Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
When Avery arrives back from spring break, I surprise her with a framed copy of the photo I got from Lance, and I know it was absolutely worth dealing with the creep to get it when she loves it as much as I do.
She hangs it in the kitchen so she can look at it while she cooks.
My heart does little flutters every time I see it until I force myself to stop looking so I don’t have a heart attack.
Ash sleeps in our room for a full week when they get back.
By Friday, Avery is sick of sharing her bed with him and kicks him onto the couch.
I try to move around quietly when I get ready for class—still enraged as hell on his behalf that Joey causes so much goddamn pain for his siblings—because his start later and he prefers to sleep until the very last second he can.
I open my drawers to find one pair of underwear. One. So with the pair I just took off that means I have two freaking pairs of underwear left and, like, twenty pairs missing. What. The. Fuck.
I stomp over to the bathroom and wake Ash up with my raging. He cusses me out without even opening his eyes and I snap back at him, “Sleep on your own fucking couch then!” and slam the door behind me.
The hot water mellows me out a little and by the time I exit the bathroom, I’m level headed enough to apologize to Ash as he goes in for a shower. Avery hands me a plate of toast and a cup of coffee, and I slump onto the couch to mope.
“I’ll have some more delivered today and we can go see the ladies in the laundry room to find out where they’re disappearing to.”
I nod and eat my food. Ash joins us for breakfast and when he’s finished, he grabs Avery’s laptop and sits next to me on the couch. When I see the website he’s on I blush. He smirks back at me. “What? I don’t know where Mounties shop. Is there a slum version of Agent Provocateur?”
I elbow him in the ribs but he doesn’t seem to notice. “I can buy my own underwear, thank you very much.”
He shrugs. “You can, but after waking me up you’ll be nice and let me do it. It’s one of my true skills in life.”
Avery narrows her eyes at him over the rim of her coffee cup. “What would you know about choosing lingerie?”
Ash smirks back at her. “More than you. You’ve bought it for one body, I’ve seen it on?—”
“Do not give me a number right now, Alexander Asher William Beaumont, I will smother you in your sleep. No sister wants to hear how many sluts her brother has gone through. Which reminds me, when were you last tested for STDs? Annabelle probably gave you herpes.”
He ignores her and continues to add items to his cart. I choke on my toast and try to snatch the laptop away from him when I see exactly what he’s picking. “I do not fucking need corsets, suspender belts, or a crotchless bodysuit!”
Ash raises an eyebrow at me. “How very vanilla of you. All cotton granny panties then?”
I cross my arms and seethe at him. No answer I give him will save me so silence it is. Avery comes over to perch on the armrest and point out pieces she likes.
“Why are you doing this? You don’t even like me,” I finally say, after I hand over my card details and find myself thousands of dollars poorer.
I’m so glad I risked my life for such a tiny amount of lace and boning.
Corset boning, not even the supposedly fun type.
Avery pats my head and moves to the coffee machine for round two.
“I know you’re going to fuck us over at some point, I figure why not have some fun until then?” Ash replies, nonchalant.
I glare at him and Avery calls out from the kitchen in a sing-song voice, “Baby steps!”
I groan and pack my bag for the day. Ash watches me and I try not to squirm under the intensity of his gaze.
“What?!” I snap when I can’t take it anymore.
“Who do you think is stealing your underwear?”
I groan. “If I knew, it wouldn’t be happening anymore. I’m fucking sick of replacing it. Whoever it is, they’re taking them when I send them out to be washed.”
Ash grimaces but doesn’t say anything so I continue, “Avery thinks it’s a prank and someone in the laundry room is in on it. I think it’s Harlow being a snotty bitch because I found Avery’s shoes.”
Ash frowns at me. “They’re taking underwear you’ve already worn. It sounds like a desperate guy taking them to sniff.”
My stomach roils, I hadn’t thought of that. For fuck’s sake. “Guys are disgusting. Seriously. I’m putting a fucking camera on the door and I’m washing my own shit from now on. Fuck this!”
I storm out and head to my classes in a foul mood.
What next?
Avery texts me during class to say she’s having our clothes sent off campus to be cleaned for the foreseeable future. I’ll have to order two more uniforms to get through the week, but it’s cheaper than buying more of the underwear Ash selected.
When I get back to our room and find a package waiting for me, I empty it straight into my drawers without looking through it. I’m too pissed to enjoy my new things or question how Aves got it here so quickly.
Thankfully, Ash sleeps in his own room that night, so the next morning I don’t have to deal with his commentary while I pick out what I’m going to wear.
I blush profusely when it finally hits me that he’s picked every piece of lace I now own.
Fuck. He didn’t just buy underwear either, no, he bought matching bras for every pair.
I didn’t give him my size and yet they fit perfectly. He’s a fucking wizard.
I pick out a black set and once they’re on, it’s clear he’s chosen the most risqué underwear possible. They’re completely transparent and sexy as fuck. I blush but also feel feminine and attractive. Yep, a fucking wizard. I wonder if he’ll pick out all of my underwear from now on if I ask?
Avery ducks into the bathroom behind me and slaps my ass with a giggle. I scowl at her playfully and pull on some jeans and a shirt.
“I need your help with something today, if you’re not too busy?” she asks as she brushes her hair. I frown and nod as I brush my teeth.
“A senior, called Yasmin Gilliam, started a gossip website last year. It’s stupid and childish and I’ve barely given it any attention up until now.
Someone has made an anonymous account and is posting classified documents on there.
Documents from businesses and organizations owned by Hannaford families. ”
I finish up and lean on the sink, my arms folded, as I listen.
Avery gives me a sidelong look. “None of it affects us but it’s only a matter of time.
If something about Senior’s business gets posted, or Harley’s parents, we’re in for a rough ride through hell.
Yasmin plays basketball and the team has practice now.
If we leave soon we can meet her in the locker room and I can sort this out. ”
I nod. “What do you have on her?”
Avery sighs. “Not enough to get it taken down. I can have it disabled but she can just start it up again. I’m hoping threats are enough. If not, she goes on the planner and we destroy her.”
I head out of the bathroom and grab my knife, slipping it into my jeans pocket.
Avery adjusts her dress, and again, and again. I frown at her. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She bites her lip, a nervous tick I’ve never seen her do before.
“There are dozens of posts about Rory and what he did to me. Girls are commenting about how I was leading him on and how I was only getting what I deserved. All anonymous, of course, but the idiots don’t realize I can trace them.
It’s a huge bump in the planner numbers. ”
I’m disgusted but not surprised. We don’t have time to deal with any more spoiled little girls, too privileged and naive to understand real world consequences.
“I have some connections if we need it to disappear, Aves. Let’s just talk to this girl and figure out exactly how nuclear we need to go. Whatever happens, we’re in it together.”
Avery smiles and tucks her arm into mine. “I know. I’m just… a little nervous about it. When Ash sees it, he's going to lose his mind, then we’ll have to do damage control for him as well. Like I said, it’s going to get messy fast.”
I hum my agreement and lock our door behind us.
Avery is silent but determined as we walk down to the gym. Basketball practice is still underway, but only the juniors and seniors are still out on the court. Avery leads me into the locker room and, fucking hell, it’s practically a day spa.
The only locker room I’ve been in before is the one at Mounts Bay Middle School and it was a damp, rotting nightmare. This room is a palace of white marble and Egyptian cotton towels. Avery laughs at the look on my face and I give her a lopsided grin in return. Fucking rich kids.
Yasmin blanches when she sees us and Avery easily corners her. I lean against the wall by the door so I can keep an eye on the other girls. Not that I want to, they’re mostly walking around in their underwear and giving me dirty looks. I smile back sweetly and flip them off.
Harlow is naked and rubbing her shoulder down with oil.
I’m totally horrified but no one else seems to care so I stare at my toes instead.
The smell of mint hits my nose and I hear Harlow grunting as she massages the oil into her skin.
She must have an old injury, I’ve used Wintergreen oil on my leg when it’s flared up before.
I store that knowledge away because it’s good to know where her weaknesses are.
I’m still staring at the floor when a hand wraps around my mouth and I’m jerked flush against a hard, naked chest. I don’t recognize the scent of the shampoo the guy uses and I tense up. He’s twice the size of me and easily drags me out of the girls’ locker room and into the guys’ side.
I don’t bother fighting or struggling.