turning the tables. “You’ve been moping around in your room all week.”
“I have not been moping,” I denied.
His brows lifted.
“Fine. But it’s been a weird week, okay.”
“Weirder than usual? I find that hard to believe.”
Twerp was asking for it. I grabbed the nearest pillow from the floor where I had kicked it many nights ago, and heaved it at his head.
He ducked, laughing as the fluffy missile zoomed right past him, and I realized it was the first time I’d heard TJ’s laugh since we got here. “Your aim still sucks.”
I couldn’t stop the smile. TJ might be a pain in my tush, but we were family. The only family we had really. “You want to raid the kitchen and watch a movie?” I asked, another family tradition that had vanished with Mom.
Lines of consideration ceased his brow. “Sure. Why not?” That was his way of saying he missed me. “Just as long as it is not porn.”
“Hardy, har, har.”
~*~*~
My cell phone buzzed on my dresser, scaring me half to death. Not that I was doing anything important, just laying on my bed, counting ceiling tiles. I lost count after seventy-six and had to start over. Thank God for technology.
Eyes narrowing, I read the number that flashed across the screen. It was a local area code, but one I didn’t recognize. For a painstakingly, heart-stopping moment, I thought it might have been Zane. Then I remembered that he had programmed his number under Dicknose. It made me smile.
I debated whether to let it go to voice mail. It was after nine and like the last few nights, I had just brushed my teeth with the very lame idea of going to bed early. Yep. That was the kind of Saturday night I was having.
Pathetic.
I didn’t recognize myself.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, girl. Get dressed. I’m coming to break you out.”
My mind was slow to place the voice. “Zoe?”
“Duh. Who else do you know on this dreadful island?” Zoe replied.
She had me there. Zoe had a spark for life that was contagious. Enough so, that I was actually contemplating getting out of bed. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. Maybe I could get her to give me some dirt. I was getting squat from her brother, and I had so many questions: Zane. Crash. Rose. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” she sung in that pretty lilt of hers. “Be ready in fifteen.”
“Better make it twenty,” I answered, staring at my reflection in the mirror. It was going to take an act of God to make myself look presentable. Lazy day equaled no shower. I needed an entire team of professionals to pull me together. Hmm, I wondered if Rose staffed her own stylist. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Rolling off the bed, I snuck a quick sniff under my arms. “Ew.” I rushed into the bathroom, cranking on the shower to hot. Ten minutes later I was in a towel, staring at a closet three times the size of mine at home.
I pushed aside all the clothes Rose had stuffed the closet with. Lace, pink, and floral were not my style. If there wasn’t black in it somewhere, it wouldn’t touch my body. Tugging on a pair of self-ripped jeans I’d found shoved in the back, I paired it with a peek-a-boo tank. The outfit definitely accentuated the important parts, butt and boobs.
Highlighting my eyes with a quick coat of mascara and a thick line of black eyeliner, I ran a brush through my blonde hair, adding a little bit of hairspray to tame the flyaways. After a sheen application of my favorite lip-gloss, I was ready to paint the night red. I smacked my lips, shoved my ID and cell phone into my back pocket, and checked the clock.
Two minutes to spare.
I took a breath, surveying myself in the full-length mirror. Not bad under short notice. It would have to do, because my phone buzzed. It was a text from Zoe.
I’m outside the gate. Hurry ;)
On my way. I quickly sent back as I opened the terrace doors.
For a brief moment, I felt guilty about sneaking out, but as soon as I saw Zane leaning
“I have not been moping,” I denied.
His brows lifted.
“Fine. But it’s been a weird week, okay.”
“Weirder than usual? I find that hard to believe.”
Twerp was asking for it. I grabbed the nearest pillow from the floor where I had kicked it many nights ago, and heaved it at his head.
He ducked, laughing as the fluffy missile zoomed right past him, and I realized it was the first time I’d heard TJ’s laugh since we got here. “Your aim still sucks.”
I couldn’t stop the smile. TJ might be a pain in my tush, but we were family. The only family we had really. “You want to raid the kitchen and watch a movie?” I asked, another family tradition that had vanished with Mom.
Lines of consideration ceased his brow. “Sure. Why not?” That was his way of saying he missed me. “Just as long as it is not porn.”
“Hardy, har, har.”
~*~*~
My cell phone buzzed on my dresser, scaring me half to death. Not that I was doing anything important, just laying on my bed, counting ceiling tiles. I lost count after seventy-six and had to start over. Thank God for technology.
Eyes narrowing, I read the number that flashed across the screen. It was a local area code, but one I didn’t recognize. For a painstakingly, heart-stopping moment, I thought it might have been Zane. Then I remembered that he had programmed his number under Dicknose. It made me smile.
I debated whether to let it go to voice mail. It was after nine and like the last few nights, I had just brushed my teeth with the very lame idea of going to bed early. Yep. That was the kind of Saturday night I was having.
Pathetic.
I didn’t recognize myself.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, girl. Get dressed. I’m coming to break you out.”
My mind was slow to place the voice. “Zoe?”
“Duh. Who else do you know on this dreadful island?” Zoe replied.
She had me there. Zoe had a spark for life that was contagious. Enough so, that I was actually contemplating getting out of bed. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. Maybe I could get her to give me some dirt. I was getting squat from her brother, and I had so many questions: Zane. Crash. Rose. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” she sung in that pretty lilt of hers. “Be ready in fifteen.”
“Better make it twenty,” I answered, staring at my reflection in the mirror. It was going to take an act of God to make myself look presentable. Lazy day equaled no shower. I needed an entire team of professionals to pull me together. Hmm, I wondered if Rose staffed her own stylist. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Rolling off the bed, I snuck a quick sniff under my arms. “Ew.” I rushed into the bathroom, cranking on the shower to hot. Ten minutes later I was in a towel, staring at a closet three times the size of mine at home.
I pushed aside all the clothes Rose had stuffed the closet with. Lace, pink, and floral were not my style. If there wasn’t black in it somewhere, it wouldn’t touch my body. Tugging on a pair of self-ripped jeans I’d found shoved in the back, I paired it with a peek-a-boo tank. The outfit definitely accentuated the important parts, butt and boobs.
Highlighting my eyes with a quick coat of mascara and a thick line of black eyeliner, I ran a brush through my blonde hair, adding a little bit of hairspray to tame the flyaways. After a sheen application of my favorite lip-gloss, I was ready to paint the night red. I smacked my lips, shoved my ID and cell phone into my back pocket, and checked the clock.
Two minutes to spare.
I took a breath, surveying myself in the full-length mirror. Not bad under short notice. It would have to do, because my phone buzzed. It was a text from Zoe.
I’m outside the gate. Hurry ;)
On my way. I quickly sent back as I opened the terrace doors.
For a brief moment, I felt guilty about sneaking out, but as soon as I saw Zane leaning
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