“Just get in the damn car, Lon—”
“I swear, if you call me that again, I'll...”
Maverick's lips tugged up at the corners. “You'll do what?” His eyebrows rose in amusement and I glowered at him. “Fuck you, Prince. You should be thanking me, I just saved your arse.”
He held my gaze for a second then shook his head and ducked inside his car. I did the same. When we were inside, he took a deep breath and raked a hand over his head. “Like he could take me.”
“God, are you always this annoying?”
He didn't answer. The car purred to life, and he backed out of the driveway.
“Was it about his sister? Caitlin?”
“What do you know about Caitlin?”
“I know you went out with her last year and ended it before junior prom.”
“Laurie Davison needs to learn to keep her mouth shut,” he snapped, and I watched him through the corner of my eye.
“You don’t need friends. You’ve got Summer and Kyle and…” he stopped and I wondered if he’d been about to say his own name because that was a joke if I ever heard one. The only time he ever spoke to me was if he was bossing me around or dragging me to his car.
We were not friends.
Not even close.
Silence filled the car, and not the good kind. Ringing my hands in my lap, I took a deep breath and said, “So, what really happened back there?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Fine.” I folded my arms over my chest and turned away from him.
“Fine.”
It was a football team party. Laurie said the basketball team wouldn’t be there, and they weren’t until Maverick showed up. Apparently, there was no love lost between the two teams, but now I wondered if it was because of the animosity between their captains, over a certain blonde-haired girl who had warned me off her brother, maybe? Or was it something else entirely?
These people I now called my family were exhausting, and I began to think Summer had the right idea keeping her head down. The car pulled into the Stone-Prince’s driveway, but Maverick didn’t cut the engine. “You’re welcome,” he said.
My head snapped over to his. “Please tell me it wasn’t all some sham to get me to leave the party?” I said, eyes wide with disbelief.
He shrugged and held my glare, giving nothing away. I felt my anger levels shoot through the stratosphere.
“What the hell is wrong with you people? You ignore me most of the time, act like I’m no one, and then keep pulling this crap. It ends now.” I sucked in a ragged breath. “I didn’t ask to be dragged halfway around the world. I didn’t ask to be moved into your pool house, and I certainly didn’t ask to end up on that beach with you last summer.”
Maverick didn’t speak, but I saw the muscle in his jaw tic.
He just sat there, his cold eyes boring into mine. That’s how he wanted to play it? Fine. I could pretend it didn’t happen either.
I threw my hands up in defeat. “You are quite possibly one of the most infuriating people I have ever met. Back off, Maverick. I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself. I don’t need you riding in on your white horse trying to save me from imaginary bad guys. It might fly with Macey and Summer, but it won’t fly with me. I. Don’t. Need. You.” I pushed the door open and slid out of the car, only pausing when his voice perforated the thick silence.
“Stay away from Holloway, London. I mean it.”
I slammed the door and didn’t look back.
The next day, I let Laurie talk me into spending the day at the Bay with her. Gentry was taking Dad to play golf and explore and I didn’t want to be at the house alone. Not if there was a chance I would run into Maverick.
“A little birdie told me Devon tried to kiss you last night?” she said with excitement dancing in her eyes.
I pulled my knees up and shifted until I was comfortable on my towel. “He told you?”
“Jess saw it. She told Autumn who told me. You know how it goes. What’s up with that, anyway? I thought I was sensing some serious lust-vibes between the two of you.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. He’s cute and we have a laugh together, but I’ve been here a week, you know? I’m not looking to jump into anything with anyone.”
It had absolutely nothing to do with a certain infuriating Prince.
Nothing.
“He likes you, a lot. Word of advice, don’t lead him on if you’re not interested.”
“I’m not leading him on, Laurie.” But I had danced with him. There had been some groping.
“He’s a decent guy. Unlike some people.”
I leaned up onto my elbows to see who she was talking about. Kyle and his friends were in the water playing football.
“You want him.” I lay back down.
“Yeah, but he’s a Stone-Prince. You guys aren’t an easy bunch to fit in with.”
“Hey, don’t include me in with them. I’d met them once before moving here, hardly constitutes being family.”
“Yeah, but you are,” she sighed. “You’re a Stone. I can’t even imagine what that’s like. I mean, no one really gets close to Maverick or Macey but we grew up with them. They’ve always been around. How are you finding it?”
“Honestly, I have no idea how to answer that. Kyle is… he’s Kyle, and Summer seems like a nice girl. Macey is a total bitch and Maverick is…”
“I hear ya.” Laurie laughed softly. “Kyle told me once Maverick is just like his father, Alec Prince. He’s a hotshot businessman, owns half of Wicked Bay. Real piece of work. He married a model—she had a son from a previous marriage—and they had two kids together.”
So, Macey and Maverick had a bad case of abandonment issues. Between Rebecca’s new life with Gentry and Alec’s new life with his model wife, they had gained two step-siblings and three half-siblings. It explained their hostility to some degree, but there had to be more to it.
“Wait,” I said. “Alec is a Prince too? But that means Rebecca kept his name?”
Laurie’s head nodded up and down slowly. “I know, right? Kyle told me she didn’t want to have a different name to Macey and Maverick but I mean, come on, it’s just—”
“Ladies, looking good.” Kyle loomed over us, blocking the sun.
“Seriously, Kyle, Lo is your cousin, that’s gross.”
I sat up, tucking my legs to the side of me. “Are you stalking me?” He hadn’t mentioned coming to the Bay over breakfast this morning.
He winked and chuckled. “So paranoid, Cous. No boyfriend in tow today?”
“Devon is not my boyfriend.”
“The two of you looked cozy last night.”
“Drop it, Kyle. If Lo wants to hook up with Devon that’s her business. You don’t see me jumping down your throat because you were all over Megan.”
Kyle scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I wasn’t all over Megan. She was all over me. I can’t help it if I’m this good looking. Besides, the girl I want all over me is playing hard to get.”
Laurie blew out an exasperated breath and crossed her arms. “Go bother someone who cares. We’re sunbathing and you’re annoying.”