Page 497 of Filthy Elites

“You’re in college, you should be ten shots in, making friends with perky blondes or some shit.”

“You want me to make friends,” I scoff. “Why? So you can use them to punish me when I piss you off? Yeah, I learned my lesson, I’m good. I’m not going to run, so go do what you need to do and I’ll read my book, you can come find me when you’re ready to go.”

His brow furrows and he looks genuinely baffled by me, like he has no idea what to do.

“Here,” Evan says, returning with five bottles of beer in his hands.

“I’m good,” I say, not lifting my gaze from my cell.

“You want something else? I’m pretty sure they had wine coolers and some tequila.”

“Nope,” I pop thepsound.

“Take the damn beer,” Sebastian snarls.

Reaching out, I take the bottle and immediately tip it, letting the contents fall to the ground beside me. “Thanks, that was delicious,” I deadpan.

“Fucking hell,” Sebastian curses. “Come on, let’s go, I want to make sure everyone sees her with me.”

“Will I get to leave quicker if I ask people to form a circle and then just bend over? You can fuck me, shouting mine, mine, mine, then everyone will know,” I snark.

“Shut the fuck up, Starling.”

Miming zipping my lips, I focus my attention back on my cell and start to read, or at least I pretend to read while Sebastian guides me with his tight territorial grip on the back of my neck.

People stop us every few steps, greeting the guys like they’re the prodigal sons, returned to save the world. Sebastian introduces me to each person, but I don’t bother to engage with more than a tip of my chin, or a distracted “Hey” before I focus my attention back to my cell.

I know people are wondering who I am and why Sebastian is giving me so much attention, when I’m making it obvious I don’t want to be at the party or with these boys, but just like in high school, no one questions them. The guys bring me more drinks, but I tip them all away without taking a sip and in the end, they give up, staring at me with sad eyes and forlorn expressions.

All of a sudden, Sebastian’s grip on me loosens as a girl barrels into him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. “Bastian, baby, I missed you, I missed all you guys,” Courtney says, in a breathy, lusty tone that makes me snort derisively.

“Courtney,” Sebastian says coolly, removing the limpet from his body and setting her down a few steps from us, before reaching for me and wrapping his palm back possessively around my nape.

“Starling, I’m surprised to see you here,” Court says tersely.

“Hmmm,” I agree noncommittally.

“Boys, you should come back to Harrington House with me, we could have fun, like we used to.”

“We’re good,” Hunter tells her dismissively.

Courtney scowls, then her gaze swings back to me. “It didn’t take you long to crawl back, you know they like to share, don’t you? Did you offer to whore yourself out for all of them? They won’t keep you, you were only ever a toy, they’ll use you, then discard you.”

“Here’s hoping,” I say, lifting my head and smiling widely.

“Starling,” Sebastian warns.

“What? You can parade me around and pretend we’re all happy or what the fuck ever, and strangers might believe it, but she knows the truth. She knows I left my mom, my home and my life and ran halfway across the country just to get away from you. There’s no point pretending with her. Court wants you, she’d make perfect arm candy. You could train her to be the perfect little robot you want and when you get fed up, you can pass her along to one of the others. I’m happy to step aside and leave you two lovebirds to it, in fact, I’ll just go.” I try to step away, but Sebastian snaps his hand out and catches my wrist, manacling it in his grip, as the others close in around us, forming a human cage around me.

“Courtney,” Evan sneers. “Go away.”

“Are you joking? Don’t tell me you want her too?”

“She’s my friend and my stepsister.”

“She hates you,” her gaze travels over all four boys. “All of you, she always has. I thought she was just playing hard to get back in high school, but you really don’t want anything to do with them, do you?” she laughs gleefully.

“No, I don’t.”

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