The Unexpected Way of Falling in Love

  She meticulously eyes me over. “You did talk to her for a while. Makes me wonder why.”

  I put on a neutral expression. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, why the sudden interest in her?” She steps closer to me. “You’ve known her forever, and just a few days ago, you told her she wasn’t pretty.”

  “No, I told you you weren’t pretty,” I clarify. “And only because you called me a pretty boy.”

  A slow, wicked smile curls at her lips. “I knew it.”

  “Knew what?” I question, feeling a bit on edge. Can she possibly know about the plan? How the fuck did she find out about it?

  “You like her.” She points a finger at me, that evil grin on her face growing even more sinister. “I think you might have liked her for a while. Damn! I don’t know how I didn’t see this before.”

  I relax a tiny bit. Emphasis on the tiny part, because she got part of it right.

  “I think you’re looking way too into this.”

  “No, I think I’m looking just the right amount. I just don’t know how I didn’t see it before.” The happiness in her eyes makes my uneasiness shoot up a notch. “But yeah, now that I think about it … all those times you’d come home drunk and try to annoy us was just your lame-ass attempt at trying to flirt with her.”

  “Hey, I never lame-ass flirt. I’m fucking awesome. Just ask my fan club.”

  “You might not be a lame flirt with those shallow, borderline stalkers who follow you around, but Ens isn’t one of those girls, and that throws you off your game.” She fists pumps the air. “Ha! I’m so freakin’ smart I amaze myself.”

  My lip twitches in annoyance and worry rises inside me. The last thing I want is for Elodie to find out something she could use against me. And this is something she’d definitely use against me.

  “Well, at least you amaze yourself, because no one else is impressed,” I say flatly as my phone rings from inside my pocket. I have a good guess who it is. “I have to go. I got some shit to take care of. Tell Mom I’ll meet her at the restaurant in a bit.”

  “Aw, don’t pout. I’m not going to tell anyone you have a secret crush,” she calls out through her laughter. “And what about our deal? You owe me a story.”

  “I’ll tell you when we get home,” I throw over my shoulder as I fish out my phone.

  I don’t answer yet, not wanting to take the call in public—too many wandering ears around.

  I make my way across the parking lot and toward my car. It’s a 1969 GTO that has been restored. I’ve owned the car ever since I turned sixteen, a present to myself that I bought with money I saved up over the years. My parents wanted to buy me a Porsche, but I told them I wanted to purchase my own car. My dad was impressed … until I drove up in an old junker that looked straight out of the junkyard. He lectured me for hours, telling me I had to return it, that it would ruin my image. I refused.

  It was the first time I told him no, and it felt good. I’m just lucky he let it slide that time. And he may have thought the car was a piece of crap, but I could see the potential. A couple of years later, after some bodywork, a new paint job, and a total interior restoration, it looks way better than a Porsche. At least, in my opinion. And it runs great usually, but I need to take it in and get everything double-checked before I take Ens out tomorrow..

  My stomach rolls with nerves as I think about tomorrow. Nerves of fear and excitement.

  Shit, this isn’t good. I should be calm, or I’m going to mess this up.

  “You’re not answering your phone.”

  Startled, I drop my keys and phone as a girl with long, brown hair steps out from behind my car.

  “Dammit, Ruby, a little warning before you do that would be great,” I say as I bend over to scoop up my keys and phone.

  She rolls her eyes, almost reminding me of a mini Elodie. “I’m not supposed to be warning you. I’m supposed to be sneaking up on you.”

  I check my phone over, making sure the fall didn’t break it. “Why are you here?”

  “He sent me to run an errand for him.” She crosses her arms and stares me down. “And since I was already here, he told me I should check up on you.”

  “What errand did he send you on that required you to come to the high school?” I ask, unlocking the car door.

  “I delivered a rose.”

  “To who?”

  “To her.”

  I tense, turning my head toward her. “To Ensley?”

  She nods, her eyes doing this evil, sparkling thing. It’s something she does a lot, and it creeps me out. Yeah, I know I sound like a pussy—being scared of a little girl—but I don’t really give a shit. The girl is about as freaky as those twins in The Shining.

  I open the car door but don’t climb in. “Why did he send her a rose?”

  She raises a shoulder to shrug. “That’s not really any of your damn business.”

  “Don’t say damn. It’s a bad word,” I feel the need to say.

  She gives an exaggerated eye roll. “I’m twelve years old. I can swear if I want to.”

  “I didn’t swear when I was twelve.”

  “Liar.”

  Okay, she has me there. Still …

  “How did you even get here?” I rest my elbow on top of the door. “Your house is over thirty miles away.”

  “My bodyguard brought me here. And he’s under strict orders to come looking for me if I’m not back in twenty.” She slips on her oversized sunglasses then pops a piece of gum into her mouth. “So, let’s get right down to the chase.”

  I swear to God, she sounds like my dad.

  “Dude, you’re twelve,” I annunciate. “Not fifty.”

  “I’m an old soul. Get over it.” She pops a bubble, the only sign that she isn’t an adult trapped in a child’s body. “He wants an update on the situation.”

  “I gave him an update last night.”

  “Yeah, but a lot can happen overnight.”

  “Well, not much has,” I tell her, knowing he’s not going to be happy about it. “I asked her out; she agreed. We’re going out tomorrow.”

  “And where are you taking her?”

  “I’m sure you already know the answer to that.”

  “Yeah, but I need to make sure.” She taps her foot against the ground. “What did you talk to her about earlier?”

  Anxiousness stirs inside me. I hate how she seems to know everything.

  “How did you know I talked to her?”

  “Because I was eavesdropping,” she replies with a simple shrug. “She didn’t really seem that into you.”

  “If you were eavesdropping, then why did you ask what I talked to her about?” As the rest of her words catch up to me, I add, “Wait? What do you mean she didn’t really seem that into me?”

  She rolls her eyes again. “Do I really need to explain this to you?”

  “No. Because there’s nothing to explain. She’s into me.”

  “God, boys are so naive sometimes.”

  “And you’re twelve,” I annunciate again. “You should be out playing and going to movies and hanging out at the pool. You know, kid stuff. Not standing here, arguing with me because your father treats you like his secretary.”

  “I’m not his secretary. I’m his business associate. I actually own half of his businesses.”

  There are no words. Seriously.

  “So, you’re twelve and you own a bunch of clubs?” I question. “And that’s what you want?”

  “Of course it’s what I want. It’s a great opportunity,” she quips. “Too bad for your father that you don’t think the same way.”

  I rake my fingers through my hair as I blow out a deafening breath. “There’s a huge difference between owning a bunch of clubs and being part of what my father does. I don’t want anything to do with that.”

  “Why? Because you’re such a good guy?” Her sassy attitude is grating on my nerves.

  “You don’t know anything about me, little girl. And even though you??
?re obviously stuck in some sort of Freaky Friday vortex, you don’t know jack shit about life yet.”

  “Neither do you.” She offers me a sassy smirk. “But I have a feeling you’re about to.” Then she turns on her heels and waves goodbye to me from over her shoulder. “Have fun trying to win over a girl who doesn’t like you. And have fun dealing with the consequences from my father when you don’t pull off your side of the deal.”

  “I’ll pull it off!” I shout. “I’m Carter fucking Everlend.” Two seconds later, I let out a, “Fuuuck,” because I sound like a douchebag. And I’m drawing a crowd. Great. Just what I need right now.

  “You okay, man?” Holden asks as he approaches his BMW parked next to my car.

  “Yeah, fan-freakin’-tastic.” I plaster on a shiny, fake smile. “I was just putting someone in their place.”

  “Really?” He twirls his car keys around his finger. “Because it looked like you were arguing with a twelve-year-old girl, and she won.”

  I resist a gulp. “You saw that?”

  He nods. “Yep.”

  As we stare each other down, my skin begins to crawl.

  “How much did you hear?” I finally ask, worried he recognized Ruby.

  “Not too much.” He shrugs. “But I’m curious why you were talking to the daughter of Gregor Hartingford, aka the wealthiest fucking guy in Fareland who owns the most exclusive clubs in the country. So exclusive that not even me or you can get into one.”

  If he knew how wrong he was, he’d freak out. I’ve been to the clubs many times. Have been going for a couple of months now, ever since I made the deal with Gregor. If Holden ever found out about that, though, he’d insist I take him. And I can’t. I can’t mix my old life with my new one.

  “Is that who she was?” I feign dumb. “Fuck. I thought she was just some spoiled brat trying to key my car.”

  His brows rise. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I caught her by my car and stopped her before she did it.”

  “Dude, how did you not know it was her? Everyone who’s anyone knows that.”

  “I guess I’m no one, then.” And sometimes, I wish I was.

  Life might be easier that way.

  Instead, I’m standing here, lying to my friend. And while most of my friends suck, Holden is actually pretty decent, enough that I tell him stuff about my life, like how I secretly like my sister’s quiet, cute BFFFB.

  I roll my eyes at my use of the acronym. Great, Elodie, thanks for that.

  Then I mentally sigh as I think about how Holden isn’t the only person I’ve been lying to. My sister, too. And then, of course, Ensley.

  “Hey, I have to take off,” I tell Holden before I’m forced to lie even more. “I’ve got this lunch thing with my family, and then I’m taking my car in to get looked at before my date tomorrow.”

  “Aw, right, the big date.” He grins. “Dude, I still can’t believe she agreed to go out with you. I always thought you bugged the shit out of her.”

  “Me, too,” I agree, ignoring my phone buzzing inside my pocket, though I tense, knowing more than likely that it’s Gregor calling me. “Honestly, I was surprised as shit when she said yes … twice.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s really weird.” He rubs his jawline thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s screwing with you.”

  “That’s not really her MO.” It’s mine.

  God, I suck.

  It would’ve been so much easier if I had to date one of the girls from my fan club who I didn’t really care about. And yes, I’m completely aware that having a fan club makes me look like a straight up douche. But don’t hate me. I didn’t create it.

  “Yeah, I guess not.” Doubt still lingers in his expression.

  For a faltering moment, I worry maybe he’s right. Perhaps Ensley is messing with me. I highly doubt it. And considering what I’m doing to her …

  Maybe I deserve to get played. It’d be the perfect punishment for every sin I’ve ever committed.

  I move to get in my car as the guilt crushes my chest.

  “And hey, remember that you’re not allowed to shave yet,” he calls out through a laugh.

  I slide into the driver’s seat, leaving the door open as I drag my hand across my scruffy jawline. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

  “Good. Because if you do, you lose the bet.” He muses over something. “Although, I have a feeling you’re going to end up losing, anyway.”

  “Not gonna happen.” My tone rings with confidence.

  He shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks and shrugs. “We’ll see in a couple of weeks.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see your dumbass lose.”

  Before he can say anything else, I close the door.

  He grins and flips me the middle finger as I start up the engine and peel out of the parking lot. I barely make it out into the road when my phone rings again. Call me weird, but I’m not one for talking on the phone while I drive, so I pull over next to the curb before answering.

  “What’s up?” I aim to sound casual, but an edge always seems to creep into my tone every time I talk to Gregor.

  “Isn’t that what I should be asking you?” Gregor asks. “You’re the one who’s been ignoring my calls.”

  “I haven’t been ignoring them.” I crack the window to let some air in. “There’s just been a lot going on today.”

  “Ruby says you weren’t busy when she talked to you,” he replies. “In fact, she said you weren’t doing anything.”

  I shake my head. Damn, that girl is starting to piss me off. “That’s completely inaccurate.”

  “So, you’re calling my daughter a liar?”

  “No.” Yes, but I’m not about to tell one of the richest, most powerful men in the country that. Not if I want a chance at what’s waiting for me if I pull this deal off. “I think she might have just been a little confused about the situation.”

  “Or she was just trying to cause trouble.” He laughs like his daughter getting me into trouble is adorable. I don’t find it so funny. “She’s quite a handful when she wants to be. It’s good, though. The girl’s got spunk. She’s going to make a great business partner one day.”

  I frown, suddenly realizing that, if this deal works out, I’ll be dealing with Ruby a lot more than I want to. “She told me she was already.”

  “She likes practicing for when she becomes part-owner,” he explains. “Some kids like dolls. Some kids like trucks. Some kids like playing make-believe. Some like playing CEO. In reality, it’s all pretty much the same.”

  No, it’s not. At all. And he sounds just like my father and mother, which makes me feel a bit sorry for Ruby.

  “Have you ever tried to give her a doll or a truck?” I wonder as I rest my hand on top of the steering wheel.

  “I did give her some dolls once. She hated them. Cut off all their hair and painted their faces up like clowns. It was kind of creepy.”

  I don’t know why, but that doesn’t surprise me.

  “But, anyway.” He clears his throat. “I just wanted to call and get an update. I know you said she was going to a party with you next week, but then I heard a little rumor that you’re taking her to one of my clubs tomorrow night.”

  I fiddle with the keychain. “I thought it might be a good idea to get her introduced to that world so she’s not so shocked.”

  “That’s a good idea,” he says. “Maybe I’ll stop by, too.”

  “Tomorrow night? Isn’t that a little soon?”

  “I’ll just say a quick hello. Or maybe just see her. Nothing more.”

  I want to tell him that’s a bad idea, that if she recognizes him, the plan will go to shit. But I’m not really in a place to tell him what to do. Not if I want to achieve my goal.

  “Okay, sounds good.” Then I bite down on my tongue, worried I might be crossing a line, but the need to ask eventually wins. “You sent her a rose today?”

  “It was her graduation. Of course I did.” His voice shakes with anger. “I’m sick and ti
red of her mother keeping her from me. I’m the one who looks bad here. I’m the one who’s missed out on everything. I’m the one who’s had to stand by and watch my daughter live a shitty life when she could’ve been given anything she wanted. But her mother’s too stubborn. Always has been.”

  I’m not so convinced that’s the only reason Gregor hasn’t seen his daughter for almost her entire life, especially since he’s the sort of man who can pretty much get whatever he wants. Why not just see Ensley? Or send her money? What’s been stopping him?

  I haven’t asked any of those questions yet. I probably should’ve before I made the deal with him, but I was too worried about the deal in general.

  Yep, I bet I can guess what you’re thinking. He made a deal with Ensley’s dad? Her father she’s never known and who she thinks abandoned her? I don’t know why you’re surprised. I already told you I was an asshole. The part that makes me really suck, though, is that I like Ensley. More than a lot. She’s sweet, cute, kind and has the most beautiful laugh I’ve ever heard. That is, when she laughs. She doesn’t do it too often when I’m around.

  She doesn’t deserve what I’m doing. She deserves so much better. But when the deal was proposed to me, I wanted it so damn badly. It was my way out. My golden ticket to escaping my father’s future for me. A corrupt future that will lead to me continuing to live a fake, controlled life. So I selfishly agreed to the deal. But with every moment I spend talking to Ens, I become more conflicted.

  “Just remember not to tell her what’s going on,” Gregor reminds me. “If she finds out what we’re up to before I’m ready to tell her, the deal’s off. Because, if I have the element of surprise taken away, she’ll run. I need her to trust me first.”

  “I know.” Of course I know. He’s told me the same thing a hundred times.

  “Good.” He gives a short pause. “You’re a good guy, Carter. You really are. I hope this all works out.”

  More guilt piles on my chest as his words sink in. He’s wrong. He really is. If I were a good guy, I wouldn’t be doing this to Ensley. If I were a good guy, I’d open my mouth right now and tell him the deal’s off.