Page 52 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11

Friday

“What the fuck?” Ian said as he sped down the street.

I didn’t even know what to say.

“I know, right?” Rob said. “The Caldwells are a bunch of pussies. I think we should circle back and kick their asses a second time.”

Penny shook her head and looked up at me. I was starting to get used to her looking at me with disappointment. Why did I keep fucking up so bad?

“I asked you to stop,” she said. “Both of you,” she added and gave Rob a death stare. “Why does no one ever listen to me?”

I pressed my lips together.

“Especially after what you both did to Professor McCarty? Don’t either of you ever think before punching someone?”

Ian stayed quiet even though he’d been there with us when we visited Professor McCarty.

“I thought they were your best friends. Who punches their best friends?”

Rob turned around to look at us from the front seat. “You saw what they said. They’re a sack of dicks.”

“Maybe they were provoked by what you two said to them? Did you ever think about that?”

“I didn’t say shit to them,” Rob said.

“Well one of you did. Something about their parents hating them? Or…loving Brooklyn or something? I don’t know.

I’m so confused. I thought you guys grew up in Manhattan?

Why did Matt say you loved Brooklyn more than him?

At least, I think that was Matt. I didn’t exactly get the introduction I was promised. ”

Rob and I glanced at each other.

“Great, you’re not going to tell me.” She threw up her hands. “Just keep me in the dark like always.”

“Penny.” I grabbed her hand but she pulled away from me. Fair. “I think maybe Isabella set us up.”

“What?” Penny and Rob both said at the same time.

“That invitation always felt off. When I first got it, I was worried about it being from Isabella. But then I texted Mason and I thought he said it was from him.” I shook my head.

“But I don’t know. Maybe he just said he was excited to see me too.

Because he got an invitation from…me? I saw it in his hand. And I didn’t fucking send it.”

Penny just stared at me.

“And there was a polaroid on the ground next to Matt. I definitely didn’t send that.” And I was pretty sure I knew what it had said. That Brooklyn loved me more than him. Fuck. I never would have said that to him. “And Rob didn’t send it.” I hope. “Right, Rob?”

“No,” he said. “Shit, are you serious right now? Isabella did this?”

“Isabella is the only one who knows the four of us well enough to get under our skin. And we played this dumb prank in high school one Thanksgiving involving chocolate pudding. She was there.” The prank had been on Isabella. And she’d never gotten over it.

“So Isabella is the only one that knows the four of you that well, huh?” Penny asked. Her voice was quiet. She sounded so hurt.

“That’s not what I meant. She knew the four of us back then. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“It’s fine,” Penny said. But she sure sounded upset.

“Penny…”

“I’m not an idiot, James. I know you were married to her.

I know she knows you. All of you. I just…

” her voice trailed off. “It doesn’t matter.

This is all such a mess. But if the two of you had listened to me and stopped fighting, maybe you could have figured this out together.

And no one would have gotten hurt.” She stared at my eye that I was sure was starting to turn purple.

Fuck. I wasn’t used to being part of an us. I was used to doing whatever I wanted. Whenever I wanted. No matter how fucking stupid it was. But I wasn’t single anymore. And I was trying to be less destructive.

What had I been thinking? I opened my mouth and closed it again. I didn’t know what to say.

Penny folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window.

The rest of the ride home was silent.

I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been. I knew in my gut that something felt wrong about the invitation.

I knew it and yet I hadn’t followed up. I pulled out my phone and found the text exchanges between me and Mason.

I’d asked him how he was. And he’d responded: “I’m good, man. Excited to see you in a couple weeks.”

I’d never asked him about the fucking invitation. I’d been too distracted about my life blowing up around me. Which Isabella knew. Because she’d leaked the story to the press. She knew I’d be rattled. Off my game. That crazy bitch.

I took a deep breath and turned to Penny. And now I’d messed this up. Because I’d implied that Isabella knew me better than Penny did. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Ian seemed eager to get away from the awkwardness, because as soon as we parked, he pretended to take a phone call. I knew it was a fake call. The only person that called him this late was me. And also his phone didn’t ring.

So it was just Penny, Rob, and me on the elevator. The silent streak continued. I’d actually never seen Rob this quiet for this long.

Penny finally broke the silence when we stepped into the apartment. “Go sit down on the couch. Both of you.”

Rob elbowed me in the side as we made our way to the couch. “I think we’re in trouble.”

“You think?” We both sat down.

Penny came over with peroxide and a box of Band-Aids. She’d probably picked some up after I beat the shit out of Professor McCarty.

She ignored me and started patching up Rob.

“I like when you take care of me,” he said.

“Stop talking,” she said and put a Band-Aid across his knuckles. And then she turned to me. She sighed and touched the side of my face. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Kiss me?”

“I need a kiss too,” Rob said. “I got a booboo.”

She sighed and cleaned the cut on my cheek.

And then bandaged my hand for the second time in two weeks.

She handed both Rob and me icepacks. Usually she sat next to me on the couch, but tonight she decided to sit in the chair across from us.

Apparently so we could see the disappointment on her face.

I lowered the icepack from my eye. “I still have that piggy bank,” I said. “But I’d prefer if you just told me what you were thinking.” I thought she’d smile from the reference to a penny for her thoughts. But…she did not.

And Rob gave me a weird look. At least, I think he did. His face was half covered with an icepack too.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Rob asked. “Did Matt hit your head too hard against that brick wall?”

I ignored him and turned to Penny. “Please. Talk to me. Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

She pressed her lips together. “Well…it turns out I’m glad we have a driver. Because I can call him to save us when you two get into a street fight in the middle of the city.”

I was wondering how Ian had known to show up at exactly the right time. “You called him tonight?”

She nodded. “At least one man in this city listens to me.”

I deserved that.

“I told you to stop fighting a million times. After what just happened with Professor McCarty…I thought the two of you were done with this crap.”

“I never promised to stop beating the shit out of people,” Rob said. “It’s one of my special talents.”

“If you’re staying in our apartment, you’re not getting into fights,” she said.

“But…”

“It’s not up for negotiation, Rob. No fighting.”

He sighed. “Fine, Mom .”

Penny almost smiled at his comment. Almost.

“And you,” she said and turned to me. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

“You should see the other guy,” I said with a smile.

“Not funny.” She got off her chair and sat next to me on the couch. “James, even if Mason had actually said those things about me? I wouldn’t have wanted you to get in a fight. I don’t want you to ever get hurt. You’re the love of my life. I need you. Stop putting yourself in danger.”

“James can take Mason in a fight,” Rob said. “Mason may be built bigger, but he doesn’t know what to do with his big dumb beef hands.”

“Robert.”

Rob laughed. “I like when you call me that. It’s kinky as fuck.”

Penny sighed and focused on me again. “I don’t care if you have more experience fighting than Mason. He’s built like a football player. Stop hitting people. Period.”

“Okay,” I said.

She grabbed the icepack out of my hand and put it back on my eye. “Promise me,” she said.

“I promise, baby.”

Her face finally cracked in a smile. I knew how much she liked when I called her that.

“Come here,” I said and tried to pull her onto my lap.

“No,” she said and swatted my hand away. “You two are both in trouble. I want you to sit here and silently think about what you’ve done.”

“You’re taking this mom thing too far,” Rob said. “It’s a fine line between sexy and demeaning.”

“Phones,” Penny said and held out her hand.

“Seriously? You’re taking our phones?” Rob asked.

She kept her hand out.

“Gah. Fine.” Rob handed her his phone and I did the same.

Penny got up off the couch and walked up the stairs to our bedroom.

“I really like her,” Rob said and leaned back on the couch. “You’ve got a keeper there.”

“I know.” I kept my eyes trained on Penny until she disappeared into our bedroom and closed the door.

“My back hurts a bit. I think Matt karate chopped me or some weird shit. Do you think Penny can give me a massage?”

“Don’t push it.”

The elevators dinged and Ian walked in. He must have known Penny was out of the room.

“The front desk said this was delivered while we were out.” He handed me an envelope that looked like the others.

I tore it open and read the note inside:

Hello Darling,

I hope you enjoyed the last gift you’ll ever receive from me. The truth that you and all your friends all desperately needed to hear. Just facts. Hope I didn’t cause a riff. Enjoy the rest of your terrible life without me.

XOXO,

Isabella Hunter

“I don’t love how she signed her name,” Rob said. “Is she seriously not changing her last name back to Pruitt?”

“Psycho,” Ian said.