Chapter 34
The Drought
Harper
I leave the guys to discuss following Zach for the week and head over to Penny’s table, waving at Ava along the way. She smiles and waves back.
Penny scoots over so I can sit next to her.
“Are you okay?” I ask as soon as I sit down. Luke doesn’t want me to tell Penny her dad is an abusive asshole. I won’t, but I’ll keep encouraging him to tell her.
“Yeah,” she sighs. “I’m just glad it will all be out in the open. That was part of the deal between my parents. If I came to stay with my father, he’d dismiss the NDA. No more financial guillotine hanging over her head.”
She glances at the others. “And now my friends won’t think I have an unhealthy crush on Luke Foster.”
Nat smirks. “I mean you were always looking at him. We figured you wanted to at least bone him.”
“Ew, no.” Penny twirls her straw and glances at me. “I know that’s what it might have looked like, but definitely no.”
“I wouldn’t have blamed you. If he wasn’t your brother.” Shrugging, I look back at the table with my guys. “Honestly, I can’t blame any girl for wanting them.”
Vicky sighs. “We’ve all had crushes on them at one point or another. They’re hot and popular. That’s like candy to teenage girls.”
The others laugh and I join in because even I had fantasies about the guys before now. The reality is so much better than any fantasy, but I’m not telling these girls that. The reality is all mine.
Hard truth here, because Penny has to hear it. “He’s not going to trust you.”
“I know.” Her smile is sad. “I wish I could have told him years ago, but it was specific in the NDA. I would have refused to move in with William Foster if I was over eighteen. But I don’t really have a choice.”
I nod. “Are you really going to go and work for him?”
She shrugs and stares at her drink. “It’s not optional. He made it part of the deal. If I don’t go through with it, Mom will owe him money. Money she can’t afford to go without. It can’t be that bad. It’s just an internship.”
I swallow. Luke’s done everything he can to get out of it. Something tells me it isn’t as cut and dry as most jobs. But again, it’s not my place to tell her this. And I wouldn’t know what to tell her. I don’t know why Luke doesn’t want it. Maybe it’s just a control thing.
“Do you hate me?” Penny’s brown eyes capture mine. “I understand if you do.”
Reaching out, I take her hand. “No, I don’t hate you. I’m trying to understand this whole thing, but I don’t think this is your fault.”
Penny smiles. “Good, because things are going to get dicey at school. I don’t know how most people will take the news. And don’t really look forward to being Death’s sister.”
Fuck. I didn’t even think about that. Before, I worried about her becoming a target because she was my friend. As Luke’s sister, even if he’s not crazy about her, she’s got a huge target on her. Especially if people are looking to take him down.
I’m sure she’ll get it from the Cheermonsters too.
“You mean people like Sidney?” Fuck, I kicked a fucking beehive earlier.
Not only did I make Sidney’s friends mad at her. The student population might be angry for a while about what she did to Rebecca and maybe to more girls. Sidney won’t stay down long. Something tells me she’ll claw her way out of that hole and land back on top.
“Yeah, but at least they don’t have to worry about me fucking him. Seriously, that’s some Flowers in the Attic shit and I’m not even going there.” Penny shivers and turns a little green at the thought. Her gaze slides to Luke.
I still don’t know what side these girls will land on. They’re supposed to be turncoats and gain the Cheermonsters’ trust for us. But how do I know they haven’t been playing me all this time?
The guys stand and Caden goes to collect his sister. She argues with him, but I’m sure he’ll win. I didn’t think I’d miss the horsemen’s constant attention as much as I do.
Eli stops at our table and holds out his hand to me.
When I take it, he draws me into his warmth.
He smells like fresh cut grass and wood.
I want to bury myself in his scent and hide myself in his arms. Would it be any easier if I had only one of them as my boyfriend?
Maybe no one would bother with me. But how would I ever bear another girl touching one of my guys?
Eli’s focus is on the table of girls. “I expect an update in a few days. We need to know if they have anything planned for Homecoming. Sidney might want some revenge on Harper too.”
Sighing, I rest my head against his chest. She’ll have to get in line. I don’t know if she’s part of the people trying to take down the horsemen. It doesn’t make sense with how possessive she was at the beginning of the year, but her feelings may have changed between then and now.
Even Zach made a play to take me out of the equation, which would have worked perfectly for Sidney to sidle back up to Luke again.
Leading me away from the table, Eli brings me outside where Jack and Nico wait.
I perk up because, as much as I love sleeping with Caden and Luke, I definitely want more time with my other guys.
“We’ll need to come up with a schedule.” Jack glances at his phone and then at me. “Your mom is still on days?”
I nod and lean back against Eli. His arm bands around my waist. I want to sink into this feeling. I wish we could all sleep together every night. That I didn’t have to pick and choose.
“You’ll probably only get one of us a night.” Eli’s lips brush the top of my head. “Is that all right, kitten?”
Shivering, I look into Jack’s dark blue eyes. “That should be good.”
He smiles. “I’ll be over tonight after lights out.”
“After our date tomorrow, I’ll come to your bed, kitten.” Eli rubs my hip. My insides are already heated.
“I’ll be there Thursday night.” Nico reaches out and brushes his knuckles along my cheekbone. “Too long, but we’ll see each other before then.”
Luke steps outside with Penny following behind. “Come on, princess. Let’s get you and my sister home before my dad gets angry.”
Penny flinches at the word “sister” but she doesn’t say anything. What can she say now?
Everything is already out in the open. She could have told Luke earlier, but would he have believed her? I understand why she didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t have risked my mother like that.
The drive back to my house is just as quiet as earlier.
“Wait in the car.” Luke’s voice is gruff as he tosses that back at Penny. She doesn’t move from her seat as he climbs out.
I turn back to her. “I hope this works out for you.”
Her smile isn’t as bright as it usually is. “At least my brother knows now. I still don’t think I can call William ‘Dad.’ But he asked me to.”
She blows out a breath. The secrets in this town could bury us all.
I give her an encouraging smile and get out. As soon as the door closes, Luke draws me into his arms and kisses me like he’s going off to war. I grin and wrap my arms around him as the kiss sweeps both of us away.
He lifts his mouth and presses his forehead against mine. “I’ll miss you tonight.”
My fingers tug at his hair. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’d say turn on the webcam...” He shakes his head. Yeah.
We don’t know if someone else has access. We don’t need a creeper watching us sleep. Or anything else we may do. I don’t need a real picture of me naked out in the world.
“Call me if Jack can’t make it.” He tucks a hair behind my ear.
I cup his jaw and stare into his pale blue eyes. “You need to keep her safe. He’s using her, just like he uses you. She’s not safe in that house. I feel it in my bones.”
“I know, princess.” He presses his lips to mine and makes a frustrated sound. “Fuck, I don’t want to go.”
I try to smile, but I feel it too. “You can come pick me up in the morning?”
He smiles wickedly and kisses me deeply before releasing me.
“I’m going to need incentive.” He backs away and I grin.
“I’ll text you.”
His eyebrow goes up. “Don’t send dirty pictures until Jack makes sure everything is safe.”
I laugh. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
Smirking, he reaches for the door handle. “Sleep well, princess.”
Mom asked me how dinner went. I really didn’t know what to say to that, which made her chuckle uneasily. So I came up to do my homework.
I sit in my chair, trying to focus on work, but I’m also used to having the guys on. I blow out a breath and focus. When I finish, Mom knocks on my doorframe.
“No Luke?” She rests against the doorjamb.
I shake my head. “Found out Penny is his half-sister and staying with her dad for the remainder of the year. He wants to make sure she gets situated.”
And not hurt.
Mom frowns and nods. “There’s a lot in that statement. Is Luke okay with everything?”
I shrug and roll my pen on my desk. “He doesn’t really have a choice. None of us do.”
“You always have a choice, Harper. But sometimes there’s only one that makes sense.” Mom looks at my unmade bed. “Guess we’ll tidy up the guest bedroom since it will be unoccupied for the foreseeable future.”
I nod and swallow. What I really want to do is tell her that the guys have me covered, but I don’t think she’ll appreciate a rotation of guys without their parents’ permission staying at her house.
“Don’t work too late. You need to catch up on your sleep.” She gives me a smile.
“You too. Night, Mom.”
“Goodnight.” She closes my door and turns out the hallway light.
I have no idea what time Jack will arrive. My veins buzz with nerves. It’s weird, but Jack and I haven’t spent a lot of time alone. We’ve had moments, but we’ve never slept alone. I shake off the weird creeping feeling.
I’m used to having Luke here or Caden. It’s too quiet without the webcam on. Without seeing them working beside me. I understand Caden wanting to go to college together. To have a space for all of us.
I wash my face and braid my hair before changing into pajamas. Everything I’ve done for years without entertaining anyone else, but now it feels wrong. Empty.
I grab my phone.
Me:
Is this still secure?
Pestilence (Eli):
Yes, kitten. Did you get your homework done?
I settle on my bed and tuck my feet under the blanket.
Me: