have a beach house shouldn't be appealing to me, but anything about the beach always has my interest. I'm just about to ask about it, when Ken sets his sights on me.
“You should go with them, Cade. It would be good for you to spend time together, and what better way than a couple weeks on the beach in Malibu?”
I hold back my snort. The last thing I want to do is spend time around his demon-spawn daughter. “I was planning on teaching Molly how to surf.”
My mother puts on a face that tells me she’s done something sneaky. “Didn't I tell you? She's going to that sleep-away camp she's been begging for. Ken was nice enough to set it up for her.”
Ken was nice enough. Fucking Ken. Well, it looks like my options are either spending two weeks in this house alone with no one but the two lovebirds, or at a beach house in Malibu with Lennon and her friends. I glance across the table and see the looks on their faces, as if they're praying I turn down the offer. It only makes me want to accept it more.
“Can I bring a couple friends?”
My mom and Ken share a look, and he smiles. “I don't see why not. The house is plenty big enough.”
I'm sure it is, Mr. Moneybags.
I nod, and with another look at Lennon, I smirk. “Well then, who am I to deny a couple weeks in Malibu?”
Kellan tenses, and Lennon subtly rolls her eyes. I bask in the fact that I've made them uncomfortable and potentially ruined their little trip. They better get used to it. This is only the beginning of the shit I'll put them through.
OUR PLATES ARE CLEANED up by the housekeeper—Melanie or Melissa or some shit—and all of us are too stuffed for dessert. I get up from the table with everyone else, and we all start going our separate ways. Just as Lennon goes to walk back up the stairs, Kellan stops.
“I'll meet you up there, babe,” he tells her.
She gives him a confused look and glances at me before nodding. Once she's gone, Kellan looks around to make sure no one can see us. Then, he drops the polite facade he had going on.
“It's funny,” I start. “Lennon looks nothing like the girl you were with at Josslyn's party.”
A deep growl rumbles in the back of his throat as he gets up in my face. “You don't know what the fuck you saw.”
I smirk. “Oh, I think I do. Does she know you're cheating on her, or did you tell her you were sick so you could spend the night with your side piece?”
“Don't fucking start with me, Knight.”
“Or what? You'll tell everyone that I cheat at surfing competitions? That seems to be your usual M.O.”
His chest bumps against mine, like it's meant to be intimidating, but I'm not afraid of him. The only reason he's so riled up is because I have something on him. Something that could fuck up the best thing he has going for him, because rumor has it he didn't get into the college he was hoping for—or any, for that matter. Even North Haven University wouldn't take him, and they're a sucker for the locals.
“I'm warning you, Cade,” he says threateningly. “You breathe a word of this to Lennon, and I'll make you wish you were never born.”
I stick my bottom lip out in a mock pout. “Oh, I'm shaking.”
He steps back and looks me up and down. “You think I didn't notice the way you look at her? She's drop-dead gorgeous, and she’s mine. I won't let you take this from me, too.”
“If I wanted her, there wouldn't be a damn thing you could do about it.”
Walking over toward the stairs, he glares at me with a cocky grin. “Try it. See how that goes for you.”
7
LENNON
I'm scrolling through my phone when Kellan comes in after what felt like forever. I don't know what he wanted to talk to Cade about. I had no idea they even knew each other, but it's clear there’s some kind of history between them that I'm dying to figure out.
Kellan smiles at me and leaves the door open like my dad requires, even though I'm eighteen. Don't even get me started on that nonsense. Like, hello—if I wanted to have sex, I wouldn't do it with him home. Duh.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
He seems unsure as he sits beside me. “I need you to stay away