Page 31 of Ensnared
“Not really,” Easton replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But there was someone special. What about you? Did you?”
I let out a sigh. “No. I barely had time for anything besides work and studying. Dating wasn’t exactly a priority.”
Easton squeezed my hand gently, his touch comforting. “You have to live a little.”
I forced a smile, trying to push away the guilt that threatened to surface. “Tell me about this girl you were seeing,” I said, eager to shift the focus away from my own regrets.
Easton glanced around, then pulled me toward the far end of the garden, where the shadows grew thicker. “Can you keep a secret?”
I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Were you dating someone’s wife?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, my mother’s best friend.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him in disbelief. “Susanna Belvedere? She’s only a few years younger than your father!”
“It just happened,” he said with a shrug. “We ran into each other at a bookstore in New Haven, of all places. We started talking about Mom over coffee, and... one thing led to another.”
“Easton, that’s... I mean, your mom’s best friend?”
He nodded, a flicker of sadness crossing his face. “It lasted most of my sophomore year. Then it just ended. I guess she realized I was too young for her.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice softening.
“Yeah, I got over it,” he replied, though the wistfulness in his voice told a different story. “I haven’t dated since, but I’ve... you know, been with other women. But I really did love her.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, genuinely meaning it. The pain of losing someone you cared about wasn’t something easily forgotten.
He brushed it off with a nonchalant wave of his hand, but I could see the lingering hurt in his eyes. We continued walking until we reached the pool, its surface shimmering under the moonlight. Without warning, Easton scooped me up in his arms, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
“Easton, put me down!” I struggled, laughing despite myself.
He ignored my pleas and, with a playful leap, jumped into the pool, taking me with him. I surfaced, sputtering, as he swam away, laughing at my plight.
“Asshole!” I yelled, but there was no malice in my voice—only the thrill of feeling alive, truly alive, for the first time since I moved into the mansion.
His laughter echoed across the water, but it was abruptly cut short by a sharp voice. “Easton!”
We both turned to see Simone standing at the edge of the pool, her arms crossed and her expression severe. She looked different—tanned, her hair lighter from the sun, and her presence was anything but welcome.
“What?” Easton asked, his tone flat.
“Exactly what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto me, completely ignoring her brother.
“Swimming,” he replied, unbothered. “Mind your own business.”
Simone’s posture stiffened, her gaze cold. “I’m sure our father wouldn’t like you spending time with her.”
Easton swam to the edge of the pool, gripping the side as he glared up at her. “She has a name, Simone.”
“She doesn’t exist for me,” she sneered, her words dripping with disdain.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to let her get under my skin, and started swimming the length of the pool, using the movement toburn off the anger that simmered inside me. I could hear their muffled voices as I completed a few laps, the tension between them palpable. When I finally stopped, grabbing onto the side of the pool to catch my breath, I noticed Easton sitting on the diving board, his expression troubled.
“She really hates me,” I said, pulling myself out of the water to sit beside him.
“Simone’s a bully,” Easton muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground. “Ever since she got her trust fund, she’s been impossible.”
I wrung out my hair, the water dripping onto the patio below. “She’s never liked me. If it weren’t for Logan, my entire high school experience would have been a nightmare. At least I had some peace.”
