Page 63

“Oh, yeah? And where’s that?”

I look around. Down here, there’s a natatorium, a theater, a gym, three and a half bathrooms, and because it’s a daylight basement, an entire wall of windows that opens to the backyard. I could take a guess where she’s going, but what if I’m wrong?

When I don’t say anything, she groans, except it sounds more like a growl. A bitchy growl.

“Why are you following me?”

“What else is there to do?” I ask, dead fucking serious because what the fuck is this town? It doesn’t matter what day it is or what time it is, there’s always something to do in New York. Not in Sea Haven. Shit is boring as fuck here. I heard they have a raunchy take on hide-and-seek sometime around Halloween, but other than that, nothing.

“Work.”

“I work graveyard.”

“Go out with friends.”

“I don’t have any.” My mind immediately goes to Dex and Tina. Dex has already hit me up, but I don’t feel like hanging out with him tonight. Now, if I hang out with Tina, that might get Kota’s panties in another bunch. She asked about my interest in her for a reason.

Yeah, that sounds fun actually. I think I might invite Tina over.

“Go…watch something.”

“Tiny-dick porn?”

“Knock yourself out. Nobody but me ever goes into the theater.”

It’s probably because it’s so unnecessary. There are TVs in almost every room in this place, the natatorium, the gym, the rec room, everywhere. Not all the bathrooms do—mine doesn’t—but the main floor has a powder room that does. It has a TV screen in the mirror. It’s insane.

“Is that where you’re going now?”

“No. I have something to do first.”

First. So she probably is going to watch a movie. Wouldn’t it be a nice surprise for her to walk in on me and Tina in there when she does?

“What do you have to do? Pay your mom?”

“Why would I pay her?”

“I don’t know. I figured something got broken during one of your parties.” She wanted a hundred dollars because the fridge had a smudge on it. Kota must’ve covered that one because Sera didn’t say a word to me about it. Not like I would’ve paid anyway. Even if I did have a Benjamin to spare, it wouldn’t go to her.

“What are you even talking about?”

“Your mom wants a hundred dollars from you, so I assumed—”

“You assumed wrong. She never said dollars. She wants a hundred herkies from me. She always wants a hundred something out of me.”

I should just let her go and get on with my new plans. This is not my family, not my drama.

But since I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to Kota, I open my mouth again.

“There aren’t any cameras down here.” Surprisingly, there aren’t any cameras on the property.

“So what?”

“So your mom will never know if you do them or not.”

“She’ll know.”

“Will she come down here?”