Chapter Five
~ Age 18 ~
Rhea
I roll over and kick the covers off. I know I should really get out of bed but I’m slightly hung over from another night of partying with Tanner and our friends. My room is bright, too bright to be morning still.
“Are you going to wake your ass up anytime soon?” Knox asks shoving me in the back.
I roll over and shield my eyes with my arm, “Why are you in my room so damn early?”
Knox chuckles, “It’s not early, Little One.”
I sit up on my elbows and glance over at Knox.
“You look hot.” He says with a smirk.
“Shut up, asshole.”
“You got a little something on your neck.” Knox points.
I wipe at my neck but I don’t feel anything.
“What you got is not going to wipe off. If your daddy sees that he’s going to beat your ass.” Knox chuckles.
I climb out of bed and walk over to the mirror on my dresser. My hair is sticking up all over the place on the right side and it’s matted on the left. My mascara is running down my face, and my lipstick is smeared all over my lips. I look like a hot mess. I take a look at my neck and I have to do a double take. I’ve got a hickey the size of Texas on my neck for all the world to see. And by all the world, I mean my daddy.
“Damn it, Tanner!” I say stomping my feet.
Knox lies back in my bed, “You better wear a turtle neck for the next week.”
I turn and glare at Knox, “It’s the middle of summer in North Carolina, Knox.”
Knox rolls his eyes, “Thanks for reminding me where I am and what season it is, I’m just offering a little friendly advice is all.”
I fling myself back on the bed and cuddle up next to Knox. “Please tell me you are taking me away with you this weekend. I have to give this hickey time to lighten and I need to be far away from inquiring minds.”
He tucks a hand behind his head, “That’s why I’m here. I need your help with a few things then I’m sending you and Tanner off to a hotel for the night.”
I sit up, “What? Why? We have our own room at the house.”
Knox smiles, “Relax, I’m asking Savanna to marry me this weekend and I need some help getting the house ready and shit. I thought since you were going to help me out that I would help you.”
“You do help me all the time though. You don’t need to send us to a hotel, Knox.”
Ever since my parents divorced, Daddy refuses to let me see Tanner. I’m to have no parts of him in my life. He thinks that because Tanner’s daddy cheated on his wife with my mama, that Tanner is going to do the same thing to me. Little does he know that Tanner would never do that to me. He’s my soul mate. He’s my everything. His official edict for us to stay apart hasn’t happened yet and it’s not about to happen anytime soon.
Tanner and I have been sneaking around for two years behind our parents’ backs. Daddy kicked Mama out of the house shortly after he found out what she had done. Daddy forbids me to have any kind of relationship with Tanner, he even tried to stop me from seeing the Mitchell’s, but Audrey refused to let that happen. After some persuasion from Audrey, Daddy finally gave in as long as Tanner wasn’t staying at the house when I was down at the beach house. That wouldn’t work and Daddy knew that but never said anything else about it again. I don’t know what I would without Audrey.
Tanner’s mama kicked his daddy out of the house the day she found out and never let him back in. The cops were called when he showed up to grab his things because Emma refused to let Josh in. Tanner doesn’t talk much about what happened and that’s okay. I don’t like to talk about it much either. Close friendships were ruined and hearts were irreparably broken.
“I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ve already booked the room and as soon as your ass gets ready we’ll head down and get things going.” Knox smiles at me.
An hour later I was showered, packed and ready to go. Knox carried my suitcase downstairs while I was putting the last of my makeup on the ugly hickey that Tanner left. It wasn’t really doing any good because that shit was purple and angry looking, and it seemed to be getting darker by the minute. I went into my walk-in closet and took a scarf out that went with my outfit. I quickly tied it around my neck and laid my hair over my shoulders covering it the best that I could. Yeah, I was a walking billboard for failed hickey undercover ops. I was so fucked.
I grabbed my purse off the bed and headed downstairs. When I got to the bottom I heard Knox and daddy talking.
“Congratulations, young man.” Daddy says.