Page 32 of Stay Toxic

“Nice. I’m guessing that’s not the kind of place one can gate-crash.”

“Not unless you want to be escorted out by aggressively unpleasant characters, no.”

Robert chuckles, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Oh, well. Next time. Take good care of my fiancée.”

That word again. I just can’t take any more of that crap. “Robert, I seriously doubt your girlfriend would appreciate you calling me that. Now, have adelightfulevening, and please do call ahead next time my mother sends you to do her dirty work.”

He stares at me, gray eyes wide. He’s never heard me talk back like this. Back home, I never had a chance.

“Youagreed to marry me after college,” he repeats. “That makes you my fiancée.”

No, that makes me someone with a sense of self-preservation.

I breathe deeply in and out. “Have a lovely drive back to LA.”

He takes the hint, and finally, finally leave. I slam the door shut at his back with a groan.

“Fucking asshole!” I quietly hiss, glaring at the white wood.

I don’t remember that I’m not alone until Ari clears her throat. “Err, my friend, you’re going to have to pour the tea.”

I sigh. I guess I can’t really leave them hanging after that.

Ari takes it upon herself to brew some actual tea while I do my best to explain.It’s the least I can do, given that both of my new friends have come to my rescue.

I’m going to explode if I don’t talk about it all with someone, and Tanya has a show tonight.

“So, I come from a bit of money,” I confess.

She feigns shock. “No! Really? I’msosurprised.”

Rolling my eyes, I continue. “And well, the thing is, my mother didn’t. When my father passed a few years ago, she expected to inherit the majority—everything except my trust—but it turns out, with my big brother disowned, I’m the sole beneficiary of the will. He only gave her a few properties here and there—peanuts, in the grand scheme of things. And she’s tried to get hold of the rest since.” I grimace. “Robert is her contingency. He’s the son of her friend and lawyer. The way my grandfather’s will is worded, if I’m married, the management of my money falls to my husband. I…think she’scloseto Robert’s father. They intend to get their hands on my money through him.”

“And you’re going along with that because…?” Ari asks.

Before I can explain, Sebastian guesses, “She doesn’t have a penny until she inherits. Your mom’s managing your assets now, right?”

“If it were just me, I’d manage somehow—get a job until I hit twenty-five when I get control—but I have a little brother.Halfbrother,” I amend. “From my father’s side. Illegitimate, and not eligible to inherit money, but he’s…vulnerable. I step out of line, Mother cuts André off.”

Ari groans. “That fucking sucks. And that Robert dude is just so…” She shivers. “Cringe.”

I nod empathically, in complete agreement.

“Wait, are you safe? If we’re talking a lot of money, would they harm you to get to it?” she asks, frowning.

She’s pinpointed one of the many reasons I was so eager to put some distance between Mother Dearest and I.

“I am,” I assure her, nodding. Ari and Sebastian exchange a dubious glance, so I repeat, “Seriously, I’m entirely safe. If anything happened to menow, my share would likely revert to my grandfather, go to my uncle, or even to my brother, despite Father disowning him. The only way Mother can hope to control it is through me.”

“What about once you’re hitched to that shit stain, huh?” Sebastian demands. “Will you be safe then?”

They’ve come to the right conclusion a lot faster than I did.

It took me overhearing my so-calledboyfriendlaughing about throwing me in the ocean on our honeymoon for it to hit home.

“Well, no.”

If I ever marry Robert, I’m dead. I don’t spell it out, but by the hard look in Sebastian’s eyes, he knows it.