4. Cee
four
Cee
“Are you okay?” I wrap my arm around Sloane’s shoulders once we’re in my Jeep. I know she has a major crush on Reaper, but he doesn’t feel the same way. He’s always pushing her away.
“I’m fine.” Her voice betrays her sadness.
“It’s just been a while since I’ve been that close to Reaper.
” She stopped calling him by his birth name three years ago, on her eighteenth birthday, when she confessed her feelings to him.
He told her he’d only ever thought of her as a little sister.
Now that their parents were divorced, he said he didn’t think of her as anything at all.
She cried for days after that—her teenage crush's rejection was more than she could handle. That’s how we ended up still living at home at twenty-one, after attending the community college in town and earning Associate of Arts degrees that haven’t done us any good, since we are both living off trust funds our grandfathers left us.
Something else we bonded over when we first met.
Our classmates called us poor little rich girls, only they called Sloane a Princess and me a gold digger's daughter, even though my trust fund came from my mother’s side of the family, just like Sloane’s.
“You don’t look fine. How about we get some ice cream?” Ice cream has always been our go-to when we need a pick-me-up, and after today, we both definitely need it.
“Thanks.” She gives me a watery smile, brushing away the tears. “I think I just want to go home, relax, and forget I ever met Reaper. My mom and latest stepdad are out for the night—I’ll finally have some alone time.”
“Are you sure you want to be alone?” My mom and Mr. Emerson are out of town for a few weeks. I’ve been staying at the hotel because the house is too big to stay at alone. Plus, the hotel room reminds me of Rhys and how he touched me.
“I’m sure.” She turns away from me and looks out the window. I take my arm from around her shoulder and start my Jeep.
We ride in silence to her house. I can only imagine what is going through her head, being that close to Reaper after all this time.
It had to unlock all the feelings she was trying to hide.
Sloane reached out to Reaper first with a text about her suspicions regarding her dad’s deputy police chief.
But it was Reaper’s idea to involve Rhys and me as go-betweens and to keep his distance from Sloane.
I pull into Sloane’s driveway, and the big house looks cold and unwelcoming—just as bad as mine. I park in front of her house. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night at my house?”
She unbuckles her seatbelt and turns to face me.
“Not tonight.” She turns toward the door and places her hand on the handle, only to turn back and face me again.
“I almost forgot that Troy slipped this to me while Derek was being a dick.” Sloane pulls a flash drive out of her beach bag and hands it to me before sliding out of my Jeep.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night at the Fourth of July fireworks. ”
“Of course, it’s tradition.” I try to sound excited about the fireworks display—we've never missed one since we became friends, but I don’t think either of us is feeling up to it this year.
***
It’s after midnight. I should be asleep, but I can’t stop thinking about Rhys standing up for me with Derek.
No one has ever done that for me before.
I glance at the flash drive on the bedside table and bite my lip.
I’ll just send Rhys a quick text to let him know I have more information for him to pick up.
He probably won’t see it until tomorrow anyway.
Me: Hey, just wanted to thank you again for helping with the whole Derek thing today. Also, I was wondering if we could hook up tomorrow.
I set my phone on the bedside table, not expecting Rhys to respond this late at night. Before I can pull my hand back, my phone buzzes with a new message. I hope he understands the hookup part of my text. I want to make sure we don’t blow our cover if anyone is monitoring our texts.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: Hey, Hotel Hottie, what are you still doing up this late?
I laugh at the nickname I put in his phone to identify my texts.
Me: I couldn’t sleep.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: Is something wrong? Do you want to hook up now?
My heart flutters at his concern, even though we both know it’s all an act.
Me: No, it’s okay. I’m just tired.
I hit send before I could change my mind.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: Talk to me, Cee. I know it’s late, but I have a feeling it’s something else making you tired.
His genuine concern has me opening up to him, so I text him exactly how I feel.
Me: I’m tired of being lonely. I'm tired of being treated like trash just because my mother fell in love with a married man twice her age who refuses to divorce his wife. I’m tired of never having a boyfriend, never being kissed, and being a twenty-one-year-old virgin.
Bubbles appear on the screen, then vanish. Finally, he responds.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: Give me your address. I’m coming over.
Crap, I can’t let him find out I’ve been staying at the hotel while my mom has been away.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: Now, Cee. You have five seconds to give me your home address, or I’ll spank your ass when I find you.
The image of him carrying out his threat flashes through my mind, and I have to clench my thighs together.
Sighing, I text him my location.
Me: I’m at the hotel. I’ve been staying in the same room for the past few days.
Mr. Afternoon Delight: I’ll be there in a few minutes.
I stare at the message, waiting for a lecture, disappointment, or even pity for living out of a hotel room when I have a multimillion-dollar home available to me. Instead, his text makes me feel safe and warm—he's on his way.
Curling up on the bed, I stare at the door, waiting for Rhys—thanking my lucky stars I won’t be alone much longer.