we can spare an hour or two to chill with our girl before we have to get back.”
“Really?” I beam. “Will you guys stay for dinner?”
“As long as it’s your mom’s nachos,” Kai says.
I cringe. “Mom has been working around the clock so I don’t know if she’ll have time to cook but I can put it together. I’ll just have to scavenge through the staff kitchen and see what I can steal.”
“Fuck, yeah,” Eli booms. “I fucking love those nachos. There’s something about the way you and your mom make your nachos that makes it so much better than everyone else's.”
“I know,” I grin wickedly, catching Eli’s eyes. “We lace it with laxatives and then watch as you guys stuff your faces and fight over the toilet.”
He rolls his eyes, not believing me for a second. “In your dreams, babe. You would never do that to us. Your mom is too nice and you don’t have the balls to follow through.”
My gaze darkens. “Want to make a bet?” I question. “Just ask Milo about all the shit I’ve had the balls to do over the last few days. It’s funny how tough you have to become when you don’t have your crew at your back.”
“Fuck,” Eli murmurs, the laughter gone from his voice as Nic’s hold tightens on my waist. “Is it really that bad?”
“Nah,” I say, trying to reassure them. “I can handle it.”
Milo scoffs from across the room. “Not that bad? There’s already been attempted rape, death threats, and Jude got beat up ... but I’m starting to see how that happened now. A teacher has been arrested and the Dean might be losing his job. Add the bullshit you’ve been getting from Colton on top of that, and yeah, things are going just swimmingly.”
I glare at my new friend. “Seriously?”
Nic and the boys look baffled. “Sounds like you’ve been holding out on us,” Kai murmurs, annoyed that they’ve been kept in the dark.
Milo continues. “There’s no point sugar-coating it, girl. Shit is going bad and you’ve only been here a few days. You could use the back up in your corner and they can’t help you if they don’t know what’s been going on.”
Nic nods. “I like this guy.”
I groan. “No. You guys need to stay out of it and keep your asses out of Bellevue Springs unless it’s to visit me. This place could get you guys in trouble. You’ve already got enough shit going on back home.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell us what’s really been going on?”
“What can I say? I’m pretty good at bad decisions.” On seeing Nic’s blank stare, I roll my eyes and let out a sigh, more than ready to start defending myself. “Don’t act like I haven’t told you anything. I’ve told you the important bits.”
Sebastian grunts. “But not all of it.”
“No,” I sigh. “Not all of it. This place isn’t good for you. Don’t act like I haven’t noticed the staff watching you out of the corner of their eyes, assuming you’re stealing all their shit. If one thing goes down while you’re here, everyone is going to point their fingers at you because you’re an easy out and they have the power to make it stick, no matter what evidence you have.”
“We’re big boys,” Nic tells me. “We can take care of ourselves. It’s you who needs to be looked out for.” He waits until I nod and then continues. “Good, now, let’s get you and your mom moved in so we can go and introduce ourselves to this Carrington kid.”
I roll my eyes, grinning up at him. “I’m not introducing you,” I laugh, glancing across at Milo with a knowing sparkle lighting my eyes. “Besides, I think he’s a little caught up at the doctor’s office, waiting for some results.”
Sebastian narrows his eyes, flicking his gaze between me and Milo. “What did you do?”
Milo grins. “We may have sent an anonymous tip that he needed to get checked for an STD. He’ll be shitting himself. An STD is a non-event for most people, but for people like Colton Carrington, an STD scandal is enough to have his face splashed across every news outlet in the world for months. It’d destroy his shiny reputation, not to mention what his father would do.”
Well, shit. I didn’t realize it was that bad.
Nic grins, pulling me in hard against his chest. “Okay,” he laughs, indicating to Milo with a subtle lift of his chin. “You can keep him.”