“So you’ve told me.” Bentley gets a devious smile on his face. “You know what I think?”
I raise my eyebrows. “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
He chuckles. “I think you need to teach them a lesson. You and Kingston should lay it on really thick. Make them think you’re both fucking and catching feelings. Once people see that you have Kingston wrapped around your finger, Peyton’s followers will jump ship. They’ll want to worship the girl who got the king’s attention.”
I scoff. “Uh, no thanks. I have no desire to play mind games, nor do I need anyone to worship me.”
“Why not?” Bentley asks. “Sometimes you have to fight dirty. Especially with those catty bitches.”
Ainsley points a fry at Bentley. “I’m gonna agree with him there. Sometimes you have to stoop to their level.”
I shake my head. “Still not interested. Besides, the thought of anyone having Kingston wrapped around their finger is laughable.”
Bentley smirks. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, boo.” He picks his phone up from the table when it vibrates. “Speaking of...” Bentley runs his thumbs over the screen for a moment before standing up and shoving it in his pocket. “I gotta head out—we’re being summoned. C’mon, Reed.”
Reed takes one more bite of his burger before shoving it back in the bag. “I’ll see you later, Ains?”
Ainsley smiles shyly. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
He nods to me. “Bye, Jazz.”
I wait until the guys are out of earshot before I lay into her. “What was that about?”
She blushes. “He’s been watching me rehearse. It’s no big deal.”
My eyes widen. “How long has that been going on?”
“The last two weeks or so. He’s only shown up a few times.”
“What does your brother think of you getting it on with his bestie?”
“I’m not banging Reed!” she insists.
I lean back in my chair and smile. “But you want to. What about Donovan?”
She frowns. “I haven’t heard from Donovan since I returned the keys to his pool house.”
“What? I thought he was really into you?”
“I think he was more into the thrill of the chase.”
I give her a sad smile. “I’m sorry. It’s his loss.”
“It’s all good. I had to lose my virginity to someone. At least I got a couple of orgasms out of it.”
My eyes widen. “What?! You were a virgin before that? Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and chicken out. I’ve been wanting to give it up for a while now, but the guy I was interested in wasn’t biting. So... I gave it to someone who did.”
“You wanted it to be Reed, didn’t you?”
She sighs. “Yeah, and I know he likes me, but he has this weird thing about not disrespecting my brother, which is totally lame. It’s none of Kingston’s business who I date. Plus, Reed was fucking around with Imogen. Who knows... he still might be.”
“But he watches your ballet rehearsals? Why would he do that if he didn’t want to pursue something with you?”
Ainsley shrugs. “Ironically, spending the night with Donovan seems to have triggered something. Reed never initiated contact with me before—that was always on me and he’d always tell me nothing could happen between us. Since that party, he’s been...different. Texts me a lot, shows up at my rehearsal. He even asked if I wanted to grab dinner tonight afterward. We’ve never eaten a meal together without someone else present, usually Kingston and Bentley.”
I shake my head. “In other words, he saw that you were moving on and decided he’d better act quickly before he loses his shot.”