…Savannah and Ben.I hate themall. Where’s the loyalty?
Ryke takes his hands off me and starts to near Scott.
Loren doesn’t do a thing. He’s just whispering in Lily’s ear and she nods back.
“You’re going to fucking hell for this!” Ryke says with darkness swirling in his brown eyes.
Connor shoves him back the moment he’s close. And then Connor turns to Scott. “I’m going to let Ryke go if you don’t get out of this house. And his fists are going to hurt a hell of a lot more than mine. So take what’s on your back andleave.”
Scott straightens up, not exactly exiting with his dignity. But he has millions of dollars in his pockets frommultiplesex tapes. He can sell them for much more than the first one.
He’s set for life.
He won.
We lost. How did we lose?
Oh yes,hubris.
I am a Greek tragedy. Or a Shakespearian comedy—it’s going to end with a wedding after all.
When the door closes behind him, the room blankets in tension, only disrupted by Sadie’s collar that jingles as she rubs her body against Connor’s calves.
“So…” Loren looks from Connor to me and back. “…is there going to be a boxed set of you two for sale?”
“Most likely,” Connor says. And every dime will go to Scott and the porn site. Fuck my life.
He comes to my side and kisses my temple. There’s nothing we can do. We just have to deal. With Connor here, I think I can.
I clap my hands together to alleviate the leftover strain in the room. “Everyone, go pack. We’re leaving, you heard Dad.”
I picture my gated house with the black shutters, large kitchen, and most importantly—private bathrooms.Dear God, I’m already salivating over a nice hot shower alone withnothreat of cameras.
I glance at Connor, who collects my hair off my neck. Maybe he can join me too.
Daisy shifts on her feet. “I guess I’m going back to Mom’s.”
My stomach falls again. She’s seventeen. There’s nothing I can do about that, as much as I want to. And then my eyes drift to Ryke, the other one who will be left in Philly. It’s weird. We’ve been together in the same house for so long that breaking our routine feels odd. Like a puzzle piece out of place.
We’ve become something of a family.
A dysfunctional, fucked up family. It’s hard to let that go.
But things are changing again. The reality show helped Calloway Couture, and in one moment, this sex tape could topple all I’ve sacrificed.
I’ll have to confront the public at some point, and it’ll have to be more than just waving a glass of whiskey at the television.
I could be hated and condemned like my sister.
I hear the criticism already. And I don’t wilt by it. I’m just angry.
So bring it on, motherfuckers. Try to hurt me. Because I won’t let you.
You’ve won the right to see my body, but you’re not taking my pride.
It’s too excessive to destroy anyway.
CHAPTER 49
