Page 20 of Kings of Westbrook High

“Look, I don't give a fuck if we sound like pricks.” He shrugs, leaning back on the island. “He's a bad fuckin’ guy and we don't want you around him. I'm not about to tell you why or what went down between him and us because that's none of your fuckin’ business. You'll have to take my word for it and do as you're told on this one because trust me, if you don't? Damon won't be so nice about it next time.”

I raise a brow. “That's what you call nice?”

“You pissed him off.”

“Like it's hard.”

He hides a grin and I laugh lightly, stepping closer to lean my elbows on the counter next to him.

“Okay, let me get this straight. Rachel's allowed to party at Derek's but I'm not because I'm the “daughter” of your Dad's wife?”

“Rachel's insignificant to us.” He says simply, turning to mirror my position. “If it became a problem then yeah, we'd put a stop to it, but you live with us, you see what goes on here. If Derek knew that he'd only try to use you to fuck with us.”

I lick my lips, eyeing him. “You think I'm some kinda rat?”

He shrugs, not denying it. “We don't trust, either.”

I nod, not at all surprised by that.

Boys who look as good as they do, have this much money and live in this big ass empire they'll one day inherit for themselves? It's gotta be hella hard for them to determine the fakes from the real ones.

“I won't go out of my way to spend time with the guy.” I admit, raising my brows. “But that's only because I don't want to, so don't think for a damn second it's because I'm following your bullshit rules. I don't-”

“Give a fuck about us.” He finishes for me, looking down at his coffee. “Yeah, I got that.”

I frown when I catch the look on his face, ignoring the unfamiliar kick in my gut that feels an awful lot like guilt.

I don't feel that shit.

I refuse to feel that shit.

Guilt, sadness, compassion, love..

I trained myself to turn those weak ass emotions off when I was thirteen years old. The bastard things still try to claw their way through my skin from time to time, but I won't let them. My walls are built sky high and they're not coming down any time soon.

Wren slides his eyes from the counter to me, chewing his lip. “I know you didn't ask to be here, and I know how it feels to lose a parent like that. I'm real sorry about your Dad, Callie.” He says, and damn him, he looks like he genuinely means it, too.

He can't possibly know that burning in hell is the best place for the sick fuck who raised me, and that no matter how much I hate this fucking place and everything it stands for in terms of Katherine, it can't be any worse than the one I came from. I don't bother telling him that, though. That'll only raise questions I can't answer.

“Don't be.” I say instead, offering a half smile. “Like that, huh? Your Mom.. did she-”

“Wren.”

I jump when I hear his snappy ass voice, once again cursing this motherfucking penthouse and their silent floors. Looking right, I eye Damon standing just a couple feet away from me dressed in nothing but a pair of black basketball shorts, white knuckling the towel wrapped around his neck with both hands.

He glares but I barely notice.

His caramel tanned skin glistens with a light layer of sweat and I can't help but appreciate the dips and ripples across his inked chest and bare abs. My greedy eyes seem to move without my permission and I follow the V beneath his waistband, feeling my toes curl against the marble when I eye his thick thighs, imaging what they'd feel like against the backs of mine if he took me right here from behind.

Fuck me, I need to get a grip.

I force my eyes elsewhere and look to Kai who's standing beside him, also shirtless and hot as fuck. He stares at me and my form with a stupid ass grin on his face and I can tell he's hiding a laugh, the fucker.

“Good morning, sister.”

“Eat a dick, fuck boy.”

He laughs for real and I roll my eyes, swallowing the last of my coffee to place my mug in the dishwasher. Just then, the elevator pings and all heads turn to watch Katherine step through the doors. She freezes where she stands when she sees us together, sliding her eyes over each of the boys before moving them to me.

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