertained until the next thing comes along. I know you, O, and you’re going to see this guy as a challenge, and being the girl that comes from nothing, you’re going to be his most exciting game yet. I don’t want that for you.”
“I can handle myself,” I tell him, feeling as though I’m having to repeat myself after having a too similar conversation with mom. Only with mom, she gives up a lot easier. “I’m not a child who needs protecting anymore, Nic. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
There’s a short silence and when he finally sighs, his voice is low and filled with emotion. “You won’t be fine, Ocean. I’m going to lose you to that world.”
“That’ll never happen,” I whisper.
He goes quiet again and just when I start thinking that maybe he’d ended the call, his velvety voice comes murmured through the phone. “How are you really doing? No bullshit.”
I press my lips together and give him my honest truth. “Dead inside but I’m caffeinated.”
“That bad, huh?”
I close my eyes, not wanting to keep looking at the plain ceiling any longer. “I miss you guys. I don’t belong here. Neither of us does. Mr. Carrington has already taken it upon himself to enroll me in some fancy private school so unfortunately for you, It’s not just Colton you have to worry about, but a whole school filled with rich pricks.”
“The fuck?” Nic grunts. “What’s his game? Why does he give a shit about your schooling?”
“I don’t know but I don’t like it. I’m kind of hoping it’s just some way to look good in front of his rich friends. You know, maybe they have a club and he’ll get a badge for taking us in and giving the poor girl a better life. Maybe I’m just a charity case.”
