Chapter 69
“Is it true you guys wear ball gowns every day?”
“I heard you eat caviar with like every meal.”
“Do you really have servants that cater to your every need?”
“Are you and Lucas really a thing?”
:
“Is it true you guys are nosy little bastards?” my roommate sharply cuts through all the questions.
Taylor rolls her eyes at Lou. “Buzzkill,” she mutters before turning back to me. “Come on, April, give us something.”
20
I glance at Nathan, who hasn’t said a word since we sat. After we came out of my room in search of something to eat, we headed to the
kitchen.
Louise, it seems, hasn’t gone grocery shopping since June and I left. The only thing edible was leftover Chinese noodles, which I would die before offering to Nathan Ashford.
So I took Louise’s phone and ordered a pizza, grateful they could deliver despite the weather. While we waited, the crowd in the living room coaxed us to join them in their circle, and after checking to make sure Nathan was okay with it, we did.
Thirty minutes later, we’re chomping on slices of pizza while being berated by a million and one questions about what it’s like to be in the competition and in the Ashford Estate.
“Sorry,” I say for the umpteenth time. “I can’t really say what goes on during the competition.”
Another of Louise’s friends, Stephanie, gasps. “Did they make you sign NDAs?” she says ‘NDAs‘ like one would say ‘drug deal.‘
Before I can come up with an answer, Nathan beats me to it. “My family is very private, so yes.”
The girls‘ attention immediately swerves to Nathan, and something tugs at my belly. Jealousy, maybe–judging by how I want to pull him back into my room and out of sight.
It’s weird because although I feel slightly jealous when he relates to the other girls during the competition, I don’t think I’ve ever felt it as intensely as this.
Maybe it’s because I know these girls personally and their long track record with boys.
My point is proven when Taylor gives Nathan a sultry smile and leans forward. “Is it too late to join the competition?” she asks, eyeing him from top to bottom slowly and suggestively. “I’m suddenly very interested.”
The only other two guys in the group, Shane and Michael, exchange a look. Shane kicks Taylor’s shin. “Aren’t you with Steve Holland?”
She scoffs and leans back on her palms. “He wishes.” She winks at Nathan. “I’m very single.”
I glance at Nathan from the corner of my eye, and something inside me makes me ridiculously happy when I see how uncomfortable he looks.
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Chapter 69
It’s another notable difference between the Nathan I knew in high school and the Nathan now. High school Nathan would have been the life of the party. Sure, he doesn’t know anybody here but me, but that wouldn’t have stopped him from dominating the conversation–and flirting aggressively with Taylor.
This Nathan Inches closer to me, and I have to bite my bottom lip so I don’t grin like a lunatic.
“Slut,” Lou coughs not very subtly, and Taylor shoots her an irritated look.
“Let’s play a game!” Stephanie suggests, looking between Lou and Taylor nervously,
Shane smirks. “We’ve played every game tonight,” he says, “except Truth or Dare.”
My heart skips a beat, and vertigo blurs my vision for a second, catapulting me to another house five years ago, another circle consisting of a different group of people–except one–and someone else announcing, “Let’s play Truth or Dare!”
A murmur of agreement runs through the small group, bringing me back to the present.
“You’re going to have to unstick, Lou,” Meredith says, eyeing Lou, who’s practically in Malik’s lap.
My roommate rolls her eyes and slides off him but still leaves her legs in his lap.
“Okay,” Shane leans forward and haphazardly pushes the empty bottles and bags of chips out of the way.
He grabs one empty bottle and spins. It lands on Meredith, and he grins. “Mere, truth or dare?”
She leans back on her hands. “Dare.”
Shane smirks. “I dare you to take off one piece of your underwear.”
I swallow. Okay, so it’s going to be that kind of game.
Meredith rolls her eyes and leans forward. She reaches behind her to unsnap her bra, then reaches into her shirt to pull the straps down.
I glance to my right and see that Nathan is pointedly looking away from her as opposed to the other guys–except Malik, who has Lou’s hand over his eyes–openly staring at Meredith.
Meredith finally pulls a red lacy bra out of her shirt and throws it at Shane to the sound of wolf–whistles.
She reaches forward and spins the bottle, which lands on Michael.
“Dare,” he says before she even asks.
She smirks and nods to the bra in Shane’s lap. “Shirt off, bra on.”
It’s my turn to look away as Michael starts to take his shirt off. When I turn my head, my gaze catches Nathan’s.
He smiles softly at me. ‘You good?‘ he mouths.
Something twists in my chest as I nod. I can almost imagine we’re together at a party, looking out for each other amidst a group of
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Chapter 69
people.
I turn back in time to see the bottle land on Malik.
“Truth,” he says.
Shane snorts. “Pussy.” To which Malik–and Lou–give him a middle finger.
“What’s the nastiest thing you’ve ever done with our lovely host over here?” Michael asks, wiggling his brows.
Malik scoffs and leans forward, grabbing a half–full bottle of vodka and chugging its contents.
“Hey!” Michael protests. “We didn’t say Truth, Dare, or Drink.”
Malik shrugs. “Tough.”
I smile at the way Lou preens, obviously proud of her–I’m just going to say, boyfriend.
Malik spins the bottle again.
After a while of the bottle going around and thankfully never landing on me, Stephanie spins it, and it lands on Taylor.
“Truth.”
607
Stephanie smirks. “Out of all the guys here, who do you find the most attractive?”
I catch my breath as her eyes immediately zero in on Nathan. She gives him that sultry smile again as she says, “Nathan.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but at this moment, I miss Valerie. At least she’s subtle.
Still smiling, Taylor leans forward and spins the bottle. My breath hitches when it leans in my direction, but it ultimately ends on Nathan.
I see a familiar glint in his eyes as he says, “Dare.”
Taylor smirks. “I dare you to kiss the girl in this room you find most attractive.”
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Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me
