Page 87 of Filthy Little Pretties

Fuck me. I should’ve known my failed tryst with Laura would make its way back to Caroline. It doesn’t bother me, and that’s a good thing, because she’ll have her fun regardless. Maybe now I won’t have to buy her anything for her birthday next weekend; my presumed humiliation will serve as my gift.

“Wait, I don’t get it,” Liam pipes up, chewing on the ice from his water.

“Should we call Laura for an explanation?” she questions sarcastically to my unamused face. “No, it’s fine. It’s like I told her, erectile dysfunction happens to every guy. They’re just usually like, old. But you’ve always been a trailblazer, Grey. The way I see it, you’re just embodying daddy syndrome, in like a ‘method acting’ way.”

My shoulders shake with my laughter as I break and toss a packet of sugar at her, but Liam’s eyes are so wide they may fall out of his head.

“Dude. You…” He motions, curling his finger down.

I lean in, elbow on the table, and stare at them both seriously, playing along.

“Here’s the thing. I couldn’t even convince my dick to fuck her. Both heads were in agreement.”

Liam tries not to laugh directly to my face, so much so that Caroline finally crumbles and falls into a fit of giggles. I sit back and let them have their fun because it’s better than admitting to the truth—that I gave up on getting hard until I dry fucked a girl who refused to choose me, then went home and beat off twice to the memory of her panting. I move for a change of topic, turning my attention to the plate of mini toast.

“All right, shut up. Can we stop talking about my dick and get back to the party? I’m sure whatever you have planned, Caroline, will be outrageous. Evan should love the bill. Speaking of, have you heard—”

“No, not yet,” she snaps, cutting me off and turning her head away.

Shit.

“I was going to say lawyers, Caroline.” Her eyes won’t meet mine, but they don’t have to. I already know why she’s upset. She thought I was going to say parents. “I’m sure there are papers to sign for whatever inheritance will be released to you.”

“Mmhmm. Where is that waitress? Does she mean for us to starve?”

Caroline’s voice is curt, but if you listen carefully, she’s also sad. My eyes shift to Liam, who looks as pissed as I feel. Neither of the piss-poor excuses impersonating parents have called yet. Some would excuse my father—not me, but some—because he’s her stepfather. But her mother, the opportunistic widow, has zero excuses.

Her daughter turns eighteen in less than a week, and that boozed-up hag is probably on some yacht spending money that isn’t hers. She should be here, prepping and sharing in the excitement of her only child’s birthday, but I don’t anticipate either will even call.

I grab my glass and lift it, Liam following.

“A toast. To Caroline.”

Her big eyes look at me, sadness hiding behind the dedication to keeping it there.

“May everybody remember their inferiority and never ever question who’s queen. Here’s to the road to eighteen, and your freedom, but most importantly your reign.”

She gives an elegant clap and smiles as Liam kisses her cheek. He hands her the champagne flute, and our glasses clink together.

Caroline sips her champagne and sets her glass down, sighing before looking around. “Since it seems as if we may be waiting until tomorrow for the wait staff, I’m telling Kai to join us.”

The waitress walks over as Caroline begins typing, so I order first, letting Liam do so for himself and Caroline. Liam cocks his head to the side to try and see what she’s typing, but Caroline elbows him, making me laugh.

“Are you writing a novel?” I wonder aloud to her downcast head.

“Seems as if my plans have changed. I’m going shopping and then out for dinner. It’s a state of emergency.”

“What does that mean?” Liam grins, looking at me.

She looks up, twisting her body to face both of us.

“It means Kai has taken it upon himself to make Donovan his ‘operation: be happy’ project, and I’m being dragged along for the ride. Exactly what did you two say or do to her?”

The mood immediately drops. Liam and I look in different directions, unwilling to answer. Fuck me. I don’t like this. I don’t know what Liam said to her behind that tree outside of what I’d expect from him, but I can guarantee it wasn’t anything like what went down between me and her.

“Interesting,” she muses over our silence, before looking back to her phone.

Liam’s questioning eyes lock to mine, but he speaks to Caroline. “What did Kai say?”