• • •

There was no reason for me to be drinking from the bottle of Patron at 2am on a school night, yet here I was.

Drinking Patron from the bottle at 2am on a school night.

I passed it to Josh, who happily accepted, turning it up like it was nothing. I guess it did go down smoother when you've been drinking all night.

Alcohol wasn't the only thing flowing throughout the party as I watched through heavy-lidded eyes as one of the people surrounding us put a pill into his mouth.

I leaned into Josh's side, "What are they taking?"

"E."

My curiosity piqued as I watched more and more people pop the pill as if it were nothing. They appeared to be having much more fun than I was.

"I want one." I told him.

"Nah, that ain't it."

Taking his word for it, I took the bottle back from him and continued drinking.

"I'ma be right back." He said standing up to use the restroom.

As soon as he walked away, the guy passing out pills sat next to me, "You're good?" He asked shaking the bag.

I nodded my head, "I'm good."

"Take one Kyser." Emily encouraged, "You'll be lit."

Staring at the bag in his hand, I shook my head this time, "I'm fine."

If the person who goes to damn near every party there is says something isn't it, I'm believing them.

By the time we finally left, it was going on 4 in the morning and I was barely able to keep my eyes open. Making a rash decision, I leaned up to ask my Uber driver, "Can you take me somewhere else?"

He sighed in annoyance, though I didn't care, and asked where it was that I wanted to go. After giving him Jaxon's address, I leaned back and fell asleep.

• • •

I woke up later that day to the sound of rain tapping against the roof of the house.

I was confused at first as to why I was in a house, until I remembered the guest room from the night I was given a tour by Jaxon.

Going into the bathroom, I stayed there for a while, trying to calm my stomach and stop the pounding in my head.

When I finally got the energy to stand up, I went looking for Jaxon. I assumed he was downstairs, but the voices coming from the other end of the hall told me I was wrong.

Making sure no one was coming, I crept to the door and put my ear against it.

"Why is she in your home Jaxon." A man I assumed to his dad hissed in a low tone.

"I wasn't expecting you all to show up like this." Jaxon replied in the same tone, "You know how I am about people popping up unexpectedly."

"I see why. You're playing house with a prostitute."

Damn.

He didn't even know me and was quick to think that's all I was. I'd bet if he was actually in my face, he'd be smiling like he didn't say anything.

"She's not a prostitute. She doesn't do that anymore."

"The money being transferred from your account every month says otherwise."

I'd thought about that actually, wondering now that we're in a relationship does it bother him that he still pays me. However, that's how I pay for school and pay rent.

He never said anything about it so I assumed he didn't have a problem with it.

There was silence in the room as I waited to hear what would be said next.

"If you answered your phone I wouldn't have to seek you out. You have s-." Garrett's words were drowned out by my heartbeat pounding in my ear as Cheyenne came from out of nowhere to tap my shoulder.

"Hi." She whispered with a smile.

I didn't like her but if I didn't speak, she might tell her dad I was eavesdropping. She might still do it even if I did speak, but I wasn't going to find out.

"Hi."

"This is the second time you've been caught listening to conversations that weren't meant for you to hear."

Staying silent, I waited for her to expand on her point.

"The third time you might hear something you don't like."

"Your dad just called me a prostitute." I told her, "I didn't like that."

"You can't be so naive as to think that's the worst thing you can hear from the senator's mouth."

She name dropped him like I gave a shit about who he was.

We had a stare off, both of us refusing to blink. My eyes were burning like hell but all the times I played this game as a child were paying off.

Cheyenne finally broke the stare, shaking her head, "My brother sure does know how to pick 'em."

"You sure love to be in your brother's business." I replied, "I know he's not your actual brother, but it's still weird to wanna fuck him, is it not?"

Amusement played on her face, "Believe me when I say I'm the least of your worries."

"Good thing I don't have any."

The door opened and Garrett came out followed by Jaxon. They paused when they say us standing there when Cheyenne said, "Kyser was looking for you Jax. I decided to show her where you were."

That's the ugliest nickname I'd ever heard.

"Thank you." He replied, "You and dad were leaving?"

The smile that came over her face was almost sinister, "Actually, I called mom and since you took today off when you never take days off." Her eyes landed on me again, "We thought we'd have lunch."

"You thought wrong. I'll see you all the next time we have dinner."

Garrett was staring at me and I was trying to be polite and not glare in return, but there's only so much politeness that can be expected.

So there we stood, his face passive, mine defensive.

"And you are?" He asked with the expected flawless composure of a politician.

I'm not sure what made me respond with, "Apparently the prostitute."

Cheyenne laughed, an actual laugh that made Jaxon try to hide his smile, "We might have been here a while before you came out."

"My apologies for that." Garrett replied, not looking the least bit amused, "I spoke out of turn."

I ignored him, "I was just coming to say I'm going home Jaxon."

Not allowing him to speak, Garrett said, "Stay for lunch. It's the least I can do for giving such a bad first impression."

How about... no.

"I'm fine."

"I insist."

Looking towards Jaxon, I waited for an indication of what I should do.

"Okay." He told his dad, "We'll do lunch."

A lunch that I wasn't looking forward to.

__________

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