Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,37
him what happened. I want her to spill all those details.
“He will learn what?”
“That you cannot be trusted. That’s it, Cadee. That’s what this is all about. I don’t know why he’s obsessed with you at the moment.”
We stare at each other. Because we both have an idea.
“But,” I continue, “it’s just a test. Everything is just a test with him. If you tell him what we did to you at the Glass House, if you breathe a word of any of it, he will get rid of you so fast, your pretty little head will spin. So be nice, tell him thank you, and then go to bed.”
“I thought you wanted me gone?”
“I do.”
“Then why are you telling me this?”
I have no idea. But I don’t want to think about it. So I don’t answer. Just tug her over to the door and knock.
“Come,” my father growls on the other side of the door.
I open it, push her forward, and say, “Found her. She was outside on the beach looking up at the stars.”
My father stares at her, daring her to contradict me.
“I fell asleep. Sorry for worrying you, Chairman. And thank you”—she smiles at me—“for sending Cooper to be my white knight.”
My father smiles at her from the massive wingback leather chair in front of his fireplace. He’s not working. He’s wearing his smoking jacket. Waiting up for us, even though it is nearly midnight. Clearly infatuated with this girl for some reason.
But I can’t blame him. Not really.
Because I am clearly infatuated with her as well.
I need to fix that. I need to get rid of this girl.
“I’m glad you’re OK,” my father says. “I thought you would come for dinner. But I understand. Are you sleeping here tonight?”
“Yes,” I say.
My father glowers at me. “Don’t answer for her, Cooper. Women don’t like that.”
“Yes,” Cadee says.
“Cooper will help you move in to the cottage tomorrow night. Won’t you, Cooper?”
“Sure,” I sigh.
“I…” Cadee starts. “I don’t think I can live there.”
My father frowns. “Why not?”
“I don’t have a boat. I can’t get back and forth to the Glass House for work.”
“Oh.” My father frowns deeper. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I made an assumption. But of course, you don’t have a boat. Cooper?” He barks my name loudly. Like I need those extra decibels to hear the order that’s coming. “You will be Miss Hunter’s chauffeur for the summer. Clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s not necessary,” Cadee protests.
“Nonsense. I didn’t give you a place to stay just so you couldn’t stay there. Cooper doesn’t mind, do you, Cooper?”
I grit my teeth and bite back the instinctual response that really wants to come out. Then I breathe. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Perfect,” my father says. “Well. Have a good night, you two.”
We turn. But then my father says, “Cadee?”
“Yes?” She turns back.
“Did you have a nice first day?”
I do not move. I do not breathe.
Because part of me wants her to tell him everything. The sane part.
But another part wants her to just play along. Play the game with me. Just like we did three years ago.
“Yes,” Cadee says.
And I breathe a sigh of relief. Even though I know she can’t stay. And tomorrow we will do everything in our power to make her quit.
“Thank you for this opportunity,” Cadee adds. “I really appreciate it. And I had fun today.”
My father nods and smiles even wider. If that’s even possible. “Good. That makes me very happy.”
We back out of the room, close the door, and I take her quickly through the hallways and back to her room. She opens the door, and I’m just about to say something.
Thank her, maybe?
For being a… good sport about this day?
For sticking it out so I can use her again?
But she doesn’t turn. Just shuts the door in my face.
My whole body gets hot with anger.
What the fuck is wrong with this girl? Is she playing me? Did my father send her to the Glass House as a setup to make me fail?
Or… does she just really hate my guts?
No. She didn’t reject me. That’s not what that was.
She disrespected me.
I lie in bed thinking about this. Thinking about how she is the cause of all my problems this summer. Realizing she thinks she’s so much better than everyone, when it’s all of us who are better than her.
She doesn’t care that my father is paying her bills right now. She gives no fucks at all that she has been handed an opportunity that people would kill