Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Even though I knew all the people at the house party, I was playing a role of sorts. They weren’t allowed true access to me because the more people I let in, the more people could turn on me or use information against me. Another tactic I’d learned from father dearest. The only people I could be myself around were my family and Hailee—who pretty much was family.
As I sat on the living room coffee table, going on and on about how sweet and great everyone was in La La Land—a lie, but I didn’t need my schoolmates knowing about my Hollywood enemies—Cara stepped into the crowd surrounding me.
“How about you all get off his dick so I can slide on it,” she said, winking my way.
Well damn.
A quite forward approach.
Cara looked striking. It wasn’t shocking. Cara had been beautiful since grade school. She was my first ever crush. She moved with a confidence a lot of people couldn’t carry and just seemed to always get anything she wanted without much effort. Her biggest downfall? She wasn’t Hailee.
Cara held her hand out toward me and tilted her head. “Do you want a tour of the property?” she asked me.
“Uh, yeah. Okay.”
The tour led us to her bedroom, and she locked the door behind her. The music from downstairs was still loud as ever, and Cara pulled out a bottle of liquor from behind her bed. She took a swig from it and then held it out toward me.
I shook my head. “No thanks.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be a pussy, Aiden. I know you’ve partied it up in Hollywood.”
It was the opposite of that. I worked, I had a teacher who homeschooled me, and then I worked some more. The last thing my father would’ve allowed me to do was to go off to some Hollywood parties—unless networking was involved. Each party I’d gone to was a business trip. Plus, I was given an opportunity of a lifetime. I wasn’t going to blow it for some booze and bad decisions.
Which unfortunately made my current situation a lot less appealing than I’d hoped it would be. Aiden from five years ago would’ve been freaking out about being in Cara’s bedroom with the door locked. The Aiden I currently was? I was on the brink of a panic attack, thinking about what would’ve happened if my father had found out about this situation. It would look scandalous, and the tabloids loved a good scandal. I wished I could’ve shut off my father’s stern judgments from every decision I’d made, but he was the Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder telling me not to make bad choices.
Plus, he was proud of me. Damn him and his pride.
“Maybe we should head back downstairs,” I offered, standing up from her bed, where she’d placed me. She walked over to me, stumbling a bit before taking a seat. On my lap. Oh boy.
“Or we can have some alone time.”
It was clear she had a bit to drink. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why? Are you and that Hannah girl screwing?”
“Hannah?”
“Yeah. That girl who follows you around like crazy.”
“You mean Hailee?”
“Sure, okay.” She picked up the bottle of alcohol and took another swig. “Are you two fucking?”
“What? No. We aren’t. She’s my best friend.”
Have I thought about the possibility of having sex with Hailee? Sure. Yeah. Often. Twice a day. Maybe three times on the weekends. Whatever.
Cara scrunched up her nose. “Why, though?”
“Why is my best friend my best friend?”
“Yeah. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re hot and famous, and she’s… nobody.”
Within an instant, any kind of attraction I felt for Cara sizzled up and died. I removed her from my lap and stood. “I’m going to head back downstairs,” I shortly stated as her phone dinged. She reached over and grabbed it, ignoring my comment.
“Oh my gosh, did you see crazy Carlton?” Cara asked. “He’s going off downstairs about Hannah.”
“Who’s Hannah?”
“Your Hannah.”
“Hailee.”
“Whatever.”
I stood and grabbed her phone from her hands. On the video was a drunk Carlton on a table, swaying back and forth with a bottle of liquor in his hand. “No way. You think I like Hailee Jones?!” he spat out. “Hell no. Have you seen her? It’s like she swallowed the Doublemint twins,” he slurred, mocking Hailee’s weight. “Honestly, I just hung out with her cuz I felt bad for the chubby cupcake. She had no friends, really.” He went on and on and on, because the crowd gave him the laughter and attention that the addict craved.
I could feel the blood boiling beneath my skin.
I was going to murder the asshole.
I pulled out my cell phone to text Hailee, but it seemed she’d already seen the video.
Hailee: I’m not coming.
Hailee: This is humiliating.
Shit.
“Where the heck are you going?” Cara asked.
“To check on Hailee.”