15. Mila
Mila
Dear Diary,
Today I found out that Ryker is a millionaire. Yes, a millionaire. And yes, he is a millionaire himself. Not just his dad. His grandparents left him a whole bunch of money or something. Could life be any more unfair? He’s hot. He’s sexy. And he’s a millionaire. What chance do I have now?
Depressed and moping.
Mila
XOXO
P.S. I would love him even if he were poor and ugly.
“Hey, it’s me.” I opened the bedroom door and walked in. “You okay?”
“What do you think?” Lara looked up at me with puffy eyes, her face tinged with tears as she gave me a sorrowful look. “I just want to go home.”
“He’s a jerk. I’m sorry.” I walked over to her bed, sat down, and rubbed her shoulder. “I don’t know how he could have slept with Barbie.”
“He’s a pig, and she’s a whore.” Lara looked bitter. “I mean, I’m not surprised. Her breasts have been out all weekend. I wouldn’t be shocked if all three guys have hooked up with her this weekend.”
“You think so?” I bit my lower lip as my stomach churned. “That would seem really messed up.”
“It’s not like these guys are saints. I’m sure they don’t mind sharing.”
“I don’t think Ryker would do that,” I said, my voice weak. “Though, who knows about Troy. You know him better than I do.”
“I know who better?” Lara’s eyes darted back to mine.
“Troy.”
“I don’t know Troy from Adam.” Lara sat up and shook her head. “Though he has been checking out Barbie’s ass too.”
“Where did you find him?” I asked, trying to keep my cool. I was pissed that Lara hadn’t even done any research on Troy before she’d hired him.
“Find who?” Lara’s voice was abrupt, and she was starting to look like I was feeling—frustrated and angry.
“Troy,” I shouted. “Where did you find him, and why didn’t you tell me what you were doing before he showed up?”
“What I was doing?” She blinked. “I didn’t find Troy anywhere.” Her eyes widened. “Are you saying you didn’t hire him?”
“No, I didn’t hire him. Are you saying you didn’t hire him?”
“I didn’t hire him.” She shook her head.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. “You’re not joking, are you? Because if you are, this isn’t funny.”
“Mila, I did not hire Troy. I have never seen that man before in my life.”
“So why did you say you’d done something for me? To go along with the Troy thing?” I said weakly, hoping she was about to burst out laughing and say, “Gotcha.”
“I created a fake Facebook profile for Troy.” She smiled weakly and shrugged. “I was going to tell you to friend him, and then we could change the status to ‘in a relationship.’”
“A Facebook profile?”
“That was it.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I didn’t even think of hiring anyone. I thought that the idea was ingenious, though. I was shocked you did it.”
“Yeah, well, we were both shocked.” I sighed. “Because I didn’t do it.”
“So, then who?” she said, and we let the question dangle in the silence.
I realized that there really could only be one other person who had hired Troy.
Someone who was probably laughing at me right now for pretending that Troy and I were something that we weren’t.
“Oh, boy,” Lara said, her brown eyes focused. “Not Ryker?”
“Who else could it be?” I groaned. “No one else knows about him because he didn’t really exist.”
“Wow,” Lara said, her lips twisting up. “What’s his game?”
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“I mean, why did he hire Troy? And why did he bring Barbie? And why is he hitting on you and trying to get you into bed?”
“Maybe he’s on some weird power trip and doesn’t want Parker to know.”
“Hmm.” Lara frowned at the mention of Parker’s name. “I guess. Are we sure Parker doesn’t know? I mean, why would he sleep with Barbie if he thought she was Ryker’s girl?”
“Yeah, that I don’t know.” I shook my head. “But one thing I do know is that Parker would not be cool with Ryker going down on me and fingering me in the lake.”
“I wish Parker would finger me in the lake,” Lara said and plopped down on the bed. “Sorry.” She made a face at me as I shook my head in disgust. “I know he’s your brother, but gosh darn it, I want him so badly. I don’t understand why he won’t make a move on me.”
“Do you even want him now, knowing he’s been with skanky?”
“Would you still want Ryker if you found out he’d been with skanky?” she asked poignantly.
“Maybe he has already,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach just thinking about it. “Do you think he has?”
“Honestly?” Lara asked as she gazed up at me.
“Yeah, honestly.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That skank only wishes that Ryker would have slept with her.”
“You really think so?”
“Yeah.” She sighed deeply. “He has standards, unlike your jerk of a brother.”
“He is a jerk.” I nodded. “Wait until I tell Nonno about what he did.”
“You’re going to tell, Nonno?” Lara asked in surprise. “You talk to him about sex stuff?”
“It’s not my sex stuff.” I laughed. “And yes, I tell him everything. He’s my best friend, aside from you.”
“Do you want to call him now?” she asked, a dim smile on her face.
“You want me to?”
“I think we could both use some advice from him right now.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I groaned. “Wait until he hears this.” I grabbed my phone from my pocket and pressed the buttons to call his number. I listened impatiently to his phone ringing, and a smile burst out on my face as he answered. “Hey, Nonno.”
“How are you, Mia cara?” he asked softly. “Feeling better?”
“Kinda.” I sighed.
“What happened?” He sounded gruff. “Do I need to come to the lake?”
“No, you don’t have to come to the lake, but Lara and I need your advice.”
“Lara is with you?” His voice softened. He loved Lara. He told me that I was lucky to have her as a best friend and that I should treasure her friendship. I tried to remember his advice when she made me mad.
“Yes, we need your advice, Nonno.” I pressed the speaker button on the phone so Lara could hear what he was saying too.
“What has happened?” He sounded worried.
“Parker slept with that plastic girl I was telling you about.”
“The one who Ryker took with him?” Nonno sounded confused.
“Yes.”
“I thought she was with Ryker? Why would she sleep with Parker?”
“You tell us.” I sighed. “Lara is here, Nonno. She is heartbroken. What should she do?”
“Are there really any decisions to be made?” Nonno asked, rhetorically, and I knew what he was saying, but it was not something I wanted to say to Lara myself.
How could I be the one to break her heart?
How could I tell her that her hopes and dreams were wasted on my brother?
He was the definition of a playboy. He was the sort of guy I’d never be friends with if he weren’t in my family.
“Do you think he likes me, Nonno?” Lara asked, her voice weak. My normally confident friend was so worried and hopeful at the same time. I didn’t know what she expected Nonno to say. I didn’t know what I expected Nonno to say.
“Lara, my dear. Love is an emotion that is overpowering in its simplicity,” Nonno explained. “Until the heart is ready to accept that someone else is in charge of their life and soul, one will never be ready to settle down.”
“So, you’re saying Parker isn’t ready to accept love?” Lara said, sighing deeply.
“Parker isn’t ready to tie his shoelaces,” Nonno joked, and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I was pleased to see that Lara had started laughing as well.
“Nonno, I need your advice as well. I told Ryker that I was dating this guy called Troy.”
“Who is Troy?” he asked suspiciously.
“He doesn’t exist.” I paused. “But now he kinda does.”
“What do you mean, this man kinda exists now?”
“I told Ryker I was dating this guy, Troy, and a ‘Troy’ showed up and pretended to be my boyfriend. I thought Lara hired him to help me out, but she didn’t. And now I’m pretty sure it was Ryker, and I’m just so embarrassed. I don’t even know what to do.”
“I think you need to speak to Ryker,” Nonno said in an amused tone.
“It’s not funny,” I wailed. “I need your advice. Should I pretend I don’t know what he did?”
“Mila, ignorance is never the answer,” Nonno said, and Lara nodded.
“I feel like an idiot. He’s going to think I’m a liar.”
“You did lie, Mia cara.”
“Nonno,” I wailed again and gave Lara a look.
“Maybe you and Lara need to have a talk about what you really want, and maybe you both need to talk to your young men and see if they want the same thing.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” I said sarcastically. “Thanks, Nonno, I’ve got to go now.”
“Don’t be upset with me, dear. I’m just giving you the best advice that I can.”
“I know,” I said and sighed. “I love you, Nonno. I’ll call you when I get back.”
“I love you too,” he said, and then I hung up and looked at Lara.
“So that wasn’t a big help,” I said as I flounced back on the bed next to her.
“Yeah, it was.” She looked at me, her eyes gazing into mine sorrowfully. “Parker’s not ready for love, and Ryker is playing the same games you’re playing.”
“I’m not playing…” I stopped talking and made a face. “Okay, I’m playing games, but only because I’m scared to put myself out there. I don’t know what Ryker wants.”
“You know he wants you.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “He’s obviously sexually attracted to you. He wants you.”
“Yeah, he wants some sex from me. Woo-hoo.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure you could hook up with Parker as well, if you wanted. I want him to want more from me than just sex.”
“So, tell him that.”
“Are you joking?” I looked at her. “Would you tell Parker that?”
“Hell, no.” Lara laughed. “Fine. Don’t tell Ryker you want his babies.”
“Yeah, or the fact that I’ve saved myself for him.”
“Yeah, or that fact.” She shook her head. “You’re crazy—you know that, right?”
“Yes.” I nodded and hugged myself. “But even if it doesn’t go anywhere with Ryker, I still want him to be my first. I’m a romantic like that.”
“Uh-huh,” Lara said. “Ryker doesn’t look like the sort of guy who’s going to make love to you the first time you’re together.”
“Lara!” I blushed.
“What?” She giggled. “He looks like he’s going to pound the shit out of you and have you begging for more.”
“Lara.” I shook my head at her as my body tingled.