Rich Prick – Tijan Page 0,39
leaned over again. “Oh hey.”
What now? I was still thrown by the sister comment.
“If you slide out of here before I see you again, I’m organizing a trip on my dad’s yacht. We’ll leave tomorrow after school, skip Friday since it’s a useless day for us, and come back Sunday morning.”
“Graduation is that afternoon.”
“I know.” He flashed me a grin. “It’s a really long end-of-the-year party. I think we’re due, right?”
“A yacht, huh? We have a limit on how many are invited?”
He cocked his head, side-eyeing me with a way more smug smirk than I wanted to see on his face. Ever. I was about to tell him to drop it or I was going to wipe it off him when he broke out smiling. “How about we do you, me, and your mystery girl, and I’ll make sure Conway and Ashlome don’t have Daniels as their plus one.”
“How many, Zeke?”
That meant they’d invite Penny, Ria, or one of the other girls in that group—all of whom had nails and were mean as hell.
I didn’t like what he was doing. I knew his dad’s yacht could only comfortably sleep eight. He was forcing me into a situation where I had to bring Aspen or go on a trip without her, and I didn’t want to do that.
“I won’t come unless I know who else is coming.”
“Come on.” He groaned, tipping his head backward.
Penny and Ria were heading over, and I knew this conversation was a waste. “I’m out.”
“What?” Zeke’s mouth dropped open before he caught himself. “You’re being a bitch, man.”
I was reaching for my wallet when I heard that. I was in his face in a heartbeat. “Don’t you fucking speak to me like that.”
A sudden hush fell around us.
Zeke’s eyes went hard, and a mask slammed over his face, but he didn’t move.
I was breathing on him, but he didn’t lean back.
His words were low, and I heard the warning in them. “Don’t do this, bruh. You’re disrespecting me.”
“You did this.” God, I wanted to tap his chest, but I refrained.
That was my crazy side, but I wasn’t one of his bitches, and according to him, that’s why he liked me.
“And you’re continuing to do this,” I added. “You don’t think I know what you’re doing? A yacht trip, and I’m supposed to bring my woman when you know the other girls will rip her apart? You think I like being in that place? Being put there by my ‘best bud’?”
He was quiet a moment. “Your woman?”
My what?
I blinked.
He threw me a crooked grin, the air around us suddenly easing up. “You called her your woman.”
Well, fuck. I did.
I growled. “Don’t put me in that spot.”
I’d known Zeke since first grade. We’d moved when I hit fourth grade, but I came back every summer to spend time with him and his family. I knew his little sister. I knew his mom. I knew his dad was a dick, but who didn’t have one like that? This asshole Zeke was not the guy I remembered from the last time I’d seen him, which was two summers ago. He’d come to spend time with me and mine in New York, and it’d been a fun month—a full fucking month. We’d spent that time on my non-bio dad’s yacht.
I got the significance of Zeke inviting me, but I still didn’t appreciate the parameters of the invitation.
He let out a sigh. “Fine. How about we do the trip after graduation, and instead, we go on a two-day bender at my house?”
“Yeah, man.” I tossed my cash onto the table, made sure the passing server gave me a nod, and turned back to him. “But if you ever call me a bitch again, you and I will be trading blows.”
Then I let it go and walked past him.
I was overdue for some Aspen time, even though I knew I was leaving behind a seething friend and more waves than I wanted to create at this place—not Manny’s, but in Fallen Crest.
I was just past the first row of outdoor tables and circling to the right side of the parking lot when I heard a voice behind me.
“I’m surprised it’s taken a whole semester for that shit to start.”
I groaned, not even stopping. “Not today, Cross.”
He was alone, and he blocked me before I could get to my vehicle. His gaze focused over my shoulder, and he scowled at whatever he saw.
“Taz’s boyfriend tried to go it alone,” he said. “It didn’t work. He