Amorevolous: (Savage Princess book 2) Read online

  Casey catches it easily. “I didn’t say that, but I never get the best room in the house.” He gets up and slides the door open to the balcony. “Even has a private entrance.”

  “Why would you leave this to stay in Florida?” I ask Aiden over my shoulder as I shuffle outside.

  “Rose,” Casey answers, throwing Aiden a playful smile as he and Nick step onto the balcony. “Right, Aiden?”

  “Shut up, Casey,” Aiden says, dropping down to a lounger. “You guys want me to order pizza? Martin won’t be here till tomorrow.”

  “Pizza sounds good to me.” I drop down next to him and kick my feet up on the balcony rail. “When do you start school?”

  “I have to be there this weekend, but the first day of class is Tuesday.”

  “You gotta see our place off campus,” Casey says, leaning his back against the railing. “We knocked out the walls in a townhome to make one big-ass party pad.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I feel a twinge in my chest. The people in my life are moving forward while I’m stagnant. One of these days I’m going to get my life together and start living.

  Chapter 8

  The week goes by in a blur. The guys keep me busy with Tuna Canyon Park in the western Santa Monica mountains, Point Mugu State Park, beautiful beaches, restaurants, and some secluded hiking trails near the house. I think I might really like California, and I was not expecting that.

  Instead of finding a doctor to get birth control, I was able to talk with a pharmacist and get what I needed. California is ahead of the game in that department.

  Everyone’s in the living room as a breaking news report plays on TV above the fireplace. “Anna Westling has been found” is the headline. Nora was smart and used a picture of me taken the day of the family reunion instead of trying to force me to do a TV interview like she originally wanted. In the photo on TV, Aiden and I are side by side. I’m wearing the beautiful gown that matches the color of his shirt. Aiden’s mid-laugh and I’m smiling up at him. It’s a good photo.

  My phone immediately starts to chime and vibrate. I ignore all the calls and messages. I don’t want to answer friend’s and old coworker’s questions when I answered so many from the investigator that was over last night. It was overwhelming, and I had to cut it short.

  I don’t know why the investigator expected me to tell him who kidnapped me, but he seemed aggravated that I couldn’t give more than I did. The memories are just flashes of feelings and brief images. Red nails digging into my arms. A sharp feminine nose. Lots of yelling. The smell of tar. Sadness. Pretending to be asleep on a lumpy couch. Nothing solid enough for leads.

  “I don’t believe it,” a young guy says to the reporter on television. “I think it’s a publicity stunt. They did this before, and Colt Westling is in that vampire movie coming out this spring. It’s probably to bring attention to that.”

  Colt makes a noise beside me on the couch, and I catch him rolling his brown eyes. The guy on TV seems to have hit a nerve with my little brother. I figured he’d be used to gossip. Colt is the spitting image of John, but looking angry like he is now, I see Nora in him.

  The reporter hands the mic to a girl that steps next to him. Her eyes are wide with excitement and she begins to quickly tell the world how happy she is. She even offers to befriend Anna Westling if she should need a friend to lean on. Sweet, but not happening. Several more people comment and then John turns the TV off, the silence making my ears ring.

  “I guess things are going to change,” I say, my leg bouncing. Everything seems final now that I’m not a secret anymore.

  “Change doesn’t have to be bad, Hayley,” Aiden says, but his tone isn’t convincing.

  “Everyone’s going to offer you free stuff,” Colt says. “That’s a perk.” He pulls at the collar of his gray shirt. “I get free clothes all the time.” Colt snaps his fingers. “Didn’t you get a free car a few years ago, Dad?”

  John nods. “I did. The set I was working on at the time gave me one.”

  “You can get out of speeding tickets,” Casey says.

  “I’d avoid social media for a while… or forever,” John says. “Unless you have a strong stomach. People can be ruthless.” He sighs. “And people from your past will come forward with things about you to earn their few minutes of fame. I wish I could protect you from all of this.”

  I fidget with my lip ring, averting my eyes from everyone. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t give personal information to anyone,” John says. “Safety could become an issue. We all worry about that to some degree, but you, more so. Always have someone with you when you leave the house.”

  My brows narrow. That sounds like a nightmare. I legit cannot handle always having someone around. I like space and quiet. I like to drive around alone or go for a walk to help my mind settle. I glare at my phone in aggravation and then turn it off because it won’t stop making noise.

  “Stop coddling her. She knew what she was getting into,” Nora says, her tone full of venom. She’s usually quiet around her family, especially when it comes to showing her dislike for me. “Isn’t that right, Anna? This is what you wanted.”

  “Nora,” John says. “Have you taken your medicine today?”

  Nora glares at everyone as she stalks out of the room, mumbling something about lying down.

  “Did you ask her, Dad?” Colt asks, smiling.

  John shakes his head and sighs. “No, but I brought it up to your mom, and… she wasn’t keen on the idea.”

  Colt rolls his eyes. “So, it isn’t her choice.” Colt focuses on me with excitement shining in his eyes. “I’ll be filming in Vancouver for six weeks. You should come.” Seeing my surprised reaction, he laughs lightly. “Not for the whole time or anything, just a few days. We’ll have some time to sightsee, and you could meet everyone on set.” He wags his brows. “Maybe even have a cameo.”

  “Dude, can I come?” Casey asks, grabbing the remote and turning the TV back on. He flips through the channels. “I want to find a hot Canadian chick to hook up with.”

  John and Colt both roll their eyes, and Colt says, “You in, Hayley?”

  Colt looks hopeful as he waits for my response. I don’t know what to say. I have six weeks before I’m free from the agreement I made with Nora. “I… I’m actually gonna be visiting our grandmother.” That feels weird to say. “She was insistent. I think she might have already booked me a ticket.” It’s a necessary lie, so Colt doesn’t think he can talk me into going. “A month or so from now would be better.”

  “Yeah, no worries,” Colt says. “I’d much rather visit Gran. The food takes getting used to, but Gran makes the best Kladdkaka. I could live off that.”

  “Daddy!” Liv stomps into the room, clutching a Barbie in her hand. “Daddy!” She runs over to him and buries her face in his chest, sobbing hysterically and waving the doll in the air. I can hear her mumbling something between sobs, but I can’t make out what.

  “Somebody’s tired. Let me help you find Barbie’s blue dress and then read you a bedtime story.” John scoops her up and carries her out of the room.

  “She’s at that stage where she’s outgrown naps but still kinda needs one,” Casey says, and I arch a brow. One side of his mouth tips up. “What?”

  “I just didn’t peg you as the paternal type.”

  He shrugs. “Kinda had to be.” His eyes bounce between Nick and Aiden. “We all did.”

  Everyone’s quiet after that, the only noise in the room coming from the TV. After a few minutes, I stand and stretch. “I think I’m gonna head upstairs and lie down.” I sound like Nora. Maybe living here will turn me into her.

  Chapter 9

  I wake up early after a restless night of sleep. Nick didn’t come in last night like he has been. I think he understood I needed time to process.

  Because I can’t avoid it forever, I grab my phone from the nightstand and turn it on. It instantly begins to vibrate with notifications. I skim the texts. I have a dozen messages
from Carmen, Angie, and Ronald, even Trent sent me a few. I ignore his and send my old coworkers quick replies that the news is true, and I’m trying to process everything.

  Grace is freaking out. She’s sent twenty texts and several voicemails. I’m a shitty friend.

  I type out a quick message, telling her the same thing I told my coworkers. My phone instantly rings. Flopping back on the pillow, I answer the call.

  “Did you just try blowing me off with a text?” Grace says.

  I bite my lip. “Maybe.”

  “Thought you might have been kidnapped when you fell off the face of the earth.”

  “Nope, just my incapability to face reality like a normal rational human.”

  “That was my second guess.” There’s a pause and then, “You okay?”

  I stare at the pristine white ceiling. “I’m dealing.”

  “And Tilly? Did she stay with your grandmother?”

  “She came with me, and you know how she is.”

  Grace chuckles. “So, she’s living her best life?”

  I can hear Grace’s brothers and sister fighting in the background. It makes me smile. She has three sisters and two brothers that she despises. I used to be a little jealous of her big family, and now I have my own. I roll onto my side. “Yup. How are things there?”

  “Same. Boring. You a Cali girl now?”

  “I’ll be back when my dad comes home.”

  “Knock it the fuck off, Chris!” Grace yells, but it’s muffled like she’s blocking the speaker with her hand. “Chris! Fucking dammit. Leave Ashley alone!” There’s static and then a cough. “Sorry about that. I’m watching the hellions for a few.”

  “No worries.”

  “You’re like rich now, huh? Wanna buy me a car?” she says sarcastically.

  “I still need one myself. I don’t think the gig comes with money.”

  “Maybe not yet.” Silence and then, “Next time I see ya, maybe you can introduce me to your brother, if you catch my drift.” I snort and she laughs. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  The line goes dead. That’s why Grace is the only chick I can get along with. She doesn’t push me to talk or judge me for my fuck-ups. I just hope that wasn’t a goodbye. It felt like one.

  Dialing my grandmother, I get to my feet and begin picking up the dirty clothes from the floor and tossing them into the wicker hamper.

  “Hayley bug.”

  “Hey, Nana. How’s it going?”

  “Good, baby. I’m making an apple pie. Bought some of them special apples this time. How are you girls liking Florida? Last time you called that’s where you said you were, right?”

  I bite my lip, thinking about what to say. “Yep… the beach is… beautiful at night.” I decide to go with a white lie. No sense in telling Nana what’s going on if my Aunt Kathy hasn’t. She’ll probably never find out. She doesn’t watch TV, and her friends are like a hundred years old. I’m sure they don’t keep up with celebrity bullshit.

  “Your grandpa and I lived by the beach in Carolina for a few months. The sunsets were beautiful. Make sure you see one. All right, sugar, I need to get back to this pie.”

  “Okay. Bye, Nana.” I end the call and open Facebook. My eyes widen at the number of friend requests and messages. My public posts have hundreds of comments. I read several, laughing out loud at the conspiracy theories saying I’m an alien, clone, or robot.

  I log out and dial Tilly, but it goes straight to voicemail like it did yesterday. I know she’s busy exploring the city and getting set up for school, but damn, she should have her phone on.

  My empty stomach forces me to leave the sanctuary of my room and head to the kitchen where I grab several mini blueberry muffins from the fully stocked and organized fridge. I pour myself a cup of OJ, and then drop down to the stool, staring out of the window behind the kitchen sink.

  I zone out while eating the fluffy muffins until John walks in dressed in an expensive tailored suit minus a tie. He looks ready for the red carpet with his full hair slicked back and his face clean-shaven and glowing.

  “‘Morning,” John says, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge.

  “There’re still muffins?” Colt asks, eyeing my plate as he comes up behind me. “I thought Liv ate them all.”

  “There was,” I say, sheepishly. “Martin had a tray in the back where she couldn’t reach ‘em.”

  Colt grabs a gooey pastry. “No worries. These are good too. You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” I shake my head, and he says, “I’ll send you pictures then. Maybe you’ll get jealous and decide to visit.” He shoves half the pastry into his mouth.

  I laugh lightly as I sip my juice.

  “Anything you need before we go?” John asks.

  A flight back to Tennessee, my mind whispers. “Nope. I’m good.” I study John’s face. I might have my grandmother’s eyes, but I have John’s lips, tanned skin, and oval eye shape. I look more like him than I do Nora.

  I tilt my head to the side as Liv walks in. Aiden and Colt look like John too, but Liv looks just like Nora with her light blonde hair and pale skin. Not sure where Liv gets her light blue eyes, maybe a relative like Aiden and me. She may look like Nora but at least she doesn’t act like her.

  With my help, Liv takes the stool next to me at the kitchen island.

  “Daddy and Colt’s leaving, honey,” John says, bending down to eye level with Liv. “You be good for Mommy and Hayley, okay?”

  “Okay, Daddy. Can you bring me back a surprise?” Liv asks, picking up my glass of orange juice and taking a sloppy sip.

  That’s all hers now.

  “You know I will.” John kisses the top of her head and then gives me a side hug. “I’ll see you girls soon. Don’t hesitate to call, Hayley.” He holds out his phone and glances at the screen. “Colt’s manager is calling. We’re running late like usual.” He pulls me in for another quick hug. “We should have a few days off in a couple weeks. We’ll see you then.”

  Liv bats Colt’s hand away as he rubs the top of her head, messing up her hair. He tries doing the same to me, but Liv kicks him in the leg. Walking out of the room and laughing, he throws a “stay out of trouble” over his shoulder.

  Still hungry, I grab a few sausage links and an apple.

  “There you are, Liv. You were supposed to be getting dressed. You already ate breakfast, silly girl.” Sophia helps her hop down and then they’re moving upstairs.

  I chew slowly, enjoying the quiet and hating it at the same time. Back home, Tilly was super chatty early in the morning. I always wanted to tape her mouth shut but now I miss it. I miss hearing her talk about her friends at school and her homework. I miss normal.

  I’m rinsing off my plate when Nora storms into the room in one of her long gowns like she has somewhere to be. Yet she never leaves the house. Freak.

  I set my plate in the dish rack and step around her, headed into the living room, but she snatches my wrist.

  “Come say goodbye to Aiden.” She tugs me forward.

  I yank my arm, but she has a tight hold. For a skinny bitch, she’s strong. I’ll end up following her anyway, so I relent. “I thought we were all going with him to campus? That’s what Aiden said,” I mumble as she pulls me alongside her.

  “No. You, me, and Liv are going to have some girl time.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Girl time?”

  “Yes, Anna. I had planned a fun day activity with Liv, and when Aiden found out, he suggested I involve you as well,” she says in a clipped tone. “Feel free to back out.”

  I roll my eyes. Of course Aiden would think it’s a good idea. Anything to get Nora and me bonding.

  All three guys are in the foyer. Casey’s bouncing around, talking animatedly with his hands, and both Nick and Aiden are laughing. Nick looks mouthwatering in black sweats, sneakers, and a gray tee that shows off his toned upper body.

  “Aiden, are all of your things packed?” Nora asks, releasing me and
gliding over to her son.

  Aiden laughs as he shoves Casey back a step. “Yeah, Mom.” Smiling, he clears his throat and turns his focus on me. “Mom wanted to have a girls’ day with you and Liv.”

  As if on cue, Liv bounces into the room and then into Aiden’s arms. “Have fun at school. I get to go to school next week.”

  She’s wearing purple and white striped leggings with a gray oversized shirt and brown boots, and her blonde hair is up in a messy bun. She looks freaking adorable.

  Aiden hugs her tightly. “I know. You’re getting so big, Liv. Be a good girl for Sophia, and have a fun day with Mom and Hayley.”

  “I will.” She reaches for Nick, and Aiden passes her over. “You’ll see me when I go to school?” She wraps her arms around his neck.

  He rubs her back. “I’ll be right here for your first day, little mama,” he says, and then she’s passed over to Casey.

  She squeezes his cheeks together with her palms and giggles. “You look like a fishy. Be good boy at school, Casey.” She wiggles down and then bounces over to Nora but slows her steps, seeming nervous around her mother.

  Aiden rubs the back of his neck. “I guess we’d better go. I’ll be back next weekend. But, uh, you can come visit before then, Hayley.”

  “We’ll be busy here having fun. Don’t worry, Aiden,” Nora says, stepping around Liv to wrap Aiden in a tight hug. She mumbles something to him before pulling away.

  All three guys look worried, and it’s probably because Nora said we’d be busy having fun. From what I’ve seen, Nora doesn’t have fun. She sleeps, bitches, and has tantrums.

  “Maybe Hayley and Liv should come check out the school with us,” Casey says, running a hand through his auburn hair.

  “Go,” Nora says, her tone harsh. “You guys are being ridiculous.” She ushers them out the door, not letting them say anything else.

  Liv reaches up and silently takes my hand as Nora closes the door behind them. I hear Liv sniffing and see her wipe away a tear with the back of her hand.

  I bend down to her level. “It’s okay to be sad. I know you’re going to miss your brother. He’ll be back.”