Page 59 of Tainted Rose

Scarlett

I’ve been climbing the walls since yesterday. Xander thinks Sebastian knows things are coming to a head and that’s why he took off. I don’t know what to make of that. What’s craziest is someone discovering the fact that he financed the scholarship that brought me here in the first place and is threatening the pretty life he’s made for himself with Isabella and Janie.

Sebastian started this whole ball rolling. He did it to himself. It would be really cool if my father could man up and talk to me about it. It’s not a secret between us anymore. He knows I know. I know he knows. Too bad he’s an asshole and hasn’t ever told his wife about his secret daughter.

“Scarlett?”

I blink and turn my head from where my gaze had been glued on Xander at the sidelines of the football field and toward Daphne’s voice. “Max and I were going to take off. Um—” She looks at me nervously.

“It’s okay. Spit it out, whatever you were going to say.” I gesture, moving my hand in a circle, that she should continue.

Max looks between the two of us, frustrated when Daphne doesn’t speak. “Oh, for God’s sake. She’s worried about you staying with Xander.”

Daphne shrugs her shoulders. “What if something happens again?” She takes a deep breath and releases it before continuing. “I get that your relationship has changed, and there was even a halfway decent reason behind what he’s been doing, sort of, anyway. I did watch him be completely sweet with you all day today. I just worry. I’m sorry.” She kicks the toe of her shoe against some gravel at her feet.

“Don’t be silly. I lived through it. I get why you’re concerned. We’re really okay, though. And if we’re not—”

Max growls, lifting his brows at me, “You promise to call one of us this time.”

“I will if I need to. Promise. We’re going to Beau’s for a little while to say hi, but then we plan to go right back to his house. He’s pretty upset about not being able to play tonight.”

My gaze drifts to Xander. He’s standing there wearing jeans that fit his ass perfectly and his broad shoulders are so wide they almost fill out his jersey without pads. No padding tonight. No helmet. No game time. The poor guy was so pissed when he realized his coach wasn’t going to allow him on the field, I thought he’d pop a blood vessel. I’d been quietly relieved that the head coach wasn’t pushing him to play. In fact, I’m Coach Roland’s new biggest fan. Anyway, the team has really banded together tonight and are about to pull off a win despite the absence of their star wide receiver.

“Okay.” Daphne sighs before stretching her arms out in my direction, enveloping me in a hug. “Be safe.”

“I will. Promise.”

Max thumps me on the back. “Say hi to Xander for us.”

“And don’t have too much fun at that party tonight.”

Xander and I had decided that, if nothing else, everyone’s antics will distract me from the current state of my craptacular life. The plan is to hang out at Beau’s house for maybe an hour and then head back to Xander’s. As much as I need something to keep my mind off of everything, I’m also mindful that Xander is only two days post-concussion. The minute he shows any signs of fatigue, we’re outta there.

I take a deep breath and look around as we enter Beau’s home, my fingers laced with Xander’s. This party is already crazy. The music is so loud, the chandelier in the foyer vibrates with it. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all.

Xander gives me a tiny smirk, shaking his head at the lunacy around us. He lifts our hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “Let’s see who’s doing something stupid for us to watch and laugh at. It’ll do us both some good.”

I grin at him just as Micah grabs our attention by tearing through the foyer and back toward the kitchen area in nothing but his boxer briefs. I cover my eyes, laughing. “Oh my God, what do you suppose that was all about?”

“My guess? Strip poker gone wrong.” Xander throws his head back laughing.

I raise a brow. “For real?”

“You never know when you’re going to lose to the wrong chick. And while Micah is down with hanging with a bunch of different girls, he’s fairly selective about who they are.”

A fully clothed girl races toward us. “Have you seen Micah?”

We both shake our heads and shrug our shoulders, playing dumb. I giggle. “So, did she win him?”

“I have no idea. The rules seem to change every time they play. I bet he’s regretting this one.” He glances at me and I can’t control the snort that escapes. He tugs on my hand. “Want something to drink?”

“Sure.” We wander into the kitchen, where Beau immediately hands off a bottle of water to Xander and a plastic cup of what he’s now calling his “special rum punch” to me. After raising my cup to him in thanks and taking a quick sip, Xander and I stroll together through the living room and out the patio doors.

Of course, it goes without saying that I get plenty of stares. I’m not oblivious to it. After all, I’m the chick who went for a fully clothed swim in the hot tub at the beginning of the school year. I chuckle to myself and glance down at my bracelet, giving my wrist a small shake to make the charms tinkle, grateful I’d been able to rescue it when Aria dropped it on purpose in said hot tub.

And now I’m here with Xander—like with him, with him. We’d gotten a lot of looks in the lunchroom earlier today, too. He hadn’t let me out of his sight, and insisted I sit between him and Micah at their table. I wouldn’t have abandoned my friends just because he wanted me to sit with him, but he’d requested that Daphne and Max also join us. I’m not so sure Daphne had a good time being included in the group like that, but Max was definitely in his element, rubbing elbows with all the hunky football players.

We make the rounds before sitting down in a couple of chairs at the fire pit. Surprisingly, I’m feeling relaxed and content as we people watch, getting some good laughs as a result of all the shenanigans going on over at the pool.

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