Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Indi
Marigold looks up when I come thundering down the stairs and into the dining room the next morning. She called me down for breakfast fifteen minutes ago, but I lost my appetite when I remembered the hellhole I had to attend today.
“I need clothes,” I say, shifting my hips to the side and crossing my arms over my chest. “And a longer skirt.”
“I’m afraid my budget is already allocated for this week. You’ll have to wait until the weekend.”
“But I literally have like two pairs of underwear, and one’s dirty.”
“So best you wash them,” Gran says, setting a delicate china cup down on its saucer. I scan the teak dining table and then shrug at her when I see there’s no food on it. “I thought you said there was breakfast.”
Marigold takes another tiny sip from her cup. “That was fifteen minutes ago.”
“Isn’t your job as my guardian to feed and clothe me?” I yell.
Marigold’s shoulders melt at this. In response, my chest grows tight and I take a step back before I can stop myself.
“My job as your guardian is to make sure you don’t fail school.”
Shock slams into me like a wall of ice. I try to speak, but words utterly fail me.
Marigold gives me a cold little smile. “Aren’t you running late for school? They take tardiness into account. I’m sure they won’t hesitate to adjust your grades accordingly.”
“I don’t know how Mom could stand being around you,” I say. My voice is so thick, I can barely understand myself, but Marigold doesn’t seem to have the same problem.
“Leave,” she says. “Before you say something you’ll regret.”
I laugh. “You know what I regret, Granny ?”
My gran’s already pale face goes translucent. She stands, her body quivering with righteous indignation, but I carry on before she can open her raspberry red lips.
“I regret not being in that house with Mom.”
I’m surprised Marigold doesn’t have something to say about this. In fact, to my utter astonishment, a tear flashes down her cheek.
“Get out,” she whispers. “Get out of my house!” The last is a shrill yell. She charges for me, and I turn tail and run like the fucking coward that I am.
I slam the junker’s door so hard, I’m shocked it doesn’t fall off. I get to school in record time, everything en route just a blur of speed and tears.
I’m still sniffing back snot and blinking away my last tears when someone raps on my window.
Jerking, I spin to face the window. For a horrific moment, I’d thought it was Briar. The thought that he’d see me in hysterics makes me want to throw up.
But it’s Addy out there, face wrinkled with concern. She whirls her finger in the air, demanding that I roll down the window. I comply, but with bad grace.
“What?”
“Have you—?” She ducks her head to get a better look at me, and even when I tip my head down she just follows. “Why are you crying?”
“None of your business,” I snap.
“Yeah?” Her voice is as edgy as mine. “That’s what you think.” She shoves her hand through the window.
Pure instinct has me grabbing her wrist. She squeals, and tugs back at her hand, but I’m holding her tight.
Then I see the joint between her fingers.
It glitters.
It’s gold.
I’m so very, very confused.
“Now you gonna let me in, or what?” Addy asks. When I look at her, she rolls her eyes. “It’s edible gold,” she mutters, before stalking around the front of the car.
I lean across and open the other door. Addy gets in with a sigh, smelling of weed and perfume, and immediately lights up the joint.
“Edible gold?” I ask, when she hands the joint over to me.
“Looks gorgeous. Tastes like shit.” She glances across at me, and smiles as she blows out a plume of smoke.
Yeah, the paper tastes like shit, but the weed inside? Oh my fucking god.
“What is this?” I ask in a tight voice, keeping as much of that dank deliciousness inside my lungs as possible.
“Happiness,” she says flippantly.
“I mean, what strain?”
She shrugs. “These guys don’t grow strains. They just give you weed that will make you feel a certain way.” She smiles around the gold joint, and then points to it with a long nail. “Happiness.”
For a second—a brief, intangible moment—I wonder what it would be like to be her. I mean, I wasn’t always a slob—I used to wear makeup and brush my hair and wear pretty underwear. But that all seems so fucking pointless these days.
“Jesus, smoke more,” Addy says, widening her eyes at me. “I swear you’re oozing sad emojis from every pore.”
I laugh, and then I cough. My dark thoughts disappear in a haze of artificial happiness.
Briar
“Dude, we’re gonna be late. Briar. Briar!”
I groan, shoving the hand off my shoulder. When I open my eyes, it’s no more than a slit. “Fuck,” I groan up at Marcus.
“Yeah, today’s gonna be fun,” he says, squinting at me. “Want some coffee?”
“Please.”
He’s already dressed, but judging from how I feel, he’s probably as hungover as I am. He leaves my room and I drag myself out of bed, scratching an itch on my side as I gaze around at the evidence of last night’s rum intoxication. Sometime during the night, I stripped to my boxers. My clothes are scattered all over the floor, and the vase our maid normally keeps filled with fresh flowers on my nightstand is laying on the carpet, blooms already wilting.
Damn. Pity I missed all the fun.
After a shower and Marcus’s cup of coffee, I can at least stand the thought of leaving my shelter.
“Driving with me?” I ask.
“Fuck yes.” Marcus detours to his SUV and grabs out his sunglasses before going to my Mustang’s passenger side. “I’m even considering skipping.”
“Nah, come on,” I say, opening my door and sliding in. “We got a newbie to torture, remember? Don’t want her thinking we’re backing off, do we?”
“Forgot about her,” Marcus says. He puffs at his vape as soon as I put my car into gear, and doesn’t let up until we reach Lavish Prep.
By then the coffee’s kicked in, and if I keep my sunglasses on it doesn’t feel like the sun’s trying to scoop out my eyeballs with a spoon.
We’re late, so the steps are empty.
“They’d have locked already,” Marcus murmurs.
I’m real fucking tempted to turn back. But I meant what I said—I’m not letting up on Indi any time soon. The whole drive over here, she filled my mind. How she looked on her knees in front of me. I can’t help picturing her naked, her mouth open real wide, waiting for my cock like the obedient toy she is.
After days and days of torture, I’m sure Indi will be more than happy to surrender herself to me.
I deserve nothing less.
She deserves nothing more.
“Earth to Briar?”
“What?”
“Christ, I don’t know what you think you’re gonna accomplish today, but I suggest you lower your expectations, bro. Like drastically.”
I snort at him, and gesture around the building. “The gym door should be open. You know how coach likes his fresh air.”
Marcus sniffs at himself. “Ain’t gonna have much of that if he catches a whiff of either of us.”
We’re both still chuckling as we head for the side of Lavish Prep’s massive building.
I’m coming, my toy. Hope you’ve had a good night’s rest, because this is gonna be one taxing day for you.