Page 76 of Paper Doll

“Every student here knows what that collar means,” Ford provides, shoveling another forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“C’mon, we should get going,” I grumble, tossing my plate into the sink without taking a single bite.

Wes eases to his feet, but Ford and Ava are suddenly locked in a staring contest.

“What’s wrong, didn’t like the eggs?” he asks, motioning to her untouched plate.

“Collar?” she huffs, glaring daggers at Ford. “I’m not a dog.”

“No, you’re a Doll,” he replies with a wink. “Wearing the collar is part of the gig, Ava baby.”

“It’s just a necklace,” Wes placates, stepping around to her side of the table.

She closes the box slowly, looking up at him. “I really have to wear this?”

I watch their interaction with suspicion, wondering just how soft Wes is getting for this girl.

He passes the test when his expression hardens, eyes darkening. “It’s not a request.”

Ava swallows thickly, averting her gaze and reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears. Then she rises to stand, still clutching the box in her hands with a white-knuckled grip.

“You also need to change,” Ford states, giving Ava a quick once-over as he rocks his chair back on two legs. “Wear something sexier.”

She whips her head in his direction, eyes narrowed into slits and mouth opening like she’s about to argue. One pointed look from Ford has her snapping it shut again, swallowing back her indignation.

She knows the rules, and her new reality is sinking in.

“How about one of those little skirts?” Ford suggests, grinning up at her.

“You’ve got five minutes,” I grumble, not even trying to hide my annoyance.

Ava huffs a sigh of defeat and stomps out of the kitchen, heading down the hall to her room. Ford snickers as he watches her go, looking pretty damn pleased with himself as he eases to his feet and cards his fingers through his dark hair.

“Five minutes?” he asks, cocking a brow. “That’s generous of you.”

“If this is gonna work, then it has to look real,” I mutter, pacing into the living room to collect my backpack. It’s not like me to leave my shit laying around the apartment, but I wasn’t in my right mind last night, all fucking twisted up at the way Ava was making herself at home in my space.

“He’s right,” Wes agrees, shifting his own backpack onto his shoulders. “It’s her first appearance as our Doll, so she has to look the part.”

The three of us had a long talk last night about how important this morning will be. We need to parade Ava around, let everyone see her shiny new collar so they know that the social order has changed. She’s about to go from social outcast to campus darling and she doesn’t even know it.

Or maybe she does, because when she returns from her room, she’s completely transformed. A short plaid skirt clings to her hips, her hair pulled back in a slick ponytail and the scooped neckline of her top showing off her new jewelry. The crown charm glitters above her cleavage, drawing the eye, and I hate how fucking hot she looks wearing it. How it looks like it belongs there, fastened around her delicate throat.

“I’m ready,” she announces with an irritated sigh.

We’re all just staring at her, like we’ve forgotten how to fucking speak.

Ava sweeps her gaze over the three of us, lips turning down in a frown. “I’m not changing again.”

“No need, you look hot as fuck,” Ford remarks, whistling in appreciation as he rakes his heated gaze up and down her form.

“Let’s go,” I bark, turning on a heel and stomping for the door. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can go back to pretending like my stepsister doesn’t even exist.

Our footsteps echo in the stairwell as we descend all four flights of stairs, pushing through the back doors of the Sutton Hall and stepping out into the crisp morning air. The first whispers follow us like shadows as we fall into a natural formation and start down the path toward the heart of campus, everyone we pass doing a double take when they see Ava’s necklace, knowing exactly what it means.

The Kings have a Doll.

My blood boils like acid in my veins as I take in the shocked looks on people’s faces. I hate putting on this fucking show, acting as if Ava’s deserving of having this honor bestowed upon her. At least she’s staying quiet, keeping her head down like she hates the attention. I hope this whole spectacle is as miserable for her as it is for me.