Page 5 of The Favorite Girl

“Demi, you absolutely should ask those questions. It’s a dangerous world.”

Before I knew it, we pulled up to a giant, intricately carved gate and my lips parted in shock. Raina punched in a code and suddenly, they creaked open, somewhat scratching against the smooth pavement. The sound sending chills across my arms.

We drove through a canopy of trees that lined neatly trimmed lawns with elaborate floral displays framing the most stunning houses I’d ever seen in my life.

“Holy…” I breathed as I took in the massive mansions. It was a world of its own. A minute later, Raina turned into the driveway of a gorgeous stucco house that was lit up by floodlights.

“This is your house?” I looked over at Raina, who was getting Kai out of his carseat.

“I mean, just until the real owners come back from their trip to London,” Raina replied, her face completely stoic.

Freezing in the driveway, I looked at her until she broke out into laughter.

“Demi, I’m joking. We live here. Full time, I promise.”

CHAPTER

FOUR

When we got inside, I felt like I was visiting the Biltmore Estate—a place I dreamed of visiting after finding a brochure. That brochure got me through the hardest moments of my life because I would pretend one day I’d go there, and that, maybe one day I could live a life as lavish as that one. Stupid me. But now, here I was, twirling around in the foyer of a complete stranger’s house, in awe.

The interior was even more stunning than the exterior, if that was even possible. The ceiling had this gold-encrusted design, the walls were a stunning shade of navy blue, and one wall had built-in shelves, meticulously decorated with gorgeous knick-knacks and picture frames. A stunning, velvet emerald couch sat atop a lavish rug, the accent chairs were a deep golden mustard color, and everything had this bohemian peacock yet rich vibe to it.

“Your home is stunning.” I looked over at Raina, who had her sleeping son on her shoulder. She was beautiful. Her eyes were a lighter brown, but her hair was a deep raven like mine, except shiny and well taken care of. Her skin was a creamy tan, and her makeup was applied to perfection.

“Are you Indian?” I asked as she kicked off her shoes and gently put her bag down.

“I was born here in Charlotte, but yes, I am. My mom is actually Persian, and my dad is Indian, so half, but we really grew up immersed in the culture. I’m going to take Kai up to his bed, but please, make yourself at home. I’ll be there in just a minute.” Raina smiled at me and made her way up the curved marble staircase.

Tugging my dirty flip-flops off, I neatly placed them next to her Golden Goose sneakers.

For a moment, I felt bad that someone as dirty as me was in a place so beautiful. Here I was, in a house that easily had to cost five million dollars with a Goodwill bag in my hand.

Sighing, I let my calloused, rough feet glide against the gorgeous smooth floors. They weren’t wood or carpet; they were marble, just like the stairs.

I’d never seen, let alone been inside a home with marble floors. I walked toward the built-in shelves and began looking at the golden framed photos—mostly black-and-white, professional images of Kai and Raina—and when I went to the other side, I lifted a large wedding portrait.

“It’s been ten years, but it feels like yesterday.” A voice startled me from behind and as I jerked around, the frame slipped and crashed to the floor.

“Oh, no!” the tall, handsome man, who was now crouched on the floor by my feet, called out.

Stumbling back, I avoided the glass and gripped the edge of the built-ins. “I’m so sorry!” I winced as he shook the shards off and lifted the now broken frame.

“Demi, are you alright?” Raina was at the bottom of the stairs, glancing between the two of us.

“I didn’t hear him coming and I… I’m so sorry. I’ll buy you a new frame,” I stammered, even though I only had five dollars to my name and, by the looks of that frame, I’d need to add two more zeros at the end in order to match what it was.

“No, no… it’s okay. I always joke that Jax is abnormally light on his feet.” Raina grinned.

“This is my husband, Jax Roberts. Jax, this is my new friend Demi.” She widened her eyes slightly at him as he stood with a pile of glass stacked on their wedding photo.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Demi. Do you live around here?” he asked politely.

“No. I’m kinda new to town.” I looked back down at my feet. Suddenly horrified that her husband was inches away from my chipped-up toenails and feet that were stained with dirt and grime.

“Well, Raina is what we call a people collector. She loves new friends, and I’m sure you’ll find her to be quite useful in getting to know the city.” He paused, but then did a quick sweep of my body before lifting his eyes back to mine again.

“Are you working somewhere?” Raina cleared her throat and looked at him with repulsion.

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