Page 44 of Her Devil

“We met some of them at the mixer,” Penelope comments. “That was a fun night.”

“Uh-hmm,” Tamsin agrees with a nod, finishing her food. “And just in case he wasn’t clear enough last night, Taylor is mine for the time being, and I don’t share.”

“Ooh, you’re coupling up already. These boys work quickly,” she says with interest. “Anyone else?”

“Ivy—” Aimee starts.

“No,” I cut her off.

He might have called me out in front of everyone else, and he might have done his damned best to manipulate me into submission, and I have to give it to him, it certainly gave me pause for thought, but if for one second he or anyone else thinks that means I’m his, they’re mistaken.

I’m not some pretty girl to be lined up and demanded, controlled and manipulated. I still have choices here, I still have power. And nobody is going to take those from me.

“Ooh, go on. Ivy what?” Liselle asks, her interest piqued.

“Ivy nothing,” I clip, glowering at Aimee.

“Ivy was chosen by one of them, first, actually.” Aimee grins, pleased as punch with herself.

“Well, that’s great. Two of you have secured yourself some Devils. The rest of you really need to work on that.” Liselle grimaces, and I can’t help but chuckle, because clearly securing yourself a man is the only thing gorgeous and intelligent women are good for.

There’s no point being a prude about it, these girls are beautiful, but they’re also sweet and kind. I mean, they had personalised travel mugs made, and cooked enough food to feed twelve people. They’re also taking some seriously impressive classes, and not even Tamsin is cruising through her time here.

We are not trophy girlfriends, and I won’t be treated like we are.

“So, you probably have questions. I have answers. Limited though they might be. What do you want to know?”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” I ask, hustling my steps closer, the depth of the gardens around us disconcerting.

“The pool is heated,” Penelope says, waving off my concerns and drawing me back into the moment. “We just have to get from here to there.”

“It’s freezing.”

“It’s fine,” Tamsin says, dismissing me, much like Penelope did. “Get out of your own head and live a little.”

“I’m living,” I argue, dropping the towel on the closest lounger and quickening my pace to the water.Yeah, it’s fucking freezing out here.“I even made it through an entire week.”

The warm water sloshes around my ankles as I test the top step, making light work of the rest and submerging my frozen body in the heat of the pool.It’s bliss.

“She says this like we’re assholes,” Stephanie comments as she ties up her hair. “Like living in a beautiful house with a pool and a whole host of hot guys over the road is some kind of hardship.”

“It’s not you,” I start, awareness prickling over my spine.

“I swear, if you finish that sentence withit’s me, we’re seriously going to fall out,” Charlotte interrupts, climbing into the water with me.

“I’m just not used to being around so many people all the time,” I finish, sticking my tongue out in her direction.

“Because you’re the only one here that’s an only child,” Stephanie says as she joins Tamsin at the deep end, dangling their toes in the water. “We all had lives before we ended up here, you know?”

“No, I know that. I just…” Don’t care? Too harsh.

They’ve been nothing but nice all week. And it’s not that I don’t care aboutthem, I’m finding myself more and more inclined to keep an eye out for them, especially after our discussion with Liselle yesterday.

I don’t know her deal, but she sure as hell isn’t someone who’s here to help, support, guide or advocate for us. No, she’s gone through this damn brainwashing and come out the other side. Clearly, that’s what we could end up like; those of us that make it through.

And I’m not sure I want that for them, or me either. She smiled in all the right places, nodded too, gave vague answers to specific questions and generally left us more confused than we were to begin with.Surprise surprise.

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