I bite down on my lip, desperately trying to squish the smile that tears across my face, but the truth is as clear as the sky is blue. “HOLY FUCK,” she shrieks. “YOU’RE FUCKING THEM ALL.”
“Fuck,” I grunt under my breath, letting the smile fly free. “I’m not doing them all, just King, Cruz, and Grayson. Carver is a stubborn asshole who insists that he doesn’t share.”
She just stares at me, her mouth hanging open. “Holy shit, girl. You’ve really been holding out on me. Like … what the fuck?”
I laugh. “Well, to be fair, I only started screwing Grayson over the weekend, but King and Cruz, I’ve been screwing them since the very beginning.”
“I … fuck,” she breathes, backing up to her bed. “I need to sit down.”
I watch Ember for a second longer as she wraps her head around it and when she raises her gaze to meet mine, I can’t help but laugh.
“So … how? Do you just fuck them all behind one another’s back or do they know?”
“Babe,” I grin, “they don’t only know about each other, they join in.”
A weird squeaky, grumbled sound comes tearing out of her and she grabs her pillow, hugging it to her chest as she stares blankly at the wall ahead. “You just … fuck them all at the same time?”
“I mean, wouldn’t you if you were in my position?”
“I just … I just need a minute.”
I nod, completely understanding and let her continue to stare at the wall as I cross her room and drop down onto her couch. I put my feet up and start scrolling through social media. It’s not until five minutes later that she finally has the ability to string together a proper sentence. “You’ve had it rough over the past eighteen years in the foster system, and the bullshit with people trying to kill you, plus being kidnapped from your room the same night that I was supposed to be staying with you. Like, you’ve had some serious bad luck, but fuck, this more than makes up for it.”
“Tell me about it,” I grumble as a smirk cuts across my face.
“No, no. You tell me about it. All fucking about it.”
I laugh and I can’t help but bound back to her bed. I throw myself down next to her and finally let out all the steamy details that I’ve been dying to share with her. I’m not usually one for spilling secrets, but sometimes just having a girlfriend to talk to is better than any kind of therapy.
I tell her as much as I can while also protecting the guys’ privacy, and after an hour, she’s still gaping at me, absolutely speechless.
Once I’ve shared all the hot and heavy details, my lips press into a tight line as I contemplate asking her this next question. “Look,” I tell her. “I might seriously be crossing a line here, but you’re my best friend and I want you involved in my life, and if I’m completely honest, I doubt that I’m even allowed to ask you this, but …”
“But?” she prompts.
“There’s kind of this big fancy annual Dynasty Ball over the weekend and I was hoping that maybe you might dress up in a ridiculous gown and come with me? Call it my big apology gesture.”
Her mouth drops open. “A ball? Like an actual ball? Like Cinderella kind of bullshit?”
“Apparently,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “I didn’t really ask too many details, but that’s my take on it.”
“HOLY SHIT, YES,” she shrieks, her eyes going wide and glistening with excitement. “Count me in.”
“Are you serious?”
Ember grabs her phone and instantly brings up her Pinterest app and starts creating a new board. “Fuck yeah. I am all over this.”
“Good, because I’m going to need as much help as I can possibly get.”
CHAPTER 33
My Fadel Jaber black tulle halter gown sits across my body perfectly. Two thick tulle columns fall from around my neck and are pulled tight over my tits, meeting at my cinched waist and leaving my cleavage fully on display as my back is left completely bare.
The tulle poofs out at my waist and drops down to the ground with a small train behind. It’s absolutely beautiful, so much more than I thought it was going to be. It hugs my body just right and makes me feel as though maybe I might just belong in this world after all.
I’m not the kind of girl who gets off on having fancy dresses, and I sure as hell have never dreamed about going to balls and grand parties, but this is my life now, and I think getting on board won’t be such a horrible task. This ball gown though, it’s fit for a gothic barbie. The tulle even comes right up and winds around my neck like one of my many chokers. It’s as though it was designed just for me.