Page 17 of Orlando

“What’s the end goal?” he asks.

“To get her out of my fucking head. If I do the leaving, I won’t be left wondering why.” Even to my own ears, it sounds stupid, but I gotta give it a go.

“Let me know how that pans out for you.” Dante laughs.

After the game, I head straight home. As soon as I step foot inside, I wish I would have gone to Dante’s house instead. Because my mom and dad are both waiting for me.

“Hey.” I try for casual. Judging by their faces, either someone died or I’m in some deep shit.

“Sit down,” Dad says, in thatdon’t even try to argue or talk your way out of thistone.

I do as I’m told and wait. I know they’ll talk first. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been in the hot seat one or two times before. Usually, it’s me and Dante in it together. I’m racking my brain trying to figure out what the fuck I could have done recently to land me here. And I can’t think of shit.

“You’re cutting school. Why?” Dad starts the interrogation.

That’s what this is about? “I’ve missed a couple of classes. It’s not like I’m cutting every day.”

“You need to graduate, Orlando. We might be able to buy your way into college, but we’re not doing that. You need to earn it,” Mom says.

“What if I don’t want to go to college? You didn’t,” I remind her.

“I didn’t have the luxury of going to college. You do,” Mom says.

“Okay.” I know my grades aren’t the best. I’m not Dante. I don’t have his natural smarts. But I’m far from flunking out.

“This girl, Aleeka. Is she the reason you’re cutting?” Dad asks me.

“No. She has nothing to do with it,” I tell him.

“How serious is it with you two?” Mom gets that giddy look on her face again. She’s a hopeless romantic. But I’m not about to be feeding her obsession with me finding my one true love and living happily ever after. Fuck that. Aleeka is not my one true love.

“It’s not. She’s a friend. We’re not dating,” I tell them.

“Okay,” Dad says.

“That’s it?” I ask.

“We’re in the midst of brokering a deal with her father. I wanted to make sure whatever you two are doing isn’t going to impact that deal,” he says.

My brows furrow. “I thought her father’s business was all legit.”

“It is. We’re buying one of his companies,” Dad says, not elaborating on what company they’re buying. Not that it matters.

“Nothing between Aleeka and me is going to impact your deal with Mr. Bateman,” I tell him.

“Good. Make sure it stays that way,” Dad says.

“But if she’s the one, then to hell with deals. You go for it,” Mom adds. Dad groans and shakes his head. “Luca, don’t sit here and act like you wouldn’t throw a deal away to keep me.”

“I’d throw everything away to keep you, babe. Well, maybe not Orlando, but anything else.” Dad laughs.

“Good answer.” Mom leans into his shoulder, her lips landing on his, and that’s my cue to leave.

“Good chat,” I say as I exit the room, not that either of my parents respond.

Chapter Eleven

By the time Thursday rolls around, I’m beyond exhausted. I’m kind of relieved my dad is going back to Chicago for the weekend tomorrow, because it means I get to take the day off from school. I can nap when Sebastian does. I really need some sleep right now.

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