Page 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

HEATHER

What the hell?! Why is Dad here?

I shrank down in my seat and held my coffee cup over my face, as if that would shield them from seeing me. In the middle of the goddamn street, Dad kissed Evelyn on the jaw, his fingers moving up her waist and to her breast, and I averted my gaze immediately.

If they were seeing each other, that meant two things. One, I had made a complete ass out of myself around Hector, blaming him. Two, I had to be more careful at Radiant if my father apparently went there, too, with Evelyn since I had seen her there just the other night.

While I didn t want him to notice me, I creepily watched them walk into Carnegie Coffee Company, Dad s hand set on Evelyn s waist and her cheeks rounded slightly, nipples taut through her shirt.

Oh my God. My eyes are burning.

First, Mom. Now, this?

After making eye contact with me while Dad ordered, Evelyn stiffened and turned back to him. I turned my head away and hoped that he wouldn t look over here, too, because that would be awkward for the both of us.

“Oh my God,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Who is that with him?” Sierra asked.

I sank down further in my seat. “His assistant.”

“His assistant?” Sierra asked, then wiggled her brows. “Or his assistant ?”

Slapping a hand over my forehead, I tore my gaze away from them and stared at my phone, specifically at my messages with Hector. If I looked at my email from that stupid professor, who was way too young to be a professor, I d be pissed. If I looked any further up at Dad, I d be grossed the hell out.

So, I settled for torturing myself at the thought of Hector tonight.

As if he had known I was thinking about him, a message popped up on the screen. More specifically, an image. Of one of the glass rooms at Radiant. A bed. Thick black rope. And something that looked like a saddle to ride a horse.

“Heather,” Dad said.

I slammed my screen down on the table, earning a stifled giggle from Sierra, and looked up to see Dad now standing a couple of feet away from Evelyn and staring at me. Evelyn tucked some hair behind her ear and shuffled nervously beside him.

“Oh, hey, Dad.” The hell?! What re you doing here?

“Grabbing some coffee after work,” Dad said, walking over to the table.

“Oh, really?” I hummed.

Because we were pretty damn far from downtown Pittsburgh, where he had his office, and that hugging and kissing had looked a little bit more than just friendly business partners grabbing some coffee after work.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it today,” I said.

Don t worry about it, sweetheart. Hector was asking for you though.

My eyes widened, and I perked up. “He was?”

“I heard that you didn’t do too well on your last test in your software development class,” Dad said, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes that Hector had told Dad that , but at least it wasn’t the other thing. “He’s helping you out?”

“Yes.”

Sierra smirked at me from across the table, her back facing Dad so he couldn t see her face, and then mouthed, In more than one way.

I kicked her and tried hard for my cheeks not to redden. “Yeah.”

“You could’ve asked your brother for help.”

For some reason, Evelyn stiffened when Dad mentioned Aaron, and I wondered just how freaky that girl really was. Dad noticed and stood back up, a small smirk written across his face, and I kept the blankest expression that I could

Because what the fuck was that?!

“Yeah, well …” I trailed off, slinking down in the seat. “He’s busy being successful.”

“That’s how your brother is,” Dad said, squeezing my shoulder. “He’ll make time for you.”

After dropping my gaze to the table, I blew out a breath, my bangs blowing up into the air. All right, well - as much as I love this conversation that is about to take a turn into how great Aaron is —“I have to get studying.”

“See you later, sweetheart,” Dad called, stepping back.

Once they walked out of Carnegie Coffee Company, they walked down the stairs and kept their distance from each other all the way until they reached Dad s car. I turned back to the group, who giggled away over their steeped tea, slices of carrot cake, and latte art.

“All this time,” I whispered, “I thought Evelyn was fucking Hector.”

“Turns out, she’s just fucking your dad.” Sierra snickered.

Athena smirked. “And your brother.”

“Did you see the way she stiffened when your dad mentioned him?” Sierra asked.

Listen. Sun, the quietest one out of all of us, giggled. Props to her if she s getting fucked by both of them.

“Ew,” I said, scrunching my nose even harder. “I don’t even want that thought in my head, never mind the image of it.”

“She seems like she keeps to herself,” Sun commented.

“We should ask her if she wants to be friends,” Athena said.

“I don’t think she’d fit in,” Sun said.

Yeah, true, we re all virgins, except Heather, Athena said.

“And Sierra,” I added.

“Heather!” Sierra exclaimed. “That’s supposed to be a secret.”

“Ooh,” Athena said. “You have some tea to spill, Sierra?”

“No!” Sierra glared in my direction. “At least not in public.”

My phone buzzed on the table, and I turned it over to see another message from Hector.

Hector: Make sure you eat before you come to Radiant. You re going to need the energy for tonight. Especially if I find out that you need to be punished because I won t go easy on you.

Hector: Tonight, you’ll see what it means to be my submissive.