Becky seemed to purr in her smile. "Adam's been my neighbor all my life. We're good friends too."
Cassandra's eyes were sharp. "I don't see him defending you right now. Two steps, outcast, two steps and your humiliation is all mine. I like to serve my dishes best cold."
Becky lifted her hand and pretended to claw her. "Retract 'em, beeotch. We all know what they say about felines."
"What?"
She seemed to search for words. "That…they're the female version of the human species: catty, moody, and sneaky."
"You're a girl."
Becky shrugged. "I'm more a dog."
The smile on Cassandra's face was the crème of the crème and she leaned back. "You're right. You like to bound around looking like a fool most of the time when everyone knows you're just panting for any scraps from your master. You're low class, Rebecca. You used to accept it."
Becky turned green and looked away. I leaned forward, not sure what to do, but Adam remarked as he continued to lounge back in his chair, "Sullivan, chill."
She glared at him. "Why?"
He stared her down. "She's my friend."
She rolled her eyes and harrumphed before she shot from the table and stormed away.
Becky looked back up from her lap. A small smile started on her face. "Did she just leave?"
The other two Academy Elite females didn't say a word, but shared a look.
I frowned at that. What did that mean? And then we were all distracted when two new arrivals showed up. They were by the beach and paused in clear view from the mansion's top decks.
I sighed.
Tate and Tanya had arrived.
Both looked stylish, dressed in tight khakis and tank tops. Tanya's blonde hair was in curls as it lay past her shoulders and Tate's hair was swept up in some French-twist thing. I didn't know what it was, but it looked sophisticated.
Adam shot forward, but he didn't stand from the table. He raised his hand.
Tanya spotted him and gave him a bright smile and a wave in return. She started for him until Logan stepped in the middle and swept a hand around her waist. He pulled her close and seemed to whisper something in her ear. Tanya laid a hand on his shoulder and frowned, torn at some decision. When he continued to whisper and his hand started to massage her waist, she melted into him. Her head rested on his shoulder and Logan met my gaze with a brief flash of triumph before he took her hand.
Tate stood behind them with her mouth on the floor. One hand was poised on her hip.
As Logan whisked her away, no one said a word until Cassandra choked on a laugh. "Did that just happen?"
I did a double take. When had she come back?
Becky was quiet as she cast nervous glances at Adam. Her hands were in her lap and I watched as she kept twisting them together. When I laid a hand over them to calm her, she gave me a nervous look but pulled free. Her eyes never left Adam.
I sat back with a frown on my face.
Adam shrugged and looked away. His jaw clenched. "It doesn't matter. She was his before anyway."
"Yeah, but…" Cassandra bit out another laugh. She wiped at her mouth. "I can't believe I saw that. I love the Kade brothers. Man!"
Adam frowned at her.
She raised her hands in the air. "Did you not see that?"
"Thanks for your support." Adam shoved from the table and stalked away.
Becky went with and Cassandra snorted in disgust as she folded her arms over her chest. She stuck her chin out to glower. "Whatever. It's not my fault he's stupid enough to go after some tramp the Kades had first. You'd think he'd learn, wouldn't you? I mean, first Ashley and now Tanya…who else?"
My chest was tight. My hands were in fists, pressed on my lap. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I was angry about it.
Miranda said in a soft voice, "Shut it, Cass. You're not helping."
Cass lifted a rebellious chin. "Not helping who? Or what?"
"Anyone." Her leader gave her a pointed look before she seemed to melt back in her chair.
"Look." Amelia pointed and we all turned.
Tate stood in the middle with her arms crossed over her chest. Her two bags were beside her. She stood alone, but she raised her chin and looked around. When her gaze met mine, I felt seared by it. Her eyes narrowed and I felt that she wanted to come over and say something. And then Mason stepped out from some corner.
All eyes went to him.
Tate turned towards him.
She seemed to be waiting, but he didn't do anything. He looked at her, then looked at me, and left.
His gaze scorched me as well, but Tate turned towards back to me. There was a question in her depths and I gulped. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide from her for long.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Becky wrinkled up her nose and peered over her glass. "Look at them." I ducked closer and bumped heads with her. Both of us giggled, but Becky waved a hand over her face. "I'm serious. Look!"
"Oh." She was serious so I did. "Who am I looking at? There's so many."
"Adam!" She pointed again. "I can't believe him. I thought he was in love with Tanya, but look at him."
I scanned all of the packed decks and finally spotted him. He was squished at a table with the Academy Elite. When he ran his hands down the legs of…I peered across…Cassandra, I sat up straight. "When did that happen?"
She slumped next to me and crossed her arms in a huff. "They've been like that for the past hour. I can't take it anymore."
Then it clicked. "You're jealous!"
She clamped her hand over my mouth. "You don't have to screech it, but yes. Duh. You know I like him."
I waved a hand over my face. "I'm a bit drunk."
"I know. Me too."
And after we looked at each other, we convulsed together in another gigglefest. We'd been doing that a lot in the past hour. Then she pulled away and sounded out a dramatic sigh. "I'm serious, Sam. He bounced right from Tanya to her. I can't believe it. I hate that girl."
When I glanced back over there, I caught the glower Adam was sending our way and I patted Becky's hand. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. His ego's bruised. She's his band aid so he doesn't feel so wounded."
"Why couldn't I be his band aid?"
Cassandra's eyes were sharp. "I don't see him defending you right now. Two steps, outcast, two steps and your humiliation is all mine. I like to serve my dishes best cold."
Becky lifted her hand and pretended to claw her. "Retract 'em, beeotch. We all know what they say about felines."
"What?"
She seemed to search for words. "That…they're the female version of the human species: catty, moody, and sneaky."
"You're a girl."
Becky shrugged. "I'm more a dog."
The smile on Cassandra's face was the crème of the crème and she leaned back. "You're right. You like to bound around looking like a fool most of the time when everyone knows you're just panting for any scraps from your master. You're low class, Rebecca. You used to accept it."
Becky turned green and looked away. I leaned forward, not sure what to do, but Adam remarked as he continued to lounge back in his chair, "Sullivan, chill."
She glared at him. "Why?"
He stared her down. "She's my friend."
She rolled her eyes and harrumphed before she shot from the table and stormed away.
Becky looked back up from her lap. A small smile started on her face. "Did she just leave?"
The other two Academy Elite females didn't say a word, but shared a look.
I frowned at that. What did that mean? And then we were all distracted when two new arrivals showed up. They were by the beach and paused in clear view from the mansion's top decks.
I sighed.
Tate and Tanya had arrived.
Both looked stylish, dressed in tight khakis and tank tops. Tanya's blonde hair was in curls as it lay past her shoulders and Tate's hair was swept up in some French-twist thing. I didn't know what it was, but it looked sophisticated.
Adam shot forward, but he didn't stand from the table. He raised his hand.
Tanya spotted him and gave him a bright smile and a wave in return. She started for him until Logan stepped in the middle and swept a hand around her waist. He pulled her close and seemed to whisper something in her ear. Tanya laid a hand on his shoulder and frowned, torn at some decision. When he continued to whisper and his hand started to massage her waist, she melted into him. Her head rested on his shoulder and Logan met my gaze with a brief flash of triumph before he took her hand.
Tate stood behind them with her mouth on the floor. One hand was poised on her hip.
As Logan whisked her away, no one said a word until Cassandra choked on a laugh. "Did that just happen?"
I did a double take. When had she come back?
Becky was quiet as she cast nervous glances at Adam. Her hands were in her lap and I watched as she kept twisting them together. When I laid a hand over them to calm her, she gave me a nervous look but pulled free. Her eyes never left Adam.
I sat back with a frown on my face.
Adam shrugged and looked away. His jaw clenched. "It doesn't matter. She was his before anyway."
"Yeah, but…" Cassandra bit out another laugh. She wiped at her mouth. "I can't believe I saw that. I love the Kade brothers. Man!"
Adam frowned at her.
She raised her hands in the air. "Did you not see that?"
"Thanks for your support." Adam shoved from the table and stalked away.
Becky went with and Cassandra snorted in disgust as she folded her arms over her chest. She stuck her chin out to glower. "Whatever. It's not my fault he's stupid enough to go after some tramp the Kades had first. You'd think he'd learn, wouldn't you? I mean, first Ashley and now Tanya…who else?"
My chest was tight. My hands were in fists, pressed on my lap. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I was angry about it.
Miranda said in a soft voice, "Shut it, Cass. You're not helping."
Cass lifted a rebellious chin. "Not helping who? Or what?"
"Anyone." Her leader gave her a pointed look before she seemed to melt back in her chair.
"Look." Amelia pointed and we all turned.
Tate stood in the middle with her arms crossed over her chest. Her two bags were beside her. She stood alone, but she raised her chin and looked around. When her gaze met mine, I felt seared by it. Her eyes narrowed and I felt that she wanted to come over and say something. And then Mason stepped out from some corner.
All eyes went to him.
Tate turned towards him.
She seemed to be waiting, but he didn't do anything. He looked at her, then looked at me, and left.
His gaze scorched me as well, but Tate turned towards back to me. There was a question in her depths and I gulped. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide from her for long.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Becky wrinkled up her nose and peered over her glass. "Look at them." I ducked closer and bumped heads with her. Both of us giggled, but Becky waved a hand over her face. "I'm serious. Look!"
"Oh." She was serious so I did. "Who am I looking at? There's so many."
"Adam!" She pointed again. "I can't believe him. I thought he was in love with Tanya, but look at him."
I scanned all of the packed decks and finally spotted him. He was squished at a table with the Academy Elite. When he ran his hands down the legs of…I peered across…Cassandra, I sat up straight. "When did that happen?"
She slumped next to me and crossed her arms in a huff. "They've been like that for the past hour. I can't take it anymore."
Then it clicked. "You're jealous!"
She clamped her hand over my mouth. "You don't have to screech it, but yes. Duh. You know I like him."
I waved a hand over my face. "I'm a bit drunk."
"I know. Me too."
And after we looked at each other, we convulsed together in another gigglefest. We'd been doing that a lot in the past hour. Then she pulled away and sounded out a dramatic sigh. "I'm serious, Sam. He bounced right from Tanya to her. I can't believe it. I hate that girl."
When I glanced back over there, I caught the glower Adam was sending our way and I patted Becky's hand. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. His ego's bruised. She's his band aid so he doesn't feel so wounded."
"Why couldn't I be his band aid?"
