Prologue #3
These last six months, her mum had been on her best behavior. She hadn’t disappeared for days on end on a bender or with a guy. She hadn’t had yelled or thrown things.
It had been peaceful.
Especially as she was so busy with Edward that Indie hardly ever saw her.
“This is my big day and you will not ruin it, understand me? I have been waiting for years for a cash cow like this and I will not let you wreck this perfect, beautiful day.”
Bollocks.
Her mum was a piece of work. Indie might have felt sorry for Edward, however, he wasn’t really any better. He hadn’t even remembered his own son’s birthday.
Slade was eighteen now.
In a month the guys would all graduate high school and she’d be on her own. She wished she could go back to her old school. At least there she knew the rules. She might not have had many friends, but she also wasn’t a loner, eating her lunch in the library to avoid sitting alone in the cafeteria.
But her mother and Edward insisted on her going to this private all-girls school.
Indie hated it.
What would happen when Slade left home? Would they all forget about her?
There was a knock on the door and her mum let her go with a warning look. “Come in,” she called out sweetly.
Her mum had always been a good actress, but she’d never been able to hold the act this long.
Indie couldn’t help but wonder when it would all crumble apart.
Three hours later, she was half-hidden behind a potted plant listening to a group of girls from her school talk shit about her.
She wished she could leave.
Indie wasn’t a fan of confrontation.
This will all be over soon, then you can go home and read the new book Slade bought you.
“Oh my God, did you see what she was wearing?” Charlotte said with a cackle.
“Great example of how money can’t buy good taste,” Sophia added.
“Now, now,” Megan told them in a fake, sweet voice. “We should be nicer. They tried and they’ve probably been fighting for their lives in the slums. Who has time to develop taste?”
“What do we have here?” Spencer drawled as the four guys approached.
Bollocks.
Her gaze immediately hit Rock’s. He seemed to have the ability to find her no matter where she was. It was like he had an Indie-radar.
The three girls stopped their bitching and turned to the four guys.
Her guys.
Not yours. You’re like a little sister to them. Slade is now your stepbrother.
It was so wrong that her stupid brain kept romanticizing them.
But she was fifteen and they were the first people to ever look out for her, to care about her.
Was it any wonder that she dreamed about them?
“Spencer!” Sophia squealed.
Urgh. Indie winced as Sophia threw herself against him. Spencer caught her because he was a nice guy. But he immediately lifted her away from him with a grimace she was certain the girls didn’t see. He wore a dark suit and a bright yellow shirt .
Sunshine.
“It’s so good to see you guys,” Charlotte said, sidling up to Slade.
They all looked gorgeous in their suits.
Charlotte rested her hand on Slade’s arm and Indie saw red. Her hands clenched into fists. Megan overlooked Rock. She had no idea why, he was gorgeous and so . . . calm and stoic. Rock was the one who always listened without judgment. Who was just there for all of them. Steadfast and sure.
Instead, Megan went straight to Quaid.
Indie tensed. Should she do something? But then she’d give away the fact that she’d been eavesdropping on these cows.
But she was going to touch Quaid.
And he hated being touched by anyone other than them.
Rock took a step forward into her path and she stumbled away. Quaid brushed at his arms as though she had managed to touch him.
“Careful!” Megan snapped, her mask slipping to reveal the bitch underneath. “You nearly hit me.”
“Hmm, yeah, you missed, Rock,” Spencer said with a grin.
The three girls stared at him in confusion, clearly uncertain about what he was saying.
“I’ve been wondering where you were,” Charlotte practically purred as she stared up at Slade. “Come dance with me.”
“Dance with you?” Slade repeated.
Indie had to bite her lip against her smile. She knew that look.
“Yes. Come dance.” Charlotte pouted.
Eww. Did she think it looked pretty when she did that?
“I don’t dance,” Slade replied, his gaze moving straight to Indie.
Shoot.
Caught.
She tried to shy back, but she bumped into something. Turning, she glanced up to find Rock standing there. He took hold of her hand and led her around to Slade.
“Where were you?” Sophia asked, eyes narrowing .
“Yes, where have you been?” Slade asked, sounding amused as he held his hand out for her. “Come dance with me.”
“I thought you said that you don’t dance?” Charlotte whined.
Her voice was so annoying.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Slade said in a falsely gentle voice. “I actually meant to say that I don’t dance with people I don’t like.”
He spun Indie out onto the dance floor and she sighed in happiness at being so close to him.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she told him.
“Why? I only told the truth. I don’t like her. I don’t want to dance with her. I want to dance with you.”
All her life she’d wanted to have a family. To have people who cared about her.
But never in her wildest imagination had she thought she’d have a family like these guys.
She was so damn lucky.