"No!" He widens his eyes in adamant denial. "But you deserve a chance to do something with your life."
I groan. "I am so sick of people telling me that I need to be something. It's such bullshit."
"Lana, we should probably get going," Ashton calls to me.
I start walking around Parker, but he grabs my arm. I eye his hand and then him with a cocked brow. He drops it. "I've been staying at the family's lake house with Lily this week. I need to see you before I go."
As if she could hear us, Lily says, "I'm having people over tonight. You ladies should absolutely come. You know where the house is, right, Ashton?"
"I do. But I don't know if Lana--"
"I'll have my dad sign her out," Parker finishes like he knows what Ashton's about to say.
"Okay," Ashton replies, a smile in her voice. "We'll see you tonight."
I'm annoyed they all decided this for me. So just to be a bitch, I say, "Maybe." And walk away.
"Lana! You'd better show!" Parker shouts.
I grind my teeth and my clench my fists as we continue around to the back of the Clubhouse. I catch Ashton's ridiculous grin out of the corner of my eye, like she figured us out and is amused.
I open my mouth to deny whatever she's assuming, but close it and tense my jaw again.
"Not mutual, huh?" she laughs.
"No," I huff. I am so irritated, I can't form words--only grunts and grumbles of frustration. Ashton laughs harder.
"Do you want to go tonight? I'm not sure if you'll be able to since it's only your second night. Newbies have restrictions for the first month or so, but you also didn't mention Niall Harrison's your lawyer."
"You know Niall?"
"Of course. He's one of the best. I should know."
"Really?" I ask, intrigued.
She grins deviously. "We're all at Blackwood for a reason, right?"
I laugh.
"Lily always throws the most amazing parties. It'll be fun. And I'll sacrifice myself so Parker won't come anywhere near you." She winks and I roll my eyes.
"I'll go," I say with a resigned sigh.
A golf cart comes into sight, or I should say a bar on wheels with shelves stocked with liquor and snacks wrapped around a cooler built into the back.
"Hey!" Ashton calls to the guys dumping ice into the coolers.
The blonde straightens. Holy shit, he's tall. Easily over six feet, which means he might as well be a giant. And ... I'm staring. Because he's flawless. And I mean in the way sculptors immortalized Greek Gods from marble flawless.
The guy with dark hair, who had his back to us when we approached, turns around. "Yes! A hot new girl."
"Shut it, Rhett," Ashton threatens. "Grant, this is Lana. Lana this is Grant ... and shithead."
"Hey, that wound's deep, Ash," the dark-haired shithead clutches his chest.
"Hi," Grant says, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"Hi," I reply dumbly, fighting the urge to smile back, because I know if I do, it'll be one of those doe-eyed girl smiles. And I would hate myself if I looked at anyone that way. So I bite my lip instead, which is also a bad idea, because now I look like I'm trying to give one of those seductive, lip-bite smiles. Please, someone save me from myself.