I chuckle, "You’d best go and do what she wants."
Aggie smiles brightly, "Look at ye, already picking up what Mum’s personality is usually like."
As Aggie walks off, I head over to my brother, who’s sipping on an eggnog along the wall. "There’s something I need to talk to you about, get your input on. Don’t know why I didn’t before."
Vader nods, "Go on,"
"It's this fucking frat boy," I begin, my jaw clenching involuntarily. "He's got some kind of obsession with Aggie. At first, it was just annoying, you know? But then..."
I trail off, the memory of Aggie's bruised face flashing in my mind.
Vader leans forward, his posture tense.
"Keep going," he urges.
"He got pissed when he saw me around her. Then Aggie shut him down hard, and he just... lost it." My fists clench at my sides. "Fucker lashed out at her after he was rejected. That's where the bruises came from."
Vader's eyes darken, a dangerous glint I recognize all too well. "What are you gonna do about it, little brother?"
I meet his gaze, feeling a cold fury settle in my gut. "What the fuck you think I'm gonna do about it?" I snarl, my voice low and intense. "I'm gonna make sure he doesn't ever put his damn hands on her again."
There's a moment of silence, and then Vader nods slowly. "Good, it’s the only fuckin’ thing you should be doin’."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Aggie
The sharp scent of fresh paint fills my nostrils as I dip the roller into the tray, saturating it with periwinkle blue.
Sienna and I have been at this for hours, transforming her bedroom in one of the "bonus" trailers from a drab beige to something more vibrant.
My arms ache from the repetitive motion, but there's a satisfaction in seeing the walls come alive with color.
I glance over at Sienna as she meticulously edges around the window frame. "You're sure you're happy you ditched the sorority?"
The question's been nagging at me since we got back to Vegas.
Sienna doesn't hesitate. "Yeah, absolutely. It was going to happen soon anyway."
I raise an eyebrow, pausing mid-stroke. "Oh? Why's that?"
She sets down her brush, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand and leaving a smear of blue. "You realize they didn't even notice we were gone, right? Like, none of them."
I can't keep the disbelief from my voice. "What?"
We stayed in Montana for a little over two weeks.
The idea that no one had noticed our absence is... well, it stings a bit.
Sienna nods, her expression filled with frustration. "I texted Elizabeth, and you know what she said? She told me I needed to make sure our room was clean before I left."
She rolls her eyes. "Like, the room was damn spotless, so..."
I let out a low whistle, shaking my head. "That's cold."
My mind races, thinking back to all the times we'd bent over backwards for the sorority, the endless social obligations, the pressure to maintain a certain image.
It was obviously all for nothing.