Page 1 of Damaged Billionaire Daddy (The Lanes Series #1)

Chapter one

Kandis

“I know, but I really need to change my shirt,” I shouted over the loud music. “This one feels like it’s suffocating me.”

I’d worn a tight bodysuit/corset combo that did wonders for accentuating my slim waistline, big hips, and average sized boobs.

I thought that it’d make tonight the night for Justin and I, and that I’d effectively lose my virginity. However, he’d hardly paid me any mind all night. Not that I blamed him.

He was beyond busy with law school and hardly had time to himself, let alone to be messing around with me.

“Well, hurry back,” Aria, one of my best friends, told me, as she continued dancing to the music.

Justin had just passed one of his exams which I thought was the perfect time for a party, even if he didn’t necessarily agree. I’d convinced him in the end with some deep kisses and a little bit of tongue action.

I started going up the stairs, towards my bedroom when Aria came running towards me, out of breath and with frantic eyes. “Kandis!” she called my name, her voice a loud whisper. “I just remembered that you can’t go in there.”

“Why?” I asked, smiling and shaking my head. “Because you don’t want to dance by yourself? I told you before, Aria, you’re an even better dancer than I am. You’re fine.”

“No, because…” she hesitated, switching her weight between her feet as if something was making her nervous although she seemed insanely nervous to say what that something is. “Look, I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

“Okay, now I’m just confused.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I, uhh…”

“Can this wait until after I change shirts?”

I reached for the doorknob again, but Aria stopped me. “No, it can’t.”

“And why not?”

I could see her trying to come up with an excuse on the spot and rolled my eyes. “Wow, funny joke, ha-ha. Seriously, Aria, I’m suffocating.” I turned my doorknob before she could try and stop me.

And the scene in front of me left me completely flabbergasted.

My boyfriend, Justin, and some girl were on the bed with their tongues down each other’s throats and nothing on but their underwear, hands all over each other.

I squinted my eyes, getting a better look at the girl and was left in shock when I recognized her. It was my best friend, Cali.

My heart started beating so hard against my chest that I was sure it was going to jump out.

Cali had been my best friend since elementary school, and I briefly thought about all of the things that we’ve gone through together.

Not like it matters. I’ll never be friends with her after this.

Justin’s eyes opened, and the second they locked on me, he immediately started to push Cali off of him. She didn’t get the point right away. “Oh, are we playing hard to get?” she purred like a cat in heat.

“No, we’re playing get the fuck out of my house!” I exclaimed.

She turned around suddenly with complete shock on her face. She sent Justin a look before sitting up and wrapping a blanket around her body.

“Kandis,” she said my name sweetly, and I could tell she was trying to figure out what she should say, what lie would fix the mess that she’d gotten herself into. “I didn’t know that you were going to come up here, and we were just fixing your bed frame. It’s so rusty.”

“In your underwear?” I asked incredulously. Does it look like I was born yesterday?

“It’s just so hot,” she defended herself and looked behind me. “Isn’t it, Aria?”

I turned around and looked at Aria, completely heartbroken. “You knew about this?” I asked. “About them?” As angry as I was, I could still feel my eyes beginning to water.

Aria’s lips separated before coming together again, as she hung her head in shame. So, that was why she wanted to stop me before I came in here. She didn’t want me to find out the truth, a truth that I should have been clued in on long before this moment.

Aria may have been introduced to me through Cali and may have known her longer, but I thought we were closer than that.

I thought everyone here was better than that.

It’s clear that I thought wrong.

I focused my gaze back on Cali. “You were always one hell of a liar, but I never thought that you would lie to me.” I laughed, but it was humorless, looking at Justin. “And you… I thought what we had was real. I should have known better.”

He jumped up, trying to put his pants on. “What we have is real, Kandis. I love you.”

My hands formed fists at my side. “Don’t you dare fucking say that to me when I just caught you in bed with my best friend.”

“Well, honey, if you hadn’t been a prude…” Cali started before cutting off when I narrowed my eyes at her.

“At least I don’t open my legs for every guy who winks at me. What was it they called you? Slutty Cat?” I referenced to her freshman year of college when she’d done more than her fair share of sleeping around with guys, so much so that they’d come up with a nickname for her.

How many times did I console her while she cried on my shoulders, begging me not to look at her any differently when all she wanted was to be loved?

In reality, she was a slut back then and is still a slut now.

Cali threw the blanket off of herself and started picking her clothes up from the ground. “Well, you know what, at least I can please a man.”

“Shut up, Cali,” Justin snapped and took a step towards me. “Kandis, you have to believe me when I say she meant nothing to me…”

“That’s not what you were saying last night,” Cali interrupted and had the guts to look as if his words hurt her. As if he weren’t my boyfriend!

Or rather, ex-boyfriend would be the better term.

“Get the fuck out! Both of you!”

“She’s lying,” Justin growled. “Kandis, please…”

I give up. I threw my arms up. “You know what, I’m not really in the partying mood anymore, nor do I want to spend a second longer with any of you than I have to. Y’all stay. I’ll go.”

I started to walk out before I stopped and gave all of them a look. “And just in case it’s not clear, I’m finished with all of you.” I sent a pointed look at Aria and walked away, my legs moving quickly so none of them could stop me.

My hands reached into my pocket for my keys, and I dug them out, throwing the door open and being hit with the brisk breeze that autumn has to offer.

My heart was pounding so hard that I was afraid it was going to jump out of my chest. I unlocked my door and slid inside, just as the door opened up again. Justin was standing in the doorway.

I pushed my key into the ignition, and my engine roared to life. Justin found my car and locked eyes with me. I put my seatbelt on as he was walking towards me.

The tears started to flow down my cheeks, but I flipped him off and put the car into drive before surging down the road, not even giving him a final glimpse in my rearview mirror.

Unsurprisingly, my phone started to go off. Once. Twice. Three times. Five times. Nine times. I picked it up and saw an array of calls, mainly from Justin with a few from Aria. None from Cali. What a best friend she was. At least those two had the decency to at least act like they felt bad.

I blocked both of them, careful not to hit anything in the road, before scrolling through my phone. I felt so angry and upset like I wanted to cry, scream, and throw up all at once. How could the people who say they love me do something like this?

With no other options, I decided to call my mom. Justin and I lived together, and all of my stuff’s at the apartment. I’ll have to go back one day, but I refused for that day to be today. I needed to get a grip and make sure that they don’t think they hurt me.

Without any other good friends in the city, Mom’s my last lifeline even if she’d never proved that she could be there for me before.

“Come on, Mom, pick up,” I urged through the phone, as it rang a couple times. Her voicemail came up, and I groaned before trying again. Another voicemail message.

I threw my phone onto the passenger seat, gripping the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were starting to turn white.

She was never going to answer that phone. I needed to be real with myself. She was probably passed out in an alley somewhere, with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Her current fling probably rolled over her to her stomach, so she wouldn’t choke herself and then left her there, deeming his job finished.

My mom was probably the only one right now with a life more pathetic than mine.

I could just go to her house, but who knew what would be waiting for me there.

Where else can I go?

The tears started to fall more freely, as I rolled to a stop for a red light. I felt like the biggest loser on the planet. No friends and no family except… Why didn’t I think of them before?

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and cleared my throat. She’d know if I’ve been crying.

I reached over and grab my phone before punching her number in, just as the light turned green. Despite the time, it only rang for a couple seconds before she answered.

“Kandy-Kane, my sweet girl. How are you doing?” My grandmother’s sweet voice immediately made me feel warm inside. She was the one person that’s always been there for me when I needed her, both her and my grandfather.

“Mimi,” I said, fighting to keep the tears at bay. “I really need someplace to go, right now. I’m going through a few things, and… Do you guys still live outside of LA?” I used to make fun of them for living outside the action of the city, but it was where they’re happiest.

“Of course!” she exclaimed. “You know you don’t even have to ask. Come on sweet girl.”

California. That’s just the place to take a break away from my life. Sure, it was a three-day drive, but that would give me time to clear my head and to think.