Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 145038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Really, it feels more like a partial truth than an outright lie.
My phone buzzes.
Oliver: Car isn’t starting. I’m on the phone with Nova to fix it, but I’m almost positive someone stole the catalytic converter. It’s DOA. It might be an hour before I can make it there.
That’s not soon enough.
Jake sees my frown deepen. “What’s wrong?”
“Oliver can’t make it.” I slip my phone in my leather jacket. “I’ll bid on Hailey.”
My jaw hurts from clenching my teeth so hard, and when I look at Phoebe, I see her blue hair blowing in the wind and how she hides her chin deeper in the collar of Jake’s coat. Her cheeks are pink, and she laughs at a joke Raul Garcia makes about golden geese.
Watching her, I can almost breathe.
Raul raises a large golden trophy shaped like a goose taking off for flight, and my sister eyes the gaudy thing like a predator who’s found its prey.
Hailey loves any random competition, and I’m glad my sister has found something other than our family tree to obsess over. But she knows I’m about as likely to take this scavenger hunt seriously as I am to climb the Andes.
She’s not going to want me to be her partner in this.
She can be mad at me later. It’ll be good to show the widowers they can’t steamroll me and get everything they want.
“We’ll start the bidding with Miss Sidney Burke.” Katherine speaks into the mic. “A studious sophomore at Caufield University, Sidney was named Miss Victoria’s Sweetheart two years in a row…”
Sidney’s gaze veers to me, and I look in the opposite direction.
Jake sighs heavily. “I’ll talk to her again.”
I straighten up against the lamppost. “And say what? Grey’s not interested? Grey’s too old for you? She knows this, man. I have given her every hint that exists.”
“You didn’t know Sidney before Kate died,” he whispers. “She never even dated. She was more interested in getting straight A’s. I think she’s just having a hard time now that her best friend is gone. She’s rebelling.”
Jake is feeling a sense of guilt for Sidney’s grief. Because Kate isn’t actually dead.
“Just because she’s grieving your sister—it doesn’t make her entitled to anything she wants. Stop coddling her.”
He’s not taking that well, so I realize I need to be more honest.
“She’s tried to cop a feel of my cock multiple times now. Last instance was the party on a superyacht with Trent and his friends. I’m done with her.”
Jake goes still, concern in his gaze. “Does Phoebe know?”
“No, because she’d probably strangle Sidney.”
“I’ll talk to Sidney about boundaries.” He seems horrified.
“Yeah, you do that. Maybe throw in a sexual harassment class while you’re at it.”
“Just try not to be a dick,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s obviously attracting her.”
“Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Five thousand!” The bidding begins, and I barely acknowledge the Caufield student who raises a hand to bid on Sidney.
“Six thousand.”
My head whips over to the familiar flat voice of my brother.
Trevor is hanging around other students his age. He’s enrolled in college, which he doesn’t love since he’s graduated about two times before, but everyone knows he’s nineteen. It’d be stranger if he didn’t attend Caufield.
“Why is he bidding on her?” Jake whispers to me. “Is there a setup?”
“No.” We didn’t plan this, but I did unfortunately share with Trevor that Sidney was handsy on the yacht. I shut my eyes tightly and open them up with a sharp breath and a wince.
“What?” Jake frowns.
“I think he’s trying to protect me.”
“Seven thousand!” the other student counters.
Jake crosses his arms, assessing this situation like a Boy Scout. “Should we intervene?”
“I don’t know.” I can’t.
I won’t bid on Sidney. My stomach roils, and I refuse to even look at Phoebe, or else it’ll inflict more pain.
“Eight thousand,” Trevor bids.
“Will he hurt her?” Jake asks very, very quietly.
I slowly shake my head, then whisper back to him, “I’m more afraid she’s going to sexually assault my brother. But if I interfere, he’ll think I’m babying him like our parents. So it’s going to happen.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Jake assures me.
I nod harsh, neck-aching nods. “Yeah. You better.”
Trevor wins Sidney, and when he whisks her off the steps of town hall, she immediately checks for her dad’s reaction. Steam is jetting out of Weston’s ears. He likely had envisioned an Ivy League quarterback winning his daughter for the afternoon.
Now he’s stuck with his worst nightmare’s little brother. Sidney couldn’t be more pleased to stick it to her dad.
She practically skips down the stairs with Trevor.
Maybe that will work out in my favor.
While Rachel Rawlings is next, I tune out the auction, open a game on my phone, connect two candy pieces together.
“There should be Clue Guys,” Jake says like it’s been a point of contention.
I glance over. “Too hetero for you?”