until they win. It’s a game to them. Something to keep them entertained until the next thing comes along. I know you, O, and you’re going to see this guy as a challenge, and being the girl that comes from nothing, you’re going to be his most exciting game yet. I don't want that for you.”
“I can handle myself,” I tell him, feeling as though I’m having to repeat myself after having a too similar conversation with mom. Only with mom, she gives up a lot easier. “I’m not a child who needs protecting anymore, Nic. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
There’s a short silence and when he finally sighs, his voice is low and filled with emotion. “You won’t be fine, Ocean. I’m going to lose you to that world.”
“That'll never happen,” I whisper.
He goes quiet again and just when I start thinking that maybe he’d ended the call, his velvety voice comes murmured through the phone. “How are you really doing? No bullshit.”
I press my lips together and give him my honest truth. “Dead inside but I’m caffeinated.”
“That bad, huh?”
I close my eyes, not wanting to keep looking at the plain ceiling any longer. “I miss you guys. I don’t belong here. Neither of us does. Mr. Carrington has already taken it upon himself to enroll me in some fancy private school so unfortunately for you, It’s not just Colton you have to worry about, but a whole school filled with rich pricks.”
“The fuck?” Nic grunts. “What’s his game? Why does he give a shit about your schooling?”
“I don’t know but I don’t like it. I’m kind of hoping it’s just some way to look good in front of his rich friends. You know, maybe they have a club and he’ll get a badge for taking us in and giving the poor girl a better life. Maybe I’m just a charity case.”
Nic chokes back a laugh. “Trust me, nothing in that world is ever going to be that simple.”
“Yeah, I had a bad feeling about that.”
“Alright, babe. I’m out. Dad’s out of town for the day so I’m playing boss man today.”
“Shit. Don’t fuck anything up and get yourself killed.”
I can practically hear his smile through the phone. “Can’t make any promises. Bye, O.”
Nic ends the call, and the second his voice fades away I’m left missing him so much more. I don’t know how it’s even possible, but somehow he seems so much further away than he did ten minutes ago.
I drop my phone to my stomach and just lay for a minute, but that minute quickly turns into ten and then thirty.
My stomach grumbles and the need to pee creeps up on me and I recall that after the third coffee I had this morning, I failed to actually eat anything.
I pull myself up from the bed and drag my feet across the floor to the bathroom. I guess a private bathroom is one of the few bonuses around here.
I push the door open and find myself gawking. What the fuck is that?
I walk over to the toilet, warily keeping my eyes on the second toilet that doesn’t exactly look like a toilet. It’s kind of more like a urinal but not … wait. Is this one of the bidet things mom was talking about earlier?
No fucking way.
I find myself laughing and as I drop my pants and sit on the toilet, I stretch my foot up to the little lever on the side of the bidet.
Water squirts up into the sky and my eyes bug out of my head.
No. Hard fucking no. I’ll pass. This thing really does squirt water up into your asshole. What’s a girl supposed to do? Squat over this thing and voluntarily get ass raped by pressurized water? Hell to the mother fucking no. I’d rather clean my ass with a scourer than participate in this ass witchery.
I bet Colton has one of these and I bet he loves it. He probably lives for getting fucked over by inanimate objects.
I finish in the bathroom and find the nerve to open my bedroom door. Feeling like a complete idiot, I peer up and down the hallway, making sure there’s no sign of Colton Carrington before venturing out into this big house. I don't understand my hesitation. Twenty minutes ago when he stood at my door, I practically screamed from the rooftops that I could handle his bullshit. I practically dared him to try his worst yet here I