Page 2 of Forking the Billionaire

I pulled my pocket open.

Immediately, the lizard catapulted himself out and through the air like he was as desperate to be rid of me as I was to free him. He landed in the bush, bounced on a branch, and clung tight before disappearing into the leafy depths.

“Don’t come back,” I said. “There’s nothing good for you in there.”

If I’d had time to deposit the lizard farther away, that would have been ideal. But, the longer I was out here, the more likely it was that Rufus would realize I was gone. Satisfied with the rescue, I headed back around the building.

I was currently taking my own advice, too. No one back home in Epiphany, North Carolina was going to literally crush me with a metal tool, but I’d been crushed in other ways my whole life. My older brother Gabe had the best intentions. It wasn’t his fault that our mother left us, or that our dad died. He’d stepped up in a big way after that. He’d tried to shield me, so much so that he ended up hiding things from me that he shouldn’t. It drove me a little crazy.

I didn’t need a replacement father. I needed a brother. He didn’t get that. He probably never would. That was fine. I couldn’t be what he wanted me to be, either.

And afterThe Incident, I knew with certainty that a huge, world-altering change was for the best. I couldn’t keep living my old life anymore. I needed a fresh start all on my own, a brand spanking new life. I wasn’t going back.

As soon as I stepped inside, I spotted two new people standing by the bar and arguing loudly. I recognized them immediately. The Maloneys had been vacationing at the resort for five days.

Fred Maloney looked to be in his seventies. The long incisors that peaked out over his bottom lip would have given him the appearance of a vampire if not for the roundness of his smooth head and his lack of chin. Then there was his gray skin and his whiskers—long, wispy hair that fell from the balls of his cheeks. His resemblance to a walrus was striking.

Mona Maloney looked to be about my age, so barely legal. She wasn’t wearing her glasses today, which was unusual. Also, she bore no resemblance to any aquatic wildlife.

Ziggy shot me a wild-eyed look, while Sage sipped audibly through her straw and watched the couple’s heated discussion.

“If not you, then who?” Mona threw her hands in the air.

I circled around behind the bar.

“Housekeeping? They didn’t take any of my jewelry,” Mona said. “If someone’s going to steal, you’d think they’d take something worthwhile.”

Housekeeping never stole anything from anyone at the resort. The entire department consisted of one pleasant couple—the Barleys—who had been doing the job for forty-ish years and genuinely enjoyed their work and their life here. They were good people.

“You’re just confused. It happens,” Fred yelled at his wife. He turned to me, still yelling. “Two piña coladas. Keep them coming.”

I didn’t take his tone personally as I got to work on their drinks. As far as I could tell, all they ever did was fight and make out. The former was far less scarring to watch.

Mona pointed a finger at Sage. “Didyousteal my glasses?”

Sage adjusted her own thick glasses, which magnified her bright blue eyes into gigantic globes. “Unless the lenses are thicker than your head, they wouldn’t do me any favors.”

Mona pivoted, shoving her finger toward Ziggy.

Ziggy put his hands up like he was getting robbed. “Nope. Not me. Not anyone. It looks like they’re sticking out of your back pocket. Maybe try checking yourself a little more thoroughly before you start throwing around accusations next time.”

Mona visibly shook with a rumbling, whole-body growl. “Those are notmyglasses.Myglasses werestolen.These monstrosities were left in their place.”

She pulled an oversized pair of orange sunglasses out from behind her and slapped them down on the counter. They belonged on a clown’s face or in a box of joke photo props. They were pretty awesome, actually, and way more fun than the librarian-esque prescription frames she’d worn every other time I’d seen her.

I wasn’t convinced any theft had occurred at all. But if someone actually did steal Mona’s glasses, it was her husband. He probably thought they’d get along better if they couldn’t see each other.

“Sounds like the ghosts are back at it,” Sage said.

“You think?” Ziggy asked.

I examined my friends’ expressions as I slid a cherry onto each tiny umbrella and placed them in the frozen cocktails. They appeared to be completely serious. No one had mentioned anything about ghosts in the six weeks that I’d lived here on the island.

I set the drinks in front of Fred and Mona. Mona took them both.

“I’m going to need these,” she said. “Make another for him.”

She headed out to one of the umbrella-covered tables on the deck, leaving her husband standing there shifting foot to foot with an argument on his lips and a pout in his pants.

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