Page 12 of Kings of Westbrook High

“They're pricks.”

He tips his head back and laughs, grinning like he's proud of the fact. “Well, at least you're honest.”

“Only when I wanna be.”

“Smart girl.” He eyes me and my form a moment, a little bit amused but not intrusive or dirty like. “Where are you headed tonight?”

“College party with this girl from school.” I admit, not seeing any reason to lie about it.

He narrows his eyes at that, squaring his shoulders. “Westbrook University?”

“Yep.”

“I'd rather you didn’t.”

“And I’d rather you didn't act like my Daddy.” I tease, eyeing him over my shoulder while I move to leave. “Unless that’s what you're into.”

He glares and I smirk, laughing to myself when the elevator doors close behind me.

Yeah, okay, what I said was real fucked up considering my history, and maybe I shouldn't have acted like that with the man who’s paying my tuition and allowing me to live in his house rent free, but fuck it.

I'm an asshole.

I know I'm an asshole.

And I don't fucking care.

* * *

As promised, Rachel picks me up in her cherry red Audi A5 convertible from the quirky little coffee shop I found about a mile from Kingston Palace. My new friend seems to be obsessed with trying to figure out where I live and who I live with - something that's really starting to piss me off, but other than that, she's actually not that horrible to be around.

“You know I won't judge you, right?” She eyes me, glancing between me and the road.

“I wouldn’t give a fuck if you did.”

“Then what’s your issue?”

“My issue is you’re a nosy bitch.”

She laughs at that, shaking her head at me while she pulls up outside some house on the edge of the city. “Okay, let's go.”

I pull my brows in, climbing out of the car to look up at the big ass three story mansion in front of us. “This is where it’s at?”

“Yep.” She grins, falling in line beside me while we walk up the long driveway lined by trees and lit by spotlights on both sides.

“Okay, then.”

She frowns. “What?”

“When you said college party I expected a shitty dorm room with a few stoners getting high and getting laid. Not.. this.”

She laughs some more, walking right through the front door like she owns the place. “Welcome to Westbrook, Callie O'Conner.”

I roll my eyes and follow her inside, feeling a little out of place and a lot overdressed. The guys are mostly shirtless and most of the girls are wearing barely there bikinis, only a handful still clothed in tight little dresses and short skirts. Despite Rachel's request to wear something slutty, bitch, I'm rocking my usual black ripped jeans and a cropped tank sitting just above my belly button. I did cover my now fading bruises with a little concealer and ditch the massive hoodie, though, so she can consider that a win.

Music blares through the surround sound, the lights are low and the house is filled with college students, talking, dancing, making out and getting high on fuck knows what. I follow Rachel through to the kitchen, watching her greet a few others in passing while she leads me over to the bar set up on the island.

“What do you drink?”

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