Forever Golden: Dark High School Bully Romance (Kings of Cypress Prep Book 3) by Rachel Jonas (beach books TXT) 📕

“Sterling, mind taking Southside’s and Scar’s bags up for me?”

“No problem.” Sterling doesn’t question why West seems to be hanging back, but I’m curious.

“Southside? What the hell kind of pet name is that for a woman?” Boone mumbles to himself, slipping into another room through a set of French doors.

Now that it’s just the two of us, I grip West’s hand and meet his gaze. “Not coming up yet?”

He nods once toward where his grandfather just disappeared. “In a few. Figured I’d bring him up to speed first, see what he thinks should happen next.”

For a little while, I’d forgotten the trouble we left back home, but West clearly hasn’t. Being a protector by nature, I shouldn’t be surprised he decided to take immediate action sooner rather than later.

It’s hard not to feel like my heart’s in a vice when I stare at him, knowing he’s carrying the same weight I am.

When I squeeze his hand once before heading upstairs, he knows what it means.

Even when I’m not at his side, I’m with him. Because come hell or high water, we’re in this together.

@QweenPandora: What have we here? It looks to me as if TheGoldenBoys and their entire crew—whom I hereby dub TheGoldenCrew—are boarding a plane to beat the winter blues.

Where on earth are you six off to?

I’m certain you took special care to keep your destination under wraps, but CP won’t be the same without you. Who else will we gossip about while you’re gone?

Later, Peeps.

—P

Chapter 24

BLUE

I’ve only ever seen the inside of a house like this on TV. And when Boone said the white room was the best, he wasn’t lying.

With enough space for three queen-size canopy beds, Joss, Scar, and I certainly have zero complaints about sharing a room. Our linen is pure white, as are the wool rugs beside our beds, and the sheer curtains covering both sets of French doors leading out to the balcony. And at the room’s center, another extravagant chandelier.

Scar whirls around with her phone, video chatting Shane to show off where we’re staying, while Joss and I unpack. She’s been quiet, other than the few times she’s tried to force herself to talk, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see she’s struggling.

“I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.” I peek up at her after sliding a small stack of t-shirts in the dresser between my bed and hers.

Joss meets my gaze and offers a weak smile. “I won’t ruin your trip by dragging you into my family’s shit,” she says wearily.

“Trust me. With the things I’ve seen and lived through, it’d take a bomb falling on me to ruin anything.”

She laughs, and so do I.

“I’m assuming you saw the post. Everyone else has,” she mumbles.

I nod. “Yeah, I saw it.”

“Figured.” A dim smile touches her lips, but never her eyes. “Sure you don’t mind? I guess I could use another girl’s perspective on things. The guys are hellbent on toughing everything out like they’ve always done, but sometimes, you just—”

“Need someone to tell you it’s okay to throw a bitch-fit and eat your way into a chocolate coma?”

She tilts her head. “I swear I’ve never felt more seen than I do in this exact moment.”

I laugh and snap to get Scar’s attention. “Headphones, kid.”

She rolls her eyes, mumbling something about how she’s not listening to our conversation anyway, and then pops in her earbuds like I asked her to.

“Okay, I’m all ears,” I say, hopping up onto the bed when I decide to stop folding while Joss talks. She does the same, almost needing to get a running start to get onto the high mattress.

“Well,” she sighs. “Not sure if you’ve heard, but my dad would lock me inside a bubble if given the chance.”

“Honestly, I thought it was kind of strange they let you come here,” I admit.

Something I said has her laughing.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not here because I have permission. I’m here because I’m beyond the point of giving a shit what he thinks. My whole life, I’ve walked this fucking tightrope of expectations, terrified what would happen if I slipped up and disappointed him,” she admits, swiping at an angry tear. “He never came out and said I had to be perfect, but he sure as hell made me feel it. Nothing was ever good enough; nothing was ever quite to his liking. And for what? Who the fuck is he to tell me how to live my life?”

I nod, letting her vent without interruption.

“The worst part is, after only a week of deliberation, my mom’s decided she isn’t leaving him. We have no clue how long this has been going on, no clue how many women there have been, but she’s not even considering divorce. It’s like he’s just getting away with this shit, with zero repercussions!” she sighs.

“I—wow.”

“Yeah, I know.”

She pauses to think, and maybe to slow the tears, but in the silence, I take note of how she’s twisting her ring. I wouldn’t know it’s significance if Lexi hadn’t pointed it out. Apparently, it’s a symbol of Joss’s virginity, some vow her parents required that she make. As she stares at it now, I imagine it only serves as nothing more than a symbol of their control.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been angrier in my entire life,” she seethes. “I’m expected to give perfection, never making a damn mistake, but he can make the mother of all mistakes and is just forgiven? No,” she says, shaking her head. “Fuck that and fuck him!”

There’s so much pain in her voice, I feel it myself. Especially when she peers up and more tears flood her eyes.

“If X hadn’t blasted that shit on the app, we never would’ve even known. I think that’s the part that pisses me off the most. He’s only trying to make things right with my mom because he got caught, not because he’s actually sorry.”