"Bennett, your mother is calling," Henry said, looking at the caller I.D on the touch screen as the sound of his ringtone came through the speakers. "Should I answer?"

I shrugged. We were on our way back from a board meeting, so she was probably calling to check up on things. "Just pretend I'm not with you."

Henry hit the answer button on his steering wheel. "Henry speaking."

"Where is Bennett?"

Henry and I exchanged surprised glances at the shrillness of her voice. It was the tone of one pissed off mother. I shook my head furiously as Henry's eyes widened in fear. "He's not with me," he squeaked out.

"Find him," she ordered in a shaky voice. "Find him and bring him to me. Now. And in the mean time, head to his house and drag out that tramp that lives there!"

"Hey—" Henry started to protest.

I reached over to the steering wheel and slammed the end button multiple times, causing Henry to lose control of the car momentarily. "Bring me to my house," I said, my voice calmer than I felt.

Nodding, Henry quickly pulled an illegal U-turn, heading back the way we came. I dug my phone out of my pocket, scrambling to type in my mother's number, messing up in my haste. What had she done to Henley? How dare she call Henley a tramp?

"Bennett!" she barked, answering the first millisecond of the first ring.

"Stay out of my house," I snapped.

"Don't see that girl again. This is no longer a warning! Get rid of her today or face the consequences. You can't be with her."

"No."

I could almost feel her anger radiating through the phone. "I'm not playing your games anymore. End this futile relationship. Now! I will do everything in my power to keep you apart. You can't see her again. Don't even go back to your house, Henry will pack her bags."

She was borderline psychotic. What made her go so crazy? What exactly had happened? Maybe Henley was better at handling my mother than I thought. Whatever it was, it was clear Henley had won this round.

"She won't be leaving," I said simply.

"Don't test me. I will ship you across the world."

"I'll take her with me."

"Bennett—"

"If you enter my house without permission again, I'll file a report for breaking and entering," I said carefully. "There's cameras, remember? Don't call me again until you've calmed down."

I ended the call before she had a chance to reply. Henry looked at me nervously and I rubbed my forehead, feeling a dull throb behind my eyes. I couldn't stand her. How had I dealt with her all these years? Is this how Lee felt? It was brutal. I didn't know what to expect anymore, I'd basically just declared war. But she couldn't take me down. I was too important. She couldn't lose her only heir.

"I'm always on your side," Henry told me.

"It might be tough from here on," I warned him.

"All the more reason," he said.

When we reached my house I hurried inside, not bothering to take off my shoes. Henley was standing in the living room, watching me as I descended the stairs. I rushed up to her, placing my hands on her shoulders, and searching for any sign of distress. "Are you okay?"

She stood there for a moment, surprised. Then a blush spread across her cheeks and she tried to free herself from my grasp. "I'm fine. I'm guessing you know your mother came? Don't worry; I handled it. Your mom got to me the first time, but she won't again. I told you that."

"You don't know her," I said. "I don't know what she'll do to you." It didn't matter what she did to me, but Henley was a different story.

"I think Henley can handle your mother pretty well," Sebastian spoke up, a smirk on his face. "Or from what we heard."

I realized for the first time that Henley and I weren't alone. Sebastian, Ariana, and Brandon were all grinning. I was confused, because usually when people came across my mother, the last thing they'd do was smile.

Henley grimaced. "You heard me?"

Ariana nodded and giggled. "Sugar daddy Bennett?"

Sugar daddy? Henley looked about ready to strangle Ariana and I raised an eyebrow. Maybe I'd been worried for nothing. Henley really could handle my mother. "You always say strange things to my mother."

"Sorry, I guess I should think a little more before I speak," she said, scratching the back of her head. "It'll probably lead to more trouble for you."

I shook my head. "I've come to terms with the fact our relationship won't make her happy. However, you make me happy, therefore I am satisfied."

Ariana oohed and Henley lowered her gaze, letting her hair fall in front of her face. She was shy. It was cute. Then I realized I was staring at her and I cleared my throat, remembering there was a room full of people with us.

"I bet she'll kick you out," Sebastian said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "This is my house. She can't kick me out. I paid for it to be constructed. Why does everyone think she bought it for me?"

Henley covered her mouth. "She didn't?"

"I make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, why would you think I couldn't buy this—"

"I'm just kidding," she interrupted and I realized I'd said something unnecessary. Fortunately, she looked more amused than annoyed.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, trying to play it off. "As long as you all know." Then Sebastian snickered and I turned on him. "Are you leaving yet?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I was going to offer to show Henley around her new house."

That's right. The house was all set now. What if Henley left to check it out and decided she wanted to move in there and then? What if she didn't come back?

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" I offered, heading to the kitchen to check my supplies. "I'm sure there's something you like."

Smugly, Sebastian followed behind me. "Why don't we make this a little party for Henley's last night staying here?"

Last night? I whipped around, knocking right into Sebastian. I pushed him aside, gaze catching Henley's. "What? This is your last night?"

Henley shot Sebastian a look before shaking her head at me. "No. I'll probably be here until the end of the week. I won't have time to set things up until the weekend."

Her answer didn't make me feel better. But a week was better than nothing. "Right."

"Yeah, why don't we have a party tonight?" Ariana chimed in, clapping her hands together. "We can play games and drunk charades and stuff!"

"Drunk charades?" Brandon repeated.

Ariana nodded vigorously. "Yeah! It'll be fun. We need beer. I can go get some beer!"

"Wait, this is Bennett's house, we can't make plans—" Henley started.

I jumped on the opportunity. "It sounds fine." Anything to get them to stay longer. Maybe they'd all move in...

Maybe I was going crazy.

"I can go get the beer," Henry volunteered, finally making his presence known to the others.

"I didn't realize you were here," Henley said, sounding happy to see my assistant.

Henry smiled at her. "Nice to see you."

I stared at him. "Henry. Beer."

"I'll go with you," Ariana volunteered. "We've met before. I'm Ariana, remember?"

"I'll go too," Brandon and Sebastian said simultaneously.

Henley rolled her eyes and I blinked curiously at Sebastian. Usually he avoided liquor stores, something about his family's image. There was no way he would offer to go to one.

"You should stay with your sister," Sebastian said to Brandon.

"Ariana should go with someone she knows," Brandon countered.

"I'll go," Henley said. "Though I'm afraid to leave Brandon here alone."

Brandon folded his arms across his chest. "You make it sound like I'm a criminal."

"Technically you are."

"Ah, whatever. Go. Make sure you don't just buy wine coolers. I can give you some cash."

I pulled out my wallet, handing Henry the company card. "Put it on this. Buy as much as you want."

Ariana snagged the card out of my hand, smirking. "No problem."

It was that moment I realized she was born to be someone great. After exchanging a worried look with Henry, the trio left, leaving Brandon, Sebastian, and I alone. The pair in front of me kept sneaking looks at each other, as if sizing each other up. "What are you two doing?" I asked.

"Nothing," they chorused and turned away from each other.

I frowned, but decided not to comment about it. "Were you both listening to what my mother said to Henley? Was it bad?"

"It wasn't anything unusual," Sebastian said.

"That was normal? Dude, your mom is a bitch." Brandon paused, his face paling slightly. "Wait, sorry. She's your mother, I shouldn't have said that. It just made me mad when she talked to Henley like that."

"It makes me mad too," I told him. "For lack of better words, my mother is a bitch. I can't and won't make excuses for her. She knows I draw the line when it comes to your sister, yet she continues to test me."

Brandon watched me curiously for a moment. "Do you really care that much for Henley?"

I nodded.

"Would you still care for her even if she cost you your inheritance?" he asked.

"Do you mean you think my mother would threaten to take my company away?" Just the thought made me smirk. That was the one thing she wouldn't be able to hold against me. "That won't ever happen, don't worry. She needs me more than I need her."

He gave me a doubtful look.

"Even if I became penniless for Henley it would be worth it."

Brandon chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Well, I definitely had my doubts about you, but I can see I was worried for nothing. Thank you for caring for her. I haven't exactly been the best support, so I'm glad she can rely on you."

"You can rely on me too," I told him and his eyes softened. Then I added, "After all, we'll be brothers one day."

His eyes immediately narrowed. I could almost hear the scratching of the record, the tender moment vanishing. "Hold up, brothers?"

"Dating tends to lead to marriage."

Sebastian snickered and Brandon covered his eyes with his hand, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I really don't want to discuss this right now. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Were my words really so shocking? Of course I'd marry Henley eventually. It wasn't like I was dating her for fun. Why was he so upset by that? Maybe it was an older brother thing.

"I don't think your mother would like me anyway," Brandon said. "She took one look at me and ran in the opposite direction."

I furrowed my eyebrows. My mother didn't show fear in front of anyone. "That's strange."

"It was strange," Sebastian agreed. "I've never seen your mother like that before. Are you sure you've never met Brandon?"

"Never."

"And you said you've never seen Bennett's mother before?" Sebastian asked Brandon.

Brandon shook his head. "I think I'd remember someone like her."

Sebastian pursed his lips to the side. "What could you three have in common?"

"Three?" I said.

"Richard was Brandon's old lawyer," Sebastian replied. "Why would your mom's lawyer defend Brandon?"

"What?" Richard was Brandon's lawyer? There was no way. If Henley could barely afford her rent, she wouldn't be able to afford Richard's services for her brother.

"Richard is her lawyer too?" Brandon laughed. "No wonder she looked so scared. She probably knew me because of him and didn't want to hear how shitty he is. He would've lost my case had I kept him."

If there was one thing Richard wasn't, it was shitty. He was the best lawyer around. He could win any case. There was no way he'd come close to losing one. I looked at Sebastian, but I could tell he was already thinking further ahead than I was. It was the lawyer in him. He must've realized something was fishy.

But what could it be? Did my mother even know Richard worked for Brandon? Or was it just a coincidence? It was hard to believe though. Where would Brandon and Henley get the money for it? It didn't seem possible.

"There's something weird here," Sebastian said, reading my thoughts. "I set up a meeting with Richard to ask him about it."

"I'll come with you—"

"I'll do it alone," Sebastian interrupted me. "I— I just don't want you to miss work when your mother is already upset with you. Should we order a pizza? If we call now Henry could pick it up while they're out."

Even though his change in subject was suspicious, I let him get away with it. I knew if he found something important, he would tell me. Sebastian's mind worked differently than mine. He could put things together when I couldn't. It was best to let him try to sort it out, whatever it was.

I just hoped it wasn't too bad.

When Henry, Ariana, and Henley returned, the mood lightened considerably. Judging by the amount of alcohol they bought, it was bound to skyrocket. We broke open a couple beers to drink with the pizza and we chatted around my kitchen table.

It was a strange feeling to have friends in my house. Maybe it was because I'd lived in solitude without Lee. Maybe it was because the only friends I really ever had were Sebastian and Henry. I'd forgotten what it was like to have my place so lively. It was nice. It felt like a home again.

"Okay, time for some drinking games," Ariana announced after the pizza had settled. "I bought the hard liquor for that."

Brandon picked up a bottle of butterscotch schnapps and made a face. "Really?"

"What? Some of us can't handle pure alcohol," she defended.

Henley held up a bottle of fireball and Jack Daniels. "So we got these too!"

Sebastian's mouth fell slightly. "Are we going to die tonight?"

"We can mix it with soda," Ariana said, waving him off. "Okay. I'm going to tie two games together to make this more fun. Everyone choose a partner."

I instantly turned to Henley. Henry, who was closer to her, also turned to her. I felt the urge to snicker. He thought she would choose him? Pfft-

She was choosing him. She didn't even look at me, just headed straight toward him. I hurried over to them, slipping between him and Henley, giving him a subtle jerk of my head to get him to go away. He grinned and gestured for me to go ahead.

I turned to Henley, my bravado disappearing as she raised an eyebrow at me. "Will you be my partner," I mumbled.

She laughed. "Sure, since you made such an effort."

The tips of my ears grew warm, but I did my best to play it off. I turned to tell Henry to pair up with Sebastian when I saw he'd already paired up with Ariana. Which left Brandon and Sebastian, both who didn't seem happy with that conclusion.

"Looks like you two are a pair," Ariana said teasingly. "I'll be partnering up with Henry. I'm going to call out a body part and you must stay attached to your partner throughout all the games. Every time you separate, you have to take a shot. Brandon and Sebastian, you two must attach your elbows."

"Can't we switch?" Brandon asked. "Those two know each other, they should be partners."

"It's good to make friends," Ariana responded. "And if you wanted to partner with me, maybe you should've asked instead of turn to Sebastian first to say something unnecessary."

Brandon scrunched up his face and shoved his elbow at Sebastian. I almost felt bad for Sebastian, but it was actually quite amusing to see him this way. He barely touched his elbow against Brandon's. In fact, within three seconds they had separated.

"Drink!" Ariana barked.

"We haven't even started!"

"You start the minute your bodies touch," she said evilly. "Also, you just separated again. Two drinks!"

"Stop moving around!" Brandon snapped at Sebastian.

"It's not my fault you're shorter than me," Sebastian returned, chin held up high.

Brandon scoffed. "You're not that much taller than me."

"Bennett and Henley, you have to keep your hips touching!" Ariana announced.

Henley looked up at me and grimaced. "I'm not good at handling my alcohol, as you know, so try not to separate from me." She bumped her hip against mine and kept it there, shuffling closer so her body wasn't bent at a weird angle.

With her so close, I once again became aware of how small and how womanly she was. If we were going to be close like this all night...

I needed that alcohol.

"Henry and I will stay attached by our pinky fingers," Ariana said, touching her hand against Henry's.

"That's too easy," Henley complained.

"Should we touch our butts?"

"No!" Brandon and Sebastian said.

Henry just blushed and broke his connection with Ariana, resulting in him taking a shot. Apparently he needed alcohol too.

Ariana clapped her hand against Henry's free hand, getting everyone's attention. "Since we have a big group and I happened to buy a deck of cards, we'll play King's Cup."

Henley groaned. "Oh man, I suck at this."

Henry pulled on the knot of his tie nervously. He wasn't very keen on alcohol. The only times I'd seem him drink were when Lee or I dragged him out to the bar. I was pretty certain he knew the rules though. Lee liked to play drinking games.

Still, Ariana gave us a quick rundown. "Let's move to the table though. Move carefully or you'll have to drink," Ariana warned us.

Henley and I started moving slowly toward the table, but it didn't take long for me to accidentally step away from her.

"Shots!" Ariana cheered.

Henley begrudgingly took a shot of the Fireball, sticking out her tongue and coughing after. "So gross. It's like toothpaste. Bennett, try not to move around so much."

I easily took a shot of the Jack Daniels and dragged two chairs close together so we'd be able to sit while still touching our hips together. "I'll try."

"I'll draw the first card," Ariana said and took the top card off the deck. "Ooh. Two. That means I get to choose who takes a shot. Easy. Brandon."

Brandon downed his shot. Then picked up a card. "Seven! Hands up to heaven!"

Everyone threw their hands up in the air. Sebastian somehow managed to smack Brandon in the face.

"Sorry," he said, but he didn't sound very sorry.

"You guys broke connection! Take a shot!"

The pair both sucked down their shot, Henley following in their wake as she was the last to put her hands up. She started swaying in her seat a little.

And so the night went on and the drunker everyone got. I was trying to stay clear-headed, but then went down the drain once someone pulled an Ace. Then everything became a drunken mess.

"Nine," Henley pulled. "Rhyme after me. Born."

"Scorn," I said.

"Forlorn," Sebastian said.

"Adorn," Ariana said.

"Corn," Henry said.

"Porn," Brandon snickered.

"Pervert!" Henley called out, slamming her fist on the table.

"Ha! That doesn't rhyme! Take a drink!" Brandon responded, shoving the half empty bottle of fireball at her.

Henley glowered at him; taking a swig right out of the bottle and nearly coughing it right back up. I stood to pat her back, breaking our hip connection.

"Heheh. Nice," Ariana grinned, kicking her feet up onto the kitchen table. "Drink up, baby."

I leaned over the tabled and shoved her legs off it, causing her to almost fall out of her chair. "No feet on the furnishes."

"Pick a card, Bennett," Henley said, taking the next card off the deck and handing it to me.

I reached for it and she pulled it back. I reached for it again. She pulled it back again. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Alright, take it," she said, handing it out to me.