Page 106 of Notorious Park Avenue Prince

“No. It’s not.” He crouched as East approached us again, then reached down and grabbed hold of East’s hand.

East came to an abrupt stop, lifting his head from the water with a slight sputter as he glared up at King. “What the hell?”

If King was intimidated by East’s caustic tone, he didn’t show it. “Out. Now.”

East went to pull his arm down, but King merely shook his head.

“Don’t even think about it.”

East’s eyes flicked to mine, and all I could do was shrug. “You want me out, you need to let me go.”

King released his hold, and just when I thought East would push off the wall and head back in the direction of the deep end, he placed his hands on the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out of it.

With everything that was going on, it was hardly the time to take note of the tiny black swim shorts he wore, but when they clung to his wet body like a second skin, it was difficult to look elsewhere.

Something he was clearly aware of as he walked up to King, not stopping until they were toe to toe.

“Well, I’m out,” East said, angling his chin up in defiance. “What would you like me to do next,professor?”

King ran his eyes down over that gorgeous body, and while it was obvious East thought he could distract him with sex, King knew him too well to fall for that tactic now. He reached for East’s chin and leaned down until their lips were barely a whisper apart.

“To talk.”

East yanked his face free. “What do you want to talk about?”He shoved past us and over to where he’d thrown his towel across the end of a lounger. “The fact that my father ruined his life and my future? Sure. Let’s make a drink and send up a cheers.”

“You know that’s not what King means.”

“No?” East looked between us, the towel frozen against his chest. “How about the fact that I have no idea where my mother or I will be living in the foreseeable future? And school, what about school? Who’s going to pay for that?”

“James—” King started, but East held up a hand.

“No, you wanted to talk, and these are the questions that need to be answered. And let’s not forget the trial of the decade that will no doubt take place here in the city. Will I be called for that? Will I be grilled in front of the entire world for the horrible fucking decisions my father has made? Probably. Let’s see… Did I miss anything?”

East went back to rigorously toweling himself off, and I took hold of King’s arm and mouthed,Let me.He nodded, and as I brushed by him, I felt his fingers trail the back of my arm in a silent show of support.

I reached out a careful hand, halting East’s movements and curling my fingers around his. When East brought his eyes upto mine, I noticed the dark circles under them, confirming what I already knew—he wasn’t sleeping for shit. That needed to change, even if King and I had to tie him to the mattress and slip him a sedative.

“No one is expecting you to be okay with everything going on right now, especially not us,” I said, taking the towel from him and pulling him in close. “We just want you to talk to us and let us try to help you.”

King took the towel from me and moved around behind East.

“How can you help me?” East asked, the sarcasm from moments ago gone now, his hazel eyes imploring.

“By being here for you.” King wrapped the towel around East’s shoulders and put his lips by his ear. “But you have to let us in to do that. You have to let down these walls of yours. Stop fighting us, little prince.”

“I don’t know how…” East whispered as he leaned back into King’s hold. The sheer exhaustion from nights of no sleep and a busy brain were finally catching up with him.

“Let us take care of you,” I said, bringing his hand up to my chest. “Let us do what I promised your friend we would.”

“West?”

“He threatened my life if I didn’t look after you.”

“So that’s why you’re doing this?”

“No.” I leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’m doing this because I care.”

East stiffened, but I was done pretending to be indifferent. Done pretending that this arrogant, pompous, infuriatinglygorgeousman hadn’t somehow crept into my heart.

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