Page 46 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

“You know,” I sigh, squeezing my arms around his neck. “I’ve actually missed you.”

Graham chuckles, giving me a tight hug before stepping back with his signature smirk in place. “I’ll try not to be too insulted by the tone of surprise there.”

“Do that.” I grin, running my eyes over the tailored blue slacks and pristine white button-up he’s wearing. “Not bad, Bettencourt.”

He winks down at me. “Right back at you, Fitzroy.”

I do a little swish of my red summer dress, totally playing it up and basking in the normal for a split second before reality interrupts in the form of a tightly cleared throat.

Graham’s gaze moves beyond me, and I roll my eyes, pretty sure they’re going to get permanently stuck that way if something doesn’t change soon. “Yes, Bobby?”

“Just wondering if you’re going to introduce me to your friend.”

“No.” I spin around, leaving Graham at my back and cocking my head at the tank-sized brunette. “Didn’t you know? I was raised with no concept of manners and was just going to leave you standing there awkwardly.”

He gives me a look like he’s thinking about enrolling me in boot camp or something himself, and I sigh wearily, waving my hand between the two of them as Graham steps up beside me.

“Graham, meet bodyguard number three.” He shoots me a curious look, and I shrug it off with a ready-made excuse. “My parents were feeling edgy this summer after the kidnapping last year.”

“Huh.” He looks back at Bobby and holds out a hand to him with that smirk falling into place easily. “Graham Bettencourt, nice to meet you.”

The charm practically pours off him with the simple move as easily as Ollie exudes it. Usually.

Bobby’s shakes his hand quickly, staring at him for a second before looking back at me. “Is this the one Talan said performed that little miracle in the coffee shop?”

I glare at him, inhaling deeply through my nose before turning to Graham and forcing my lips up.

“Ignore him.” Holding the grin in place while winding my arm through his, I lead him through the entry of our house toward the backyard.

“So it’s just a small party today for a few of my father’s interns who are heading back to college. ”

“What an opportune time for me to slide my foot in the door.” He chuckles.

And this time when my lips kick up, it’s a lot more genuine. “I thought so.”

Because Graham’s never not come through for me, and that makes him good people in my book. Definitely the kind of guy I want to keep in my corner and fighting for the good guys too.

“So,” I sigh as we walk through the living room with sounds of the party out back drifting through the air. “Got any exciting plans for the rest of summer?”

“Nothing too big.” He shrugs, arm moving against mine. “Just heading up to the Hamptons for the last couple of weeks before school starts up.”

“Huh.” I look up at him with a blink. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He nods absently, fingers going to the top button on his shirt and fidgeting with it. “I always do and usually throw a few parties for whoever is around too.”

“Huh,” I repeat just as absently, already calculating my chances. “Are your parents there?”

“No, of course not.” He comes to a stop with the answer just as we make it to the kitchen. “Mom is in Rio for the rest of the summer with my sisters, and Dad is back home in New York.” I narrow my eyes at him thoughtfully, and a slow smirk spreads on his face. “Why?”

I lift a brow. “Got room for one more?”

“Just one?” He chuckles, gaze darting to where I’m sure Bobby is about to blow a gasket.

“Or two, or three.” I shrug, hoping the desperation suddenly filling me doesn’t make it to my voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there are rules for them.”

His eyes come back to me with his face turning confused for a second before he gives me a weird look. “Of course you can come, O.” The arm around mine gives it a little shake. “You don’t even need to ask.”

My lips part as relief crashes through me, hope rising like the sun in the east in the form of Graham Bettencourt, because now that the option is right here in front of me…I have to get out.

No, I need to get out.

I need to be able to breathe again without feeling like everyone’s waiting for me to disappear. To have some space to sort through the things rattling around inside my own head. Just for a bit.

I have the keys already. Snuck them from Zoey this morning when Bobby took me to run. Everything else can be taken care of when I get back.

“Perfect.” I grin at him, damn near bubbly now with anticipation. “Pick me up on your way out?”

“That’s tomorrow morning.” His head pulls back in surprise. “I only flew into town for this.”

“Even better.” I squeeze his arm in my hand, dragging him along to the backyard now and determined to help him make a good impression.

Completely ignoring the look Bobby tosses me that’s screaming there’s a fat chance of my plan for escape happening.

Bastards should’ve learned better when I burned that note to a crisp.

Hell breaks loose the second the party is over.

Or more specifically, the second I announce that I’m heading to the Hamptons for the rest of the summer with Graham.

It even warrants an emergency meeting of the war council, apparently.

All four of them traipsed into my living room like good little soldiers not an hour after my announcement, with Talan glaring daggers at me like I just stopped him from getting laid or something, which would just be the cherry on top of my day if that’s the case.

So high on possibility by that point that I even wiggle my fingers at him.

Ollie got barred from the room around the hour mark and his tenth outburst.

That was two hours ago, though.

And I’ve been engaging in what feels like a fight for my life ever since.

“The logistics involved in moving the whole team there by themselves are extensive,” Jack mutters, sitting across from my parents with his salt-and-pepper hair artfully swept across his head. “Not to mention we have no idea what kind of security they might have in place.”

“Mr. Bettencourt is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company,” I snort, pacing back and forth in front of them with the other three sitting in the armchairs at the other side of the room. “I’m sure their alarm system will do just fine.”

“It’s not just that.” Jack shakes his head wearily. “We have cameras here. A whole system—”

“No!” I gasp, hand going to my chest. “An alarm system with cameras? What is this new discovery, Sherlock?”

“Ophelia.” My father raises a hand to the side of his head with a long breath. “Please, I know this is diffi—”

“No!” I shout, waving my hand through the air at all of them. “This is what you call bullshit.”

“Our system is plugged into the cameras here,” Jack continues over me, taking the explanation and launching it right up there to mansplaining. “We can maintain eyes at all times and have personally ensured there isn’t a blind spot or way of entry that hasn’t been covered.”

“Constant surveillance, always a comforting thought,” I deadpan, not giving him the time to win them over before turning to my parents and begging them. “I need this—please—I really, really, really need this.”

“Princess.” My father’s face falls with his nickname for me, and I already know what he’s going to say. “We’re just trying to keep you safe.”

It’s the same thing he’s been saying all summer.

“You have to give them time to catch this guy. None of us could bear it if something happened to you again.”

I let my eyes drift over to my mother, catching the frown pulling at her lips as she stares at him.

“I know this is hard, but you just have to remember it’s not forever.”

“Says who?”

“What?”

Jack’s interruption has me turning my wrath his way. “Well, have you made any progress in catching him?” I pause for a beat, waiting him out and laughing viciously as his face turns sour. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, you useless—”

“Ophelia Sage!”

I whip back around at my mother’s voice, gaze finding hers instantly and face twisting up as something cracks in me at the possibility of having to stay here.

“I swear I will walk out that door one day when no one is looking and never come back. You can’t keep me here.

” My voice cracks as the past couple months seem to press down on me.

“I can’t do this anymore, Mommy, please.

” The words wrap themselves around my throat and try to strangle me as I gasp for air to get out, “I can’t think here. ”

“Hold on now—”

“Princess—”

Jack’s and my father’s voices fight for dominance in the air, but I keep my eyes on my mother’s as she raises a hand. “Enough.” Her one quiet word echoes around the room like a cannon before she blinks and turns to my father. “She’s going.”

His face hardens, reminding me of an older version of Ollie for a split second before he sighs heavily. “Blythe—

“No, Camden.” She shakes her head, frowning hard at him. “I have stood by and watched all summer as you promised that girl freedom, and she died a little more each day it wasn’t delivered.”

My father’s face blankets with surprise, and she looks down, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze. It makes my heart clench up at what I haven’t felt myself in months. No close contact from my brother or anyone else. No comfort. No peace.

“It won’t matter how safe you keep her if she’s already slipped away by the time he’s caught.” Her eyes lift back to his with a small smile. “I love you, but that is my baby, and I won’t sit by and watch that.” She nods, delivering with finality, “She’s going.”

He holds her gaze for a long moment, one of those entirely silent conversations taking place between them before he nods slowly. She looks back to me and lifts a brow with a soft warning. “But she will behave herself too.”

“Of course!” I practically bounce. “All I want is to get drunk and lay around, maybe do some dancing, but—”

Jack’s face blanches. “Pardon?”

“It’ll only be people from school.” I scowl at him. “Calm down.”