Page 28 of His to Ruin

“Your house really is gorgeous,” I tell her in admiration.

“It’s a lot isn’t it?” she says then points to a staircase surrounded by glass panels.

“The third floor is where my room is. Next door to me is Saints room and then we have the spare room. Can you believe I have to share a floor with him? And don’t even get me started on the number of girls he’s allowed to bring in here and no one utters a word about it. Seriously sometimes it’s like listening to the worst porn star noises you’ve ever heard. I need to invest in a good pair of noise cancelling earphones so I can drown them out. Makes me wanna puke. Anyway, the second floor is the gym and cinema room. Then there’s stairs leading to mom and Erics room.”

“How do you not get lost?” I joke.

“Oh, I have, many times,” she lightly laughs.

I stop in my tracks. Wait there’s no way that’s what I think it is.

“You have an elevator in your house?” I ask taking in the see-through glass elevator doors.

“Uh yeah, but I’m not allowed to use it. For some reason no one is apart from Eric, Saint, and the men who work for him. It’s supposed to go down to the lower level where Eric’s office is but I’ve never seen it. He’s private about it all. Men and their mancaves I guess. Eric uses it when he’s not working wherever it is he works. No one knows the code except him and some employees, not even my mom.”

These people must be like crazy rich, but material wealth never mattered to me. I mean, sure it’s nice to look at and all but I like the fact that my house isn’t spick and span. Its messy, lived in, and I can put my feet up on my sofa without being scared it will leave a mark.

“So, you have a gym,” I say.

She puts an arm around my shoulder.

“And that is exactly why we are going to be best friends,” she says with a giant smile on her face.

“Holy crap is that a pool?” I ask in delight, taking in the Olympic sized pool through the opened bi-folding doors. But that’s not what takes my breath away, no, it’s the view.

“This one is heated, but that one over there,” she says pointing out to the sea view. “Gets a little cold sometimes. Plus no one likes sand getting up in places it shouldn’t,” she winks making me giggle.

“Mom took me and Millie there not so long ago.”

“Not to that beach. That’s Blindman’s Cove,” she corrects.

“Blindman’s cove?” I ask looking out to the blue waves of the sea.

“Yep” she says popping the p and pointing over to a gated area to the side of the house.

“We have steps around the side of the house that gives us direct access to a section of beach that’s private to us, aka Blindman’s Cove, but there’s another beach a few miles down that’s open to the public. I like to come down there some nights when Saint’s not using it for one of his parties.”

“I overheard people talking about cove parties in school but never knew what it was.”

“It was something his brother started. Apparently, what happens in Blindman’s Cove is Bayview Springs best kept secret.”

“He has a brother?”

“He did but he passed away a few years ago.”

Embarrassment spreads on my cheeks wanting nothing more than the ground to swallow me up. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know.”

“Don’t be, you weren’t to know. I never even met him but it’s a touchy subject for Saint.”

“I can imagine. Have you never been to one?” I ask changing the subject.

“Oh yeah like Saint would ever allow me into one of his parties.”

“Maybe we can sneak in,” I joke.

“Maybe we should.”

“I was joking Lex.”

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