Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” I mutter, the reality of the situation hitting me with the fierceness one of my teammates during practice. We can’t seriously be in a situation where all five of us are warring with a woman we want to bed. A woman who was sent to us by our father, who has ordered us to take care of her. The universe really does have a messed-up way of playing games.
Just as I’m about to tell Tobias my thoughts, my phone rings.
It’s Dad, and I know exactly why he’s calling me.
For some reason, I’m the one he has the least faith in. If the credit card has been maxed out, of course it would be me who’s done it.
“Dad,” I say. “How are you?”
“River. I don’t want to talk about how I am right now. I want you to explain why the whole credit card allowance for the month has been spent on fast food and alcohol in one night. Did you have a party?”
I’m about to say no and tell him that Cora has spent all his money, but then I realize that he’ll start asking questions and will uncover what’s been going on while he’s been sunning himself in Antigua. If he even gets a hint that something’s wrong, I know exactly what he’ll do. He’ll jump on the next flight home, and we’ll all be in the shit, including Cora.
Best to take the flack and hope that it’ll give us enough time to get to the end of this farcical situation once and for all.
“Yeah, sorry, Dad. I was drunk. The order ran away with me.”
Dad lets out a breath that doesn’t sound happy but maybe sounds resigned. He knows there’s no going back in time and rewinding the order. I’ve admitted it, and it’s taken the steam out of his indignant rage.
“You know you guys will have to dial back on your spending for the rest of the month. Alden, Mark, and Danny will have to supplement the budget.”
Tobias swears under his breath, already anticipating the hideousness of that future discussion. I’ve decided to take the heat, and they’re going to be the ones to pay for it.
“Okay, Dad. That’s fine.”
He clears his throat, the silence hanging for a moment. “Training going okay?”
“Yeah, me and Tobias are just on our way home now. Coach was like Satan on earth today.”
Dad chuckles, the idea of us suffering through rigorous training amusing him. Maybe it’s payback in an indirect way for our disrespectful and inconsiderate behavior.
“That’s good. Keep working hard. Not long to go now.”
He means that he only has a year of funding my education left before he’s free to spend his money however he wants. After so many years of finding the funds for our college education, I can’t blame him for yearning for the finish line.
For the first time, I consider how much of our privileged lifestyle is funded by Cora’s family’s hardship. The Carlton business was doing well before Mom died, but Dad really put his foot on the gas in the years after. Not only has Dad destroyed her family’s business, but he’s taken her mother overseas and effectively made her homeless.
He’s not exactly in the running for stepfather of the year.
When we hang up, I turn to Tobias, who still looks as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. “We need to get Danny to see the light, dude.”
He turns to me and nods. “And then it’s every man for himself.” The grin he shoots me is so filled with mischief that I snort with surprised laughter.
“Maybe we should just go with Dornan’s idea,” I say, taking the joke further.
Tobias’s response is nothing like I expect though. “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”
11
CORA
Things at Casa Carlton have reached an impasse, or at least that’s what it feels like. I’ve exhausted all my prank inspiration and energy for a while, and as far as I can make out, the Carlton brothers have taken their foot off the gas too.
I can’t say that I’m sorry either. Remaining hate-filled and on the front foot doesn’t sit all that comfortably with me. I wish it did, because I suspect that life that way would be a whole lot easier.
After a tiring day at work battling with a batch of pots that fractured during the firing process, I’m wrecked and in desperate need of a long soak in my big tub. I say goodbye to Naomi and head to my car.
On the way home, I try to imagine what it would be like to live with Alden, Mark, Danny, Tobias, and River without the stupid feud rumbling between us, and I can’t. Since I moved in, there’s been no normal conversation between us, and I know I’m partly to blame, but the more time passes, the less my feelings of resentment boil in my chest.