Thanks a lot, Penn.
I snag up a pair of jeans from the floor and pull them up over my boxers. “What?”
“Seeing someone?”
I’m frozen for a moment, unsure what to say. Dad, like always, takes advantage.
“I know your secret, son.”
Heat burns up my throat and scorches my face. “W-What?”
He smirks. “Leah.”
“Oh,” I mutter. “Yeah. I forgot Penn told you I was seeing her.”
Lies.
Lies my father eats up greedily.
“I learned something pretty interesting today,” he goads, crossing his arms over his chest. “About Penn and Leah.”
I walk over to my dresser and yank out a shirt. “What’s that?”
“Jason told me Penn’s going to ask her to marry him.” He lets out a derisive snort. “Does Jason McAlister know my son is fucking his future daughter-in-law?”
“What Jason doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“Penn’s too young,” Dad says, his tone serious. “I don’t know what Jason is thinking. Pushing Penn and Leah into marriage is only going to benefit one person and that’s Jason.”
“And you care, why?”
“Because,” he jabs. “Unlike my son, Jason’s son has a bright future ahead of him. Getting married to that Collins girl and most undoubtedly soon knocking her up, he’ll be stuck. Whatever Jason’s trying to do will backfire. You know who will suffer? Penn. If you care one iota about your best friend, you’ll talk some sense into him.”
“So you approve of me fucking Leah to make a mockery of Jason and to free Penn from a loveless marriage?” I grab some socks and yank them on before pinning him with a disgusted stare.
He nods, his calculating blue eyes sizing me up. “Your mother nearly sucked the life out of me and left me with you. I can’t sit by and watch the same happen to that boy next door.”
“And me?”
“What about you?”
“You have all these plans for Penn,” I sneer. “But what about your own flesh and blood?”
“I have no plans for you, son. I never did. You’re too much like your mother. I’m surprised you haven’t bolted and gotten the hell away from me by now. That’s because you’ve got just enough of me in you to like this luxurious fucking life I have given you.”
What an asshole.
I fist my hands and glower at him. “Anything else? I’m late for an engagement dinner I’m supposed to wreak havoc on for my dear daddy.”
He smirks. “I was going to tell you to have fun and be safe. But let’s face it, Cope, if you got the rich little Collins girl pregnant, that’d be the most successful move you’ve ever made.”
Fuck, I hate him.
When I arrive next door, everyone is already there. I slip in unnoticed and peek into the living room where both sets of parents are chatting happily with drinks in their hands. Backing out, I head down the hallway to the game room where pool balls clacking together can be heard. In this room, the guests aren’t nearly as happy.
Leah, poor girl, has been dolled up to look slutty in a classy way. She’s wearing a pink dress that’s low-cut and short, but no doubt expensive. I’ve known Leah my entire life and she would never wear something like this of her own accord. The heels make her taller, but she’s still a shrimp compared to the brooding beast of a man beside her. He clutches the pool stick and glares at the pool table as though it’s personally wronged him.
“Hey, kids, whose dog died?” I ask as I saunter in.
Both of them go from scowling to grinning. It feels kind of nice to have that power over people. I quickly squash away that thought because it’s a total Dad thing to think.
“Leah sucks at pool,” Penn says without missing a beat.
“And you suck at pretending,” she huffs back. “We’ll never make this work.”
Lifting my brows, I lean my hip against the table. “Why? What happened?”
Penn frowns again. “It was awkward as hell, man.”
“He practically turned green when I kissed him in front of them.” Leah crosses her arms over her chest, making her boobs look bigger and bouncier than usual. “This is a waste of everyone’s time.”
Looking over my shoulder, I make sure no one is overhearing before I walk over and close the door. “Listen,” I tell her. “We could all do without the diva meltdown. I’ll start calling you Heidi.”
She curls her lip up in disgust. “Gross.”
“Your soon-to-be fiancé likes dicks.” Specifically, mine, but she doesn’t need to know that. “Give him a break.”
Penn laughs and shakes his head. “We’re all adults. What are we even doing?”
I grab Leah’s hand and pull her to me for a hug. “We’re playing their games. Better than them. To get what we want.”
Leah looks up at me. “You’re playing with us. Why?”
Penn’s stare is scorching me. I don’t dare look at him. Instead, I brush the hair from Leah’s face, noting she’s not wearing her glasses tonight.