I opened my bag and made sure all of my mother’s pieces were accounted for, and I’d have to double-check the rest when I got back to my room.
I was sure that Nola would respect the girl’s wishes and let me go and even throw me out of the house, but that was okay. I’d tell her everything that happened and keep my head up. I wasn’t going to ever be able to trust those girls again as long as I lived, so there could never be any kind of working relationship. They’d gotten their way and gotten rid of me. Just like they’d planned when they’d left for the party without me.
Aiden was probably in on it all along too, and as my heart ached, I told myself, it could have been worse, I could have easily fallen in love with him, but thankfully I hadn’t. My heart was tender, bruised from his game, but a little crush was nothing to get over compared to love.
I could have loved him in time, too, and felt that at least the twins had given me that small mercy. Even if they’d never intended it. The cruelest game would have been to let it draw out.
As I pulled up at the Blue Mansion, I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. I didn’t want Nola or Mattie to see me looking defeated. I’d been nothing more than another conquest to Aiden Prince, but I’d make sure and stay strong and not break down. If I’d learned anything from my mother, it was strength.
Chapter 14
Aiden
I finally broke away from my mother’s scolding but not in time to catch Ella. Zep stepped up and reached down to pick something up at my feet, and it was Ella’s ring. Or at least part of it. “She dropped this. You might want to hold on to it.”
“What happened? My mom stopped me about the liquor and scolded me for being upstairs. What did those bitches say to her?”
“They told her you were going to be in their foursome with us.” He looked as if all the wind had been knocked out of him.
“Did you explain that I wasn’t?”
“I didn’t know what to say! I didn’t want to piss off the twins.”
“You let them fill her head with that bullshit?” He should have told her it wasn’t true, but I understood him being put on the spot like that, but I hated that Ella must think the worst of me.
“Man, no telling what she thinks. Those twins are brutal and especially to someone like Ella who’s good and beautiful.” About that time the twins stepped around the corner to where Zep and I stood talking away from the crowd.
“What did you say to my guest?” My lips pulled back in a scowl as I leaned over Sadie and Halle.
Halle sneered. “Please, you don’t even know her, or you’d know she’s our maid.” I turned to see my mother standing behind us in the doorway. She folded her arms and turned around as if she had nothing to say to me, then she stormed off.
“She’s your maid?”
“Yes, since her mother died, she’s been living with my family and working as our personal assistant. But don’t worry we fired her.” I’d remember her saying she was an assistant. The girls weren’t lying.
“Look, let’s just forget all about her and go upstairs. I’m sure we can work it all out.” Sadie was trying to remain calm, but I wasn’t having it.
“You’re out of your minds. Especially you, Sadie, if you think for one minute I’d be with the likes of you.”
“But you said—
“I lied. I wanted you out of my hair, and the only way to speak reason to you is to promise you sex. I was never going to go through with it.”
Sadie and Halle clasped their chests in unison, and then Sadie scowled. “How could you lie about that?”
“The same way you can treat Ella like shit I suppose, because I don’t like you. Though I think your issue with Ella is more because you’re jealous of her. She is more beautiful and talented than either of you will ever be. I suggest if you want to stay, you’ll cling to Zep because otherwise, you can get the fuck out of my house.”
I turned and walked away, sick to death of their bullshit. How Zep could put his dick into either of them was beyond me, though his appetites were much different from mine.
I had to go back though. I needed information, and they were going to give it to me. I spun back on them, getting in Sadie’s face. “Tell me her number.”