“What's he doing here?”
Lennon sighs. “Kellan, this is Nora’s son, Cade.”
“I know who he is,” Kellan growls, and his anger makes me smirk.
“You do?”
He nods. “And if he knows what's good for him, he'll stay away from you.”
His words are spoken to Lennon but fully meant for me. He drapes an arm around her and shoves past me. It's a move to intimidate me, but little does he realize, I now have something to hold over his head. The image of him in the same position with a short haired brunette from only a week ago plays in my mind. Unless they just started dating, I'm sure Lennon would love to know all about what, or rather who, he does when she isn't around.
We make our way into the dining room and take a seat around the oversized table. Lennon and her piece of shit boyfriend sit across from me, while Molly sits to my left. My mom comes in with Ken and slides into the seat to my right while Ken sits at the head of the table. Not surprising.
“Wow. Kellan Spencer, is that you?”
The prick smiles brightly at my mom. “It's nice to see you again, Ms. Knight.”
My mom looks pleasantly surprised at our unexpected company. “It's been ages. Look at you! You're all grown up.” She turns her attention to Lennon. “Are you two dating?”
The two of them nod, and the way Ken's jaw ticks doesn't go unnoticed. Good. I'm not the only one who sees right through Kellan's bullshit.
“That's great. I'm so happy for you two. You make a beautiful couple. Don't they, honey?”
Honey? Vomit.
“Sure,” Ken grumbles a half-assed agreement. “Can we eat?”
My mom rolls her eyes with a smile. “Don't be such an overprotective father.” She focuses back on the happy couple. “How long have you been together?”
Finally, some information I can use. I watch as Kellan's eyes glance at me quickly. Lennon, however, looks at him dreamily, and it makes me want to punch someone. Him, particularly.
“Only a few months, but it feels like longer,” she answers.
A few months, putting that party when he was all over some girl—who was clearly not Lennon—dead smack within a timeframe that makes him guilty. I sit back in my seat and grin widely at Kellan, giving him a look that silently tells him he's fucking busted.
“Are you done inquiring about my daughter's love life?” Ken asks, his tone light but his words serious. “I'm starving.”
The chefs, because that’s something we have now, like it's fucking normal, bring out the gourmet meals and place them in front of us. The food looks delicious, and I think it's actually one of few things I'll miss once I find something that will send my mom running back to my dad with her tail between her legs.
Though I must admit, today wasn't all bad. I got a badass new surfboard and leverage over the guy I hate most in the world. I don't see how anything could get better than that, except maybe getting my old life back and never having to see Lennon again for as long as I live.
“So, Lennon,” my mom says. “Are you excited for graduation? It's in a few weeks, right?”
She nods. “Yeah, on the fifteenth.”
“I was thinking this week we could go shopping for a dress. Every girl needs something special to wear under her gown.”
I can see the hesitation all over her face, but with a glance at her dad, she caves and fakes the best smile she can manage. “That sounds great.”
“Perfect,” my mom cheers. “I'll set it up.”
I wonder if she can see the animosity Lennon has toward her. And more so, if the princess is so against their relationship and our being here, why didn't she agree to help me? Does she have her own plan up her sleeve that she didn't want me involved in? What’s her game?
“Oh, speaking of graduation,” Ken chimes in. “I had the cleaners at the beach house today. It should be all set for you.”
Lennon squeals in delight. “Great. Thank you, Daddy.”
The fact that they have a beach house shouldn't be appealing to me, but anything about the beach always has my interest. I'm just about to ask about it, when Ken sets his sights on me.
“You should go with them, Cade. It would be good for you to spend time together, and what better way than a couple weeks on the beach in Malibu?”
I hold back my snort. The last thing I want to do is spend time around his demon-spawn daughter. “I was planning on teaching Molly how to surf.”
My mother puts on a face that tells me she’s done something sneaky. “Didn't I tell you? She's going to that sleep-away camp she's been begging for. Ken was nice enough to set it up for her.”
Ken was nice enough. Fucking Ken. Well, it looks like my options are either spending two weeks in this house alone with no one but the two lovebirds, or at a beach house in Malibu with Lennon and her friends. I glance across the table and see the looks on their faces, as if they're praying I turn down the offer. It only makes me want to accept it more.
“Can I bring a couple friends?”
My mom and Ken share a look, and he smiles. “I don't see why not. The house is plenty big enough.”
I'm sure it is, Mr. Moneybags.
I nod, and with another look at Lennon, I smirk. “Well then, who am I to deny a couple weeks in Malibu?”
Kellan tenses, and Lennon subtly rolls her eyes. I bask in the fact that I've made them uncomfortable and potentially ruined their little trip. They better get used to it. This is only the beginning of the shit I'll put them through.
OUR PLATES ARE CLEANED up by the housekeeper—Melanie or Melissa or some shit—and all of us are too stuffed for dessert. I get up from the table with everyone else, and we all start going our separate ways. Just as Lennon goes to walk back up the stairs, Kellan stops.
“I'll meet you up there, babe,” he tells her.
She gives him a confused look and glances at me before nodding. Once she's gone, Kellan looks around to make sure no one can see us. Then, he drops the polite facade he had going on.
“It's funny,” I start. “Lennon looks nothing like the girl you were with at Josslyn's party.”
A deep growl rumbles in the back of his throat as he gets up in my face. “You don't know what the fuck you saw.”
I smirk. “Oh, I think I do. Does she know you're cheating on her, or did you tell her you were sick so you could spend the night with your side piece?”
“Don't fucking start with me, Knight.”
“Or what? You'll tell everyone that I cheat at surfing competitions? That seems to be your usual M.O.”
His chest bumps against mine, like it's meant to be intimidating, but I'm not afraid of him. The only reason he's so riled up is because I have something on him. Something that could fuck up the best thing he has going for him, because rumor has it he didn't get into the college he was hoping for—or any, for that matter. Even North Haven University wouldn't take him, and they're a sucker for the locals.
“I'm warning you, Cade,” he says threateningly. “You breathe a word of this to Lennon, and I'll make you wish you were never born.”