Page 24 of Swamp Princess

I don’t really know why his father wants her gone, but we will do everything we can to make sure that she is. Kingston’s future is on the line, which means ours are too. Once our twisted fucked up fathers are out of the companies, we can try to make things more legitimate and change the companies the way we have envisioned.

Brinley stiffens even more and her face locks into a sneer. “Fuck off.” Surprisingly, she doesn’t stutter on her words and the brief weakness that she displayed is no longer there. We all stand there in a weird semi-circle.

No one moves and I know we won’t be the first to move. We won’t get in trouble for being late for class. She will though and I know Kingston is hoping for that.

Brinley finally shoves past us and we watch her leave before Kingston turns to us. “No more fucking around, she is gone before the end of the year. I don’t care how we get it done, it just needs to get done.”

“Do you know why your father wants her gone?” We haven’t asked him that before and from the look on his face, he doesn’t really have an answer for that.

“No, I don’t know why exactly but I know her presence is disturbing the old fuck and that means he is disturbing me.” I see the stress on Kingston's face and know he has more going on than just the swamp girl.

“Is everything okay? Is everything okay at home?” It is a sensitive topic for him, but he looks like more is troubling him than just the swamp rat.

I watch him sigh as he looks at Remington and I. “Father is getting worse with the drugs and he is getting worse with mother who still refuses to leave him. Claiming she doesn’t want to have to live in the swamps.” He takes another breath. “I would almost rather move there with her than see her the way she is now.”

All our fathers are abusive pieces of shit, but Kingston's father makes ours look like a cake walk. He is a cruel man and always has been. He hides it well, but we see it more consistently recently. Kingston has even tried to hide some of his marks but he can’t from us.

“He is hiding something and I am going to follow him this weekend. I need something on him. Something that I can use to help my mother.” He turns and leaves, preventing us from speaking further on his plan. I know if he is needing something from his father than his mother is even worse than he is telling us. “This will also help get me out of my pending marriage. I need out before she comes back.”

Kingston especially never wanted to be engaged to the heiress, but his father pushed him into it with the threats to his mother, so he agreed.

“Whatever you need, we will help.” I mean it. Kingston is my best friend, and they are both the brothers I always wished I had. We will do anything to help one another even if it is destroying someone else.

“I have my father, just work on the swamp rat. She is the one that needs to go before I can even do anything about my father. With her gone I will have the advantage of him allowing me closer to him because he thinks I was a good dog.” Again, a look passes his face that I don’t recognize, but he shuts it down before I can say anything.

I nod and follow him down the hall. I need to start digging into the swamp rat. I am the best at uncovering secrets of the group. Everyone has secrets, I just need to find hers.

* * *

Brinley

Surprisingly, I am getting the steps to the different stupid dances that I am being taught. Today however, dancing with Loyal is entirely different. The way he has been looking at me is unsettling.

“What is your problem now?” I glance up at him instead of burning holes in his uniform like I have been the last couple of minutes. Though at least he is a nice distraction from Blaise ignoring me and keeping secrets, and from the idea I have forming to talking to my mother this weekend.

“I don’t have one. Just focus so you don’t step on my foot again.” Loyal snaps at me. I’m about to say something to him when he cuts me off. “What are you hiding, swamp rat? There must be something about you that you don’t want anyone to know.”

He spins me before bringing me back into a dip and this time I find myself pressed against his chest and for a moment, everything seems to stop. He looks down at me with a look I haven’t seen him give me before. He smiles and for just a moment, my world comes to a spinning halt.

“There is nothing that I can hide. I don’t have the luxury of keeping my life private.” I don’t know what compels me to say anything to him, but I find myself sharing that little tidbit. I don’t have the luxury of privacy. My mother is literally the swamp whore. I don’t even like to think about how many people probably skimmed through my panty drawer.

Loyal looks at me strangely before our teacher tells us to prepare for the Viennese Waltz. It is supposed to be added to show diversity of the different waltz’s, but this one is much faster and I still struggle to keep up with any dance partner.

“Change partners.” Mr. Brooks shouts. I scramble to try to get to anyone else but one of the Sky kings, and yet, I find myself stopped and spun in Remington’s arms.

“What was Loyal talking to you about?” Remington looks over at Loyal who now has a pretty blonde in his arms and for a moment, I feel a tinge of jealousy. He doesn’t ever smile at me like that. In fact, I don’t recall anyone from here smiling at me really.

As much as I need this scholarship, I miss the swamps. I fit in there. I had friends there. I had Blaise. On auto pilot, Remington and I spin around, completing the songs. I don’t answer him as I get lost in my own thoughts. Three years, I have to be here, three years until I am free and can live my life.

I have to figure out Blaise and what is going on with him. When I go back to the trailer this weekend, I want to try to talk to him and see if he will open up. I feel like my life is slipping the more I am here even though this is supposed to make my life better.

Remington seems lost himself in his own thoughts, until I realize he spun me close to the open gym doors before pulling me through them.

“Come with me.”

“What? No.” I try to yank away from him when he frowns and yanks on me harder.

“Come with me, now.”

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