right now, but bills have to be paid.
So I told him about the money, the poker money.
I called him because it felt cowardly to text it, to reveal I had damn near eighty grand in an account that I’d barely touched. Of course, Charlie being Charlie, he refused to take it. He told me to save it for college.
I cross my arms over my chest, and sigh. I’m beyond frustrated. Dad should let me come home and take care of him. Instead, I just got Harry Potter’d again and left at Hogwarts. Only, instead of magic, this school is full of gorgeous boys. Five of them. And they’re all staying for the break to attend more of their stupid Infinity Club parties.
The difference this time, is that Lizzie is here, too.
“What?” I ask, blinking and refocusing on my bestie. We haven’t talked about … the kiss. Not in a while. I’m not sure if she’s given up or if she’s still interested. Frankly, I’m scared to find out. I don’t want romantic feelings to come between us and our friendship. If I’m honest, it’s the same issue with the boys. For four of them—if not all five—this relationship we’ve just started won’t work out. Will we still be friends after? It scares me to think that we won’t because I enjoy their company so damn much.
“I should’ve made Andrew stay here with you,” Miranda murmurs, sighing as the bus pulls up and her coach calls for the girls to climb on. “Who needs an overseas trip to Tokyo when you could be here, at gorgeous Burberry Prep, home of a serious Infinity Club throwdown?” She pauses her rant, leans over, and gives me a big kiss on the cheek. “Stay safe, don’t do anything stupid, and try not to get killed by Harper before I get back, okay?”
“What did you mean about the talent show?” I ask before she pulls away. She shrugs her shoulders, tosses her pony, and then gives me a look.
“If you don’t think your new beaus are going to fuck that shit up, you’ve got another thing coming.” Miranda gives me a wink and bounces off to join her team, leaving me standing there and wondering.
If the old adage, an eye for an eye holds true …
“You’re going to dump paint on them while they perform, aren’t you?” I ask, finding Tristan and Creed waiting for me near the stained glass doors that lead into the chapel. We’re still trying to stick with the chaperone thing. If my boys assaulted the entire Company on their own, then what’s going to happen if the entire Company finds me alone?
“Paint?” Tristan asks, sounding bored. His gray eyes take me in appreciatively, and he lets a naughty little smirk take over his mouth.
“Definitely not paint,” Creed drawls, his white-blond hair catching the light. “That much I can promise.” I give him a look, but he just gives me a slow, little wink. “No lies, right?”
“No outright lies, I’m sure, but you’re clearly running circles around me.”
“Are we, Creed?” Tristan asks, tilting his head to one side. “Running circles around her, I mean?”
“Maybe,” Creed replies slowly, and I think what a deliciously evil pair they make. If they spent as much time working together as they do competing with each other, they’d be a serious force to reckon with. I’m wondering if I’m starting to see the beginning of that right here. Creed smiles at me, this deadly twist of lips that makes my heart pound. “But fuck that. We have more important things to worry about, like how we’re going to spend an entire week off school together.”
“I thought you had Infinity Club crap to keep you busy?” I ask, and the two Idol boys exchange a glance. They both look so handsome in their uniforms, I don’t even mind that they have to wear them every day. Although it’s always a treat to see what clothes they pick when we’re outside of academy time.
“Just a few little parties here and there.” Tristan moves toward me, and Creed steps up on the opposite side. I’m framed by two glorious Adonis boys now. I bite my lip. “The rest of the time we’re … free.” He circles around me and runs a single finger along the back of my shoulder blades, making me shiver.
“Free for all the dirty work,” Creed continues, tracing my lower lip with his thumb.
Tristan comes back around to stand beside him, and I realize that I’m