Page 57 of Daddies' Little Troublemaker

She responds right away: But you don’t have a car and this way you won’t have to hire one.

I changed my mind, I’m actually not ready to move back home. My heart pounds and I have to lean on the counter—taking this one little step away from Chloe and Mom’s control feels like a Herculean effort.

The phone starts ringing in my hand. Chloe.

I don’t answer. I carry the phone with me to my room and sit down on the bed, staring at the lit-up screen until Chloe’s name disappears.

Another text pops up. Answer your phone. You have to move back. I need you.

A part of me actually considers it. She needs me? I’ve always been there. But maybe it’s my recent time with Caleb and Lincoln, maybe I’m just growing out of old habits. So instead of agreeing, I write one word. No.

Damn. That was scary. I start to toss my phone on the bed where it will hopefully get buried and muffled by pillows, because she’s surely going to try calling again. Before I do, though, I pull up the group chat with Sawyer and Maya. The best cure for a terrible sister is friends who understand me. I type out, Want to meet up at The Dive?

Hells yeah, Maya replies. Nine?

I confirm, order a ride, and hurry through a shower. I’m glad it’s not a scene there—I don’t have to put in a lot of effort. I can just wear whatever.

I set myself a two-drink limit, but I’ll probably stick with just one. I’m not getting hammered tonight.

A swipe of mascara over my lashes, some tinted lip gloss. A pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a comfy tank top printed with the Bastian Crown icon, and my high-school style necklace with the key—it’s badass and cute at the same time. One last glance in the mirror and I head downstairs.

“Bye!” I call to the guys, who are still sitting in front of a game.

“Where are you going looking all delectable?” Caleb stands up and stalks toward me.

“Out.”

“When will you be home?”

“When I feel like it.”

“Sassy little brat,” he says, spinning me around and smacking my ass. When he turns me to face him again, he’s smiling.

I reach up and smooth my hand over his whiskery cheek. “I’m going to The Dive with Sawyer and Maya to celebrate finally telling my sister that I’m not moving back to my mom’s.”

“You were going to move back to your mom’s?” he asks.

I shoot a glance at Lincoln, then shake my head. “For a minute I thought I was. Lincoln talked me out of it. Anyway, I should go. Don’t worry, I won’t drink like last time.”

“Good girl.” He kisses my cheek, then palms my ass, squeezing.

“Caleb.” I push ineffectively at his chest. Lincoln is sitting right over there. While Lincoln and I had a good time swimming and he apologized for last night, we also didn’t really address the issue between us. Namely, that I won’t budge on not telling my dad, and he thinks we need to say something to him.

“You’re worried about Lincoln?” Caleb asks, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t think he minds at all.”

Lincoln keeps his eyes on the screen and says, “Fuck you.”

With a laugh, Caleb lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and he leans me against the wall, kissing me like he’s suffocating and I’m air. His cock is hard against my inner thigh. The Dive doesn’t sound nearly as fun now as it did a few minutes ago. Maybe I should stay here.

But Caleb pulls back and slowly lowers me until my feet touch the floor. “I’ll see you when you get back, doll. Call me if you want a ride home. I’ll come get you.”

* * *

Caleb

Lincoln ignores me through most of the game.

At a commercial break, I say, “So are we going to never talk about this, or what?”

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