Page 112 of Pack Rivals, Part One

"Was she at the party tonight?"

"No." He's quiet for a moment, the song playing over the speakers and our wet feet against the ground the only sound up here on the roof. "She isn't well. She can't leave the house much these days. He doesn't talk about it much but it eats him up."

"Axel?"

He nods.

The man seems so tough and indestructible. I find it hard to believe inside he's hurting.

"You're a good dancer, little bird," he tells me and I rest my head against his shoulder, gazing down at the city lights.

* * *

Wrappedup in a soft toweling gown an hour later, I knock on Courtney's door, hoping she's still awake.

"Courtney?" I ask.

"Come in," she replies.

I find her dressed in her pajamas, sprawled out across the huge bed, scrolling through her phone.

"Hey," she says, placing her phone down on the mattress and patting a spot next to her. "How was your, ahem, swim?" She waggles her eyebrows at me.

"Lovely and," I place my finger on her lip before she can speak, "it was just a swim."

"No funny business?"

"No funny business," I reply, neglecting to mention the nipple biting and the slow dance.

"Oh man, Bea, you have some self-control. If that man had looked at me the way he was looking at you, I would have burst into flames then and there."

"Oh, he gets me all hot and bothered, don't worry about that. I'm just…"

"You're just …"

"Taking my time."

"Really? Bea, sweetie, what's there to take your time about? These men live in a palace. They're drooling all over you and practically falling over themselves to make your life better."

I frown at her.

"Let's look at the evidence." She holds up her thumb. "You're in desperate need of a job. They give you a job. A good one that pays well too." She holds up her forefinger. "Our apartment gets trashed and we need somewhere to stay, they bring us back to their palace." She holds up her middle finger and I grab at her hand, crushing her fingers in my fist.

"They also lied about tonight's dance to get me to go with them."

Courtney frowns too. "Oh, that's not good."

"No, and I have had my fill of liars to last a whole lifetime." I flop down on Courtney's bed and she lies down beside me. "If I'm giving my heart away, I want to be sure this time. Certain. No more assholes. No more liars and deceivers."

"For what it's worth, I think they're good guys."

"Yeah, and everyone thought that about Karl too. He was our high school golden boy, remember?"

Popular, handsome, good at sports. Always the center of attention. It was dazzling when he picked me and then never let me go.

I think of Connor again, laid out on the grass, notebook in hand. Quiet, reserved. No interest in being liked or popular. So different to Karl.

"Bea?" Courtney asks, waving her hand in front of my face. "You still with me?"

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