Page 51 of Stay Toxic

We haven't had another night like last Sunday, but the fact that it's possible, that we could have sex in front of an audience again, is deeply arousing. I'm looking forward to it.

Jesus, what's happened to me?

"It's statistically impossible for a man to make a woman orgasm every time they have intercourse," Tanya says, sounding like she's quoting from an encyclopedia.

"Whoever wrote those stats was never fucked by Sebastian," I quip, sipping my milkshake.

She giggles before asking the question I've put out of my mind as much as possible."And what does Senator Cole make of it?"

I wince. "I didn't talk to her yesterday."

I should have called her back, but well, I'm not a great liar. I knew she'd be pissed about the way I received her golden boy last Sunday, practically kicking him out of my dorm.

"Good for you," Tanya grins, seeming genuinely happy for me. "I'm so glad you're finally managing to put some distance between you. I don't know everything about your relationship, of course, but it seemed…" she takes a moment to think. "Toxic."

I nod slowly. "She's abusive."

I don't think I've said those words out loud before, this directly.

"She'd lock me in the dark when I didn't do what she wanted. And she's blackmailing me to behave."

"With your brother, André?" Tanya guesses, not surprised at all.

I'm sure she connected the dots a long time ago.

"I've always wondered…why don't you ask your other brother for help?Caleb? Surely, he can take care of André if push comes to shove."

I sigh. "Caleb and Dad clashed—so much so he was disowned, remember? André's Dad's kid. He looks like Dad, too. Caleb was always very stiff about him. Not indifferent, but you know. Wary." It's hard to put into words. "Besides, he had to start over with nothing. He only started to make money a year ago. I can't ask him to support a kid he doesn't even know or like."

"But you have to let your mother walk all over you to support him? That doesn't seem fair,"Tanya admonishes, quick to be in my corner.

“But see, Caleb launched his company fairly recently. It’s amazing, and I’m proud of him. But after taxes, paying his employees, and pushing some cash towards the next year and all that, he didn’t have enough to pay himself anything a couple of years back, let alone dropping five or six figures on his half brother’s tuition.”

“That was a couple of years back. He’s doing good, now, isn’t he?” she pushes.

I shrug. “My inheritance has over nine figures. The expense isn’t even worth an asterisk. I’m the one who should handle it. The issue is, while Mother is in charge of it, I need to play her games.”

“It’s not fair.”

Don’t I know that.

“You know what you should do?”

Wait her out. Resist her until I turn twenty-five.

“Get married to your hottie.”

“What?”

“She is only trustee so long as you’re single, right? So, get married. He’s rich himself, and he gives you tons of orgasms. Might as well.”

“I…it’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve kind of dated him for literally a week. I’m pretty far from getting a proposal.”

“So what?” She shrugs. “Propose to him. It’s the twenty-first century. If you explain the situation, I’m sure he’ll want to help. People get into arranged marriages for worse reasons, you know.”