Page 648 of Filthy Elites

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My eyes flutter open,and my gaze lands on the watercolor painting of a lake near Chad’s bookcase.

It’s bright outside, but I have no idea what time it is.

Wait a minute…

Chad’s room?

Bright outside?

My awareness snaps into focus, and I realize with horror that I spent the night at his place.

When I move to sit up and find his arm secured around me and my back pressed against his chest, I’m not sure what surprises me more.

My craziness for sleeping over, or him.

The slight shuffle makes him stir, and he lifts his head to look at me, but doesn’t move his arm.

“Go back to bed; it can’t be time to get up yet.” His voice is groggy with sleep.

While I stare back at him open-mouthed, he turns me to face him and kisses me as if we’ve always done this.

“Chad, I have to go. It’s Saturday. I wasn’t supposed to stay over. My parents are gonna go crazy.”

I can just imagine how Mom and Cal must have freaked out when I didn’t come home. Mom could have called the police or something because while I’ve told her about Isabelle, she doesn’t know her number.

They might have even sent out Cal’s fleet of guards to look for me.

Chad smiles against my lips. “You said, parents.”

“Yes, so what? That’s not important.”

“It is. Because you always talk about your mom but not Cal.”

I pull away to look at him and bring the sheet up to cover my breasts.

“I guess I do.”

“Do you think he’d be worried about you?”

I don’t have to think about the answer to that very long. “Yes.”

“Good, I thought so. That’s why when theybothmessaged you last night, I answered back and told them you were staying over with a friend.”

I stare back at him and press my lips together. “Thanks. Why didn’t you just wake me?”

“Because I didn’t want to. It was interesting to watch you sleep; then it was interesting to fall asleep next to you.”

I don’t know why I find that funny, but I laugh, and he looks at me as if I just did the most interesting thing he’s ever seen.

“What?” I ask. “Why on earth are you looking at me like that?”

“Because, that’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.”

“It can’t be. I laugh all the time.”

“Not with me. Now I know what you sound like laughing.”

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