Heart in my throat, I follow them over the grass. The house is dark, every window black, which eases my nerves a bit. After all, if he’s not home, he can’t bust us, right?
“Relax,” Andrea says beside me. “It’s going to be fine.”
I nod but don’t respond as we reach the fence, and Jace unhooks the latch, pushing the wooden gate open. It doesn’t make a single sound as he shoves it open, and I get a moonlight view of the most gorgeous pool I’ve ever seen. Large rocks stacked in the corner make a perfect path for a stream of water steadily falling down into the pool. A soft glow illuminates the water from within, and my excitement grows.
“We’re swimming?” I ask, whispering just loud enough they can hear me.
Jace nods.
I let out a breath and grin, all nerves gone. I thought for sure they were going to want to cause some damage. But swimming? Mr. Phillips won’t even know we were here!
Jace and Grey step into the backyard, and Grey sets his backpack down on the table, unzipping it and pulling out a bottle of tequila and five red plastic cups. “Shall we toast?”
“We definitely should!” I exclaim, keeping my voice to just above a whisper.
He pours liquid in all of the cups and hands them to each of us. “Here’s to never growing up and constantly falling short of our parents’ expectations.”
“Cheers!” Jace says, hitting my cup with his.
“Cheers!” I say and tip the cup up, bringing my buzz back into full swing. The liquor hits me, surging through my body like venom. “So who’s going in first?”
Jace, Andrea, Andrew, and Grey all exchange glances before turning to me. “We all think you should go first,” Andrew says with a wide smile. Lust curls in my belly, heat blossoming beneath my skin.
I smile. “I would hate to disappoint. But if you have a girth-worm, you better turn around.”
All three men groan before turning around. Andrea laughs and starts removing her shirt as well. Quickly, I strip off my jeans and crop top then dive into the water in my bra and underwear. Coolness surrounds me, and I pop up through the surface, running both hands over my face to get the rest of the water away.
“All right! Your turn!”
Andrew grins at me. “We’ll be in soon, Kleo. How’s the water?”
I lean back, floating on my back and enjoying the feeling of complete weightlessness. “It’s perfect.”
Laughing pulls me back, and I look up just in time to see Andrew running through the gate behind Jace and Grey. “Hey! Wait! Where are you—”
“What do we have here?”
I stiffen as the deep rumble of the dean’s familiar voice washes over me. Son of a bitch. With a forced smile, I turn and face off with one of my father’s oldest friends. “Hi, Mr. Phillips,” I say with a wave.
Pursing his lips, he shakes his head angrily. “Kleo Turner. Just what do you think you’re doing?”
“Who is it?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks as his wife steps out onto the porch, her eyes narrowing to slits when she gets a look at me. I cross both arms over my nearly bare breasts. Tonight would be the night I wear a bra that barely covers my nipples.
“Millie, can you get Miss Turner some clothes?”
With a look of complete disappointment, she turns back to the house, and the back door closes heavily.
“Get out.” The green and blue plaid robe he wears does nothing to ease his unique ability to make me feel two inches tall.
“I’m coming,” I say with a tad bit more attitude than I mean. After all, I was just abandoned—nearly naked—in a backyard. What kind of horseshit is this? I can say with complete truthfulness now, there is zero part of me interested in Andrew after this. And Andrea? I knew she was a bitch, but this? I never could have called this.
Assholes. The lot of them.
“You’ll want to watch your tone, Miss Turner. I’m already a tad annoyed as you can imagine.”
I don’t reply as I make my way through the water toward the stairs. Tequila buzz nearly gone, yet again, I don’t even have liquid courage to get me through this. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Why did I listen to those dicks?
“Here.” Mrs. Phillips steps out onto the porch and holds out a bright pink robe.
“Thanks,” I murmur. One last look at Mr. Phillips, and I see he’s turned around to offer me some privacy. Once the robe is securely wrapped around me, I fold both arms in front of me. “Listen, I’m—”
“What the hell were you thinking?” Mrs. Phillips interrupts. She leans in. “Kleo Turner, you know better. Breaking into our house?”
“Technically I only broke into the backyard,” I interrupt. Pissed the hell off that I’m in the position I’m in now. I’m pissed at the douchebags who did this to me, and I’m even more pissed at myself because I know better.
There are lines you cross and lines you don’t. Screwing with a man I’ve known my entire life? That’s a hell of a red line that shouldn’t be crossed. And yet, here I am, half-naked on his back porch.
Mr. Phillips turns around. “I assume you have no phone?”
I glance back at the table, not at all surprised to see my purse and clothes gone. “No, sir.”
“Then you can come in and use mine.”
“I can just get a cab home.”
“You’re calling your father, or I am,” he replies sternly and steps into the house.
My stomach churns as I imagine my father’s response to the latest in my long string of mistakes. And honestly, this is probably the worst of them. It will embarrass him, and if there is one thing my father hates more than anything, it’s being embarrassed.
With a deep breath, I step into the house, ready to face the wrath that will surely be waiting for me on the other end of the phone line.
3
Kleo
I turn off the engine and stare up at the large white house before me. Navy blue shutters greet me as they have ever since I was old enough to notice such things. In many ways, this house is welcoming to me. I have plenty of happy memories here—a cherished daughter and adored sister—but to this day, all of those good times are overshadowed by one horrible memory that won’t seem to go away no matter how much alcohol I put into my body.
I close my eyes tightly and take a deep breath before opening and focusing on minute details to help me cope with my rising anxiety levels. My mother’s rose bushes flank both sides of the porch, the bright, colorful blooms something she’s been proud of for as long as I can remember. Hell, I’m pretty sure she’s been prouder of those than me at times.
Can’t really blame her there.
The water fountain situated in the center of a large floral bed boasts two dolphins jumping, water spouting out of their blowholes. Its gorgeous and intricate design is only matched by the colored tiles cemented to its base. I smile. Judson and I had a blast putting those on.
Better. Leaning forward, I rest my forehead on the steering wheel and take a deep breath. The three-hour drive home from Florida State was brutal when coupled with my pounding head. Note to self: Traveling while hungover is a terrible idea.
The rest of my stuff will be following me home in a U-Haul trip organized by men my father hired. My life at Florida State is over, and my future in Turner Cove is on the rocks after my late-night swim last night. Stomach churning, I lift my head just in time to see our housekeeper—a woman whose stare would rival Medusa’s—Mrs. Williams step out onto the porch.