Paradise Lost (Private 9)

"I figured," I said, glancing over at Sienna, whose arms were crossed over her chest as she looked imperiously out at the ocean, as if she owned it. Amberly, Paige, and Poppy weren't there. I wondered how Sienna had ended up taking the blame solo, but honestly, I didn't care.

"I believe Sienna has something to say to you," Upton said, loosening his grip on me.

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Sienna glanced at my angry face and rolled her eyes. "We're sorry," she said, with no sincerity whatsoever. "We were just having some fun." She offered me her hand and arched her perfectly waxed eyebrows. "Friends?"

Anger clenched my chest and I pulled away from Upton completely, stepping toward her. "You and I were never friends, and we're never going to be friends," I said, causing her face to fall. "In fact, you and your little posse can stay away from me for the rest of the trip. Far, far away. And I suggest, for your own sake, that you do."

Sienna's thin lips parted in indignation as I turned on my bare heel and stormed off toward the pool and the restaurant behind it. The sun was just dipping behind the hotel. I needed to find my friends and vent before I exploded.

"Reed! Wait!"

Upton caught up to me near the shallow end of the pool and grabbed my arm.

"Thanks for finding me and everything, but I really need to talk to Noelle right now," I said, wresting myself from his grasp.

"Wait. I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Upton told me, his eyes pleading. "Sienna's just being a spoiled child. She doesn't know how to handle jealousy, you see--"

"Jealousy? Wait a minute. I thought she was new here too. What's she jealous of?" I asked, a niggling feeling of ignorance gnawing at the back of my neck.

Upton bit his lip and looked away. "Yes, well... we kind of had a thing last term when she and Poppy came to visit me at school. ..."

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An incredulous laugh escaped my throat and I backed away from him. "Oh my God! You are a total man-whore!"

"Reed--"

"Is there any female on this planet you haven't had a thing with? " I asked, liftin

g my palms to the sky. "Maybe it would be simpler for you to list your non-hookups than your hookups."

"Reed, none of that matters," Upton said, reaching for my hands. He held them both in his and looked into my eyes. "You're the one I want to be with now. Only you. I swear it. All of that is in the past. It doesn't matter anymore."

I was amazed at how sincere he made it sound. For a second I almost believed him. And maybe a year ago I would have. But I wasn't that naive anymore. Reed Brennan had gone through some changes.

"It kind of does matter when I spend over an hour freezing my ass off in a dark shower stall," I told him, yanking away my hands. "This was supposed to be a fun little vacation fling. And the fun just officially ended. I have to go."

This time, when he called after me, I didn't look back.

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CHAPTER 16 DROPOUTS

"I should have just stuck with the original plan and stayed out of the Upton Game," I ranted to Noelle, Kiran, Taylor, and Tiffany as they followed me down the hall to the Langes' guest room, past all the indigenous pottery displayed on glass tables along the wall. "Clearly I was not cut out for this particular sport. And does he really think I believe that he's only into me now? After however many years of being England's number one player?"

I threw open the double doors to my room and stopped in my tracks. Noelle barreled right into me, and Kiran tripped over Taylor, knocking into the wall and taking down a potted plant. Tiffany caught the vase just before it hit the floor.

"Can you warn us when you're going to do that?" Kiran asked, straightening her top.

I couldn't respond. I was too stunned. Every inch of my room was covered in flowers. Huge pots lined the floor. Vases bursting

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with white and orange blooms were arranged on the bedside tables and atop the dresser. Long glass boxes overflowing with gorgeous tropical buds had overtaken the windowsills. Loose petals were strewn all over the floor and on the bed. A handwritten note sat propped up on my pillow.

"My mother is so going to fire Maritza when she sees this mess," Noelle said, nudging some petals with her foot. "Dammit. There goes her good espresso!"