will not be coming back into any fold. None. End of story.”
Jasper and Eddy exchanged a glance before they leaned in closer to me. “Riles, do you understand what you’re saying?” Eddy started softly. “Today was only the beginning. It will get worse. They’re animals at that school, and now they have a new zoo keeper to stir them up.”
Jasper nodded, for once serious. “Katelyn is bad news. She’s definitely causing trouble behind the scenes, and I can’t protect you at school. What happened today … that’s a one off, unless you crawl back to us. I have to keep a united front there…” His eyes went really wide. “Even though you know I’m on your side here.”
I clenched my fists together, anger, my old friend, giving me the strength to say, “I will never crawl back, not even to keep myself safe at school. I know this is some sort of bullshit scheme to make me reliant on you. To throw me back into your world. I won’t do it, Jasper. You and I are okay now, and I don’t expect you to weaken Delta anymore to hang out with me in school, but don’t ask me to be part of you again. I won’t.”
He opened his mouth to argue more; I could already see the stubborn light in his eyes, but our food arrived before he spoke, and I grabbed at the distraction. For the rest of the afternoon we talked about my new apartment, and things happening at school, but Beck and Delta were not mentioned again. I think Eddy and Jasper both knew I would ditch both of their asses if they continued to push me. I had so little power left to me—they controlled and owned and dictated so much of my life—that I was holding on to my small independence.
As we were getting up to leave, my phone buzzed again, and I pulled it out to find an incoming call from Stewart.
“Hello,” I said when I answered.
“Miss Riley, your apartment is all ready to go. I’ve had your clothes and personal belongings transferred, and your keys are waiting at the front desk. Along with a credit card from Mr. Deboise. He advised me that Catherine can still see everything you purchase, but that you are free to use it for food and any other extras you need to make your apartment a home.”
I smiled. “That was nice of him. Could you please thank him?”
“Of course,” Stewart said. “I’ll text you his number as well, just in case of emergencies.”
The thought of old Stew texting was a humorous one, but I was so glad I’d befriended him.
Eddy and Jasper stared as I got off the phone, and I smiled. “My apartment’s ready!”
“I’ll drop you off and check it out,” Jasper said, keys in his hand. “Make sure everything is safe before I leave you for the night.”
Not one to turn down a free ride, I didn’t argue. After we arrived, Eddy raved about my apartment before she wistfully stared out the window. “Do you think Dad would let me move out?” she asked. “I’d like some space from Delta too, if I’m being perfectly honest.”
Jasper snorted derisively, having just done a walk through, checking out the bedroom, bathroom, and living area thoroughly. It was not a huge apartment, but I didn’t need anything bigger. “You’d have a better chance of winning the lotto that you never buy tickets in,” Jasper told her.
Eddy pouted, but she got to her feet and followed her brother to the front door.
“Call us if anything happens,” Jasper warned me. “Remember, you’re out of the compound, and you’ll be vulnerable here.”
“Are you going to tell Beck?” I asked, remembering Eddy’s warning about Beck losing his shit.
Jasper shook his head. “No, I’m staying out of this as much as I can, but he’s no doubt already heard. He’s the oldest heir, and you already know that gives him more power than the rest of us.”
That would explain the dozens of text messages I’d been silencing from him all night.
Eddy and Jasper left me with a hug, and I made sure to lock and bolt my door before sliding a chair over to prop under the handle. It wouldn’t stop someone that really wanted to get in, but I’d have a little more notice.
Standing in the middle of my new apartment, in a living area with couches I didn’t choose, in clothes that were only half mine, I wondered how the fuck my