Page 57 of Burning Daylight

I lean back against my couch cushions, staring up at the popcorn ceiling of my apartment. “Just stating the facts,Dad. Does it bother you that much to think of me there?”

He’s silent for another minute or so, and I’m about to ask if he’s even still on the line when he suddenly speaks.

“I’ll help. Of course I will. If you had told me sooner, I would have helped then. There’s really no need for dramatics.”

I jerk upright, my brows shooting up.What?

“But you’ll have to do something forme.”

And there it is. The strings attached. Just like I knew there would be.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“You need to come home. For good.”

She’s Coming Back, But Not By Choice!

Juliette Calloway is heading home…but don’t pop the champagne just yet.

Sources say the youngest Calloway is being dragged back early, skipping her own graduation to play the dutiful daughter at Mommy and Daddy’s high-profile political fundraiser for Mayor Franklin Penngrove.

Word is, Juliette’s not exactly thrilled about swapping Cali kegs for champagne flutes and fake smiles at her mother’s side.

But here’s the real tea: Preston Ascott is going to be there.

Looks like the prodigal princess’s return might be less family and more setup.

Will we see them reunited in time for the VU Founders’ Gala?

#JulietteReturns #CallowayDrama #PrestonSpotted #RosebrookRag #PoliticsOrPawns #CallowayWatch

14

JULIETTE

I’m a mess.

I couldn’t sleep last night. No matter how many times I tried to tell myself that Ryder isn’t important, that he’s nobody to me, my brain wouldn’t shut off.

Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his hands on me.

Inme.

His mouth.

His voice.

Part of me is glad we were interrupted, even if it was by his mother who acted like I was a cockroach infesting his home.

I’m not a virgin by any stretch of the imagination. I lost it sophomore year in the back seat of Preston’s Mercedes. It was awkward, painful, and over before it even really started. And over the years, I’ve had my share of flings full of random guys and forgettable nights, so I know how to stay detached.

But thinking about Ryder that way feels cheap. Hooking up with him didn’t feel casual. It felt raw, like I left pieces of myself behind when it was over.

And that’s probably why I’m back at this same coffee shop again, hoping he shows up.

Because apparently, I’m a sucker.

I glare at my to-go cup, fingers picking at the brown paper sleeve that hasThe Em-Tee Cupprinted on the side, hating how vulnerable I feel waiting here like a sitting duck.