sure why she was even bothering. We’d blown the entire day at the fair despite Vaughn storming away and leaving everyone confused. I remember how they’d all turned their expectant gazes on me, waiting for me to chase after him. I almost did until I caught the subtle shake of Selena’s head. “I’m your big sister, sweetie. I’d never steer you wrong.”
“Maybe we should call my father and let him know you’re here.” Last night, while I was drunk out of my mind, Selena had invited herself to stay the summer. Wanting to be a good sister and get to know her, I ignored the queasy feeling in my gut and obliged.
“Why would you want to do that?” Her cheerful tone didn’t match her question.
“Because you came here to speak to him?”
“And meet you,” she reminded me. “Look, you said he’s going to be back in a few weeks, right?” At my nod, she added, “Well then, I say we use the time to bond as sisters, and when your father gets back, I can meet him then, okay?” She stood and flounced out of my bedroom as if the discussion was already closed.
Sighing, I picked up my phone, and after taking a deep breath, I started to dial. I didn’t care what Selena said. Vaughn Rees couldn’t be manipulated so easily. If he could, we would never have gotten this far. For months, I’d endured the whispers and opinions of my peers whenever Vaughn walked proudly beside me, a nobody, in Brynwood’s halls. And now it felt like I was turning him into someone he wasn’t just to get what I wanted. I felt like I could throw up.
It all seemed so harmless when Selena laid out her plan. I thought that I was stealing his heart once and for all. What if I’d broken it instead?
My stomach was all in knots as the phone rang, and my bile rose. The wait for Vaughn to answer was pure agony. When the pause came, and I heard Vaughn’s voice rather than the automated response of the voicemail, I almost cried tears of joy.
“What?”
Even though I expected it, I flinched at the coolness of his tone. “I-I was just calling to see how you were. You didn’t talk to me at the fair.”
“You didn’t talk to me either, Tyra.” I couldn’t help but notice how he hadn’t called me pip-squeak. I thought I hated his pet name, but now I wanted nothing more than to hear him whisper it to me. “Tell me why that is,” he demanded. “Is it because you had something to hide?”
“What? No!” Yes. I squeezed Mr. Bear even tighter as my guilt grew. “What would I have to hide?”
“You tell me.” And then he hung up.
I immediately yanked the phone from my ear, thinking I was mistaken and ended up staring at my home screen. It was a picture of us together as he stood in his bathroom mirror at the beach house, lifting me high over his head like a barbell or whatever.
He’d actually hung up on me.
I told myself that I understood, that it was all my fault, but seconds later, I was shoving on my shoes, grabbing my keys, and ignoring Selena’s questioning look as I stormed out of the front door.
Vaughn knew I had a temper. He’d stumbled upon it by accident during the beginning of his courtship. Why he thought I’d take him hanging up on me lying down was a mystery. My meek little Honda couldn’t quite get up to the speeds that his Aventador could, but I damn near topped out all the way to his castle looming on the hill.
It might as well have belonged to Vaughn since I doubted his father was ever around. Vaughn had way too much freedom to have any sort of regular parental supervision. It made me wonder more than ever what his father did for a living. Some jobs required parents to be absent often and for long periods, but not even pilots and flight attendants were gone as much as Franklin Rees. And where the hell was his mom? These thoughts continued to wreak havoc as I flew through the open gates and up the winding drive. I then slammed on the brakes, parking next to Vaughn’s Lamborghini.
Questions that still needed answers.
If Vaughn wanted to touch me again, he had better well start answering some, and I meant it this time, unlike the forty times I vowed to leave Vaughn’s ass