8. Caleb

EIGHT

DAD AND VERA were out of their minds if they thought this living situation was going to end in anything less than a bloodbath. Travis lived to provoke, for fuck's sake, and I didn't see him letting up on that anytime soon. He was just trying to get a reaction out of me any way he could, and he thought poking at a sore point in our relationship would be the best way to do that.

Sad thing was, it was working. I couldn't not react when he pulled those stunts. When he got close enough in my space that I could see his heartbeat pulsing rapidly in his neck. Apparently I did that to him, riled him up the same way he did me, and I didn't know how to fix it. I hated conflict in general and would've rather kept to myself and separated from the drama, the way I'd been trying to do by getting my own place away from Travis and his crew. I'd succeeded for the most part, except for the occasional run-ins that couldn't be avoided. Family dinner included.

The TV was still on full blast, the way it'd been since I left Travis by the couch and headed into my room. I doubted he was even watching anything. He'd probably just turned up the volume to be obnoxious, but whatever. I threw on my headphones, blared my music, and started editing some photos from a red carpet event I'd gotten paid for a few nights ago.

I was in my zone, working away, when my phone lit up with a message.

JT:

Sorry…

I frowned. Sorry? For what?

I started to write him back, but before I could send the message, a loud banging sound cut through my music.

What the hell is that?

When it continued, I ripped off my headphones and pushed off the bed, ready to kill Travis for being such a pain in the ass.

But when I hauled open my door, I saw him grumbling and cursing on the couch at whoever it was trying to beat our front door down. It seemed urgent, like a pack of firefighters desperate to get in.

"What's going on?" I shouted, but he wasn't getting up to see, even though he looked annoyed as shit. "Wow, don't lift a finger or anything."

He shook his head at me, but I didn't have time to decipher what that meant when the pounding was starting to match the throb in my head.

The second I unlocked the door, a rush of bodies entered our condo, one after the other, all of them hyped up and bringing the noise inside with them. And every single one was a blasted Park Avenue Prince or significant other.

You've got to be kidding me.

"Caleb, my man," Donovan said, clapping my shoulder.

I tried to shrug him off, but his grip was tight. "I'm not your man."

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. We used to all have fun together."

"That was a long time ago."

Out of the corner of my eye, Gavin grabbed the remote, cutting off the TV, and Travis put up a fight until Daire stepped up behind Gavin. That grumpy bad boy wasn't one I'd ever bond with, and the muscles he'd honed over the past few months professionally fighting weren't exactly endearing. They just screamed, Get the fuck away, or in Travis's case, Get the fuck up and don't give my boyfriend shit about it.

"What is this?" I said, finally pushing away Donovan's arm. "An intervention?"

Someone in the group snorted, and East stepped forward.

"No, it's what we do best." He paused for dramatic effect and arched a brow. "Throw a party."

"A party?"

"Yes. We gave you some time to get settled, and now it's time to reintroduce you to our way of life."

This was not happening. It'd been bad enough when my parents forced me to move in with Travis, but they said nothing about having to hang out with this bunch of entitled morons.

I shook my head and started to back away. "I don't think so."

"Uh-uh-uh." Donovan stepped in behind me. "You're not going anywhere."

"Exactly, and that includes any dumb party."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Travis glared in my direction. "If he wants to be a wet blanket, let him be."

"Yes, but you're forgetting something," East cut in. "This isn't about you. It's about Caleb. We're throwing him a ‘Welcome back to the group' shindig."

"I'm not back."

"Back?" JT's eyes narrowed on me from across the room, where he stood with West's arms wrapped around his waist. "You were one of them?"

I could see the accusation in his eyes, and felt a twinge of guilt somewhere low in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't that I'd been hiding it from JT—I just didn't like to talk about that time in my life.

"One of us?" Preston chuckled. "He and Travis were practically glued at the hip."

"Yep." Donovan grinned at me, and I wanted to punch that pretty smile right off his model-perfect face. "Double trouble. Used to get up to all kinds of crazy shit back in the day."

"Yeah, I don't really want to talk about this."

"That makes two of us," Travis chimed in, shooting daggers at me from across the room.

"That's okay," East said, a shit-eating smirk curling his lips. "That's what we're here for. To drink, get merry, and reminisce about when you used to be fun. Then plan some sort of soiree to let everyone know we've let you back into the fold."

Jesus, were these guys fucking dense or what? "I'm not back."

Gavin scrunched his nose up and shrugged. "You look pretty back to me."

I let out a frustrated sigh and gritted my teeth. The way I saw it, I had two choices here—go willingly to this ridiculous party they were talking about and get it over with, or risk being hauled up to the roof by Daire and the behemoth I knew was Donovan's boyfriend, Kelly.

If I went with the first, they'd likely get bored with someone as low key as myself and decide it would be more fun to go out than bother with me. If I went with the second…

Yeah, there was no way I was going with the second.

"Fine. Let me grab a jacket and?—"

"Ooh, no." West let go of JT and strolled over. "We're not giving you a chance to lock yourself in your room."

West flashed his charmer's smile at me, but unfortunately for him, I wasn't buying what he was selling. I knew it was a con.

"I'm not five, asshole."

"Yeah, but you're pigheaded enough to do it to spite us, and that would upset my boyfriend."

My eyes shifted to where JT stood, alone now, looking at me as though I was a complete stranger. I probably should've told him about my connection to these guys when we first met, but he'd already been so entangled with West that it would've just seemed like I was trying to get in the way. He had needed to make up his own mind, and I just offered some insider's input but from an outsider's perspective.

An admittedly vague outsider.

"Well, since he's the only one I give a shit about?—"

"Careful who you go sniffing around." West's smile took on a dangerous edge. "He's taken."

"I meant as a friend, dickwad. I'm just going to grab my jacket."

"I'll go with him," JT said, throwing me the lifeline I so desperately needed right then.

"Fine." East looked at his watch. "But if you're not back here in five seconds, I'm sending in Daire."

With a final glare in all their directions, JT and I headed down the hall to my room, and when he shut the door, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.

Fuck. This was the exact thing I'd been hoping to avoid moving back in here. It was bad enough I had to be around Travis, but now I was being pulled back into the princes' world too.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" JT's tone was equal parts accusatory and hurt, but I couldn't get into this now with him. If there was one thing I knew about East, it was that he kept his word, and if he said five seconds, he meant it.

"Can we talk about this later?" I grabbed up my beanie and pulled it on. It wasn't exactly cold out, but it acted like a security blanket, and right now I needed all the help I could get.

"I mean, I want to say yes, but I'm not sure later will actually happen. It's been, what? A year, and in all that time you never thought to once mention you used to run with this group?"

I snatched up my jacket, again more as something to hold on to than actually wear, like a shield to ward off evil. Then I turned to face my friend—and yes, over the past year, JT had become a friend, a good one.

"I wanted to, several times, but… Look, it's complicated, that's all."

"I get that, but?—"

East stuck his hand inside my door and tapped his watch. "Tick, tick, assholes."

I grimaced and shrugged at JT. "Later."

He frowned, looking unconvinced, but it would have to do for now. The last thing I wanted was to be hauled by my arms and legs to an elevator.

We followed East back out to the living room to see West the lone person standing there. "They went on ahead."

I glanced over my shoulder to my room, and East snorted. "Don't even think about it."

"I don't know why you're bothering with this. I'm not coming back."

West slung his arm around JT as we headed for the door. "Hate to break it to you, but you're already back."

"Under duress."

"Doesn't matter how."

"Kinda does," I grumbled as he shoved his phone under the keypad. I knew I was acting like a fucking brat, but it wasn't like Travis was acting any better.

"Oh, the drama." East rolled his eyes. "So you and Travis hate each other. I hate everyone, and I manage to function."

"You don't have to live with everyone."

"That's true. But I do have to put up with Golden Boy."

"Fuck you, East."

East smirked but said nothing as the elevator opened and we stepped inside. I moved to the back to get as far away from prying eyes as possible, wishing like hell I could up and disappear. A night under a microscope was not how I wanted to spend my Sunday.

Maybe I could find a quiet corner and hurl myself off the edge of the building…

The doors opened up to the rooftop patio of the Towers, and the one thing I was excited about was checking out the view from up here. I'd seen it during the day, but this was the first time I'd ventured up here at night.

There were twinkling lights strung across the overhead awning, where several couches, loungers, and hanging chairs were being occupied by most of the group except for Kelly and Donovan. They were all over each other at the end of the infinity pool that ran along one side of the roof.

Jesus, that didn't take long. We'd been a handful of minutes, tops.

I let out a sigh and figured the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could leave, as West led JT off to join Gavin and Preston.

Spotting a few open seats, I beelined it in that direction, noticing Travis was missing.

Did he leave? Maybe my night was turning around after all.

"He's at the bar." The deep voice to my left caught me off guard, and when I turned to see Mr. Carrington—Archer—standing beside me, my eyes widened.

God it was weird seeing him here. I knew he was Preston's boyfriend, but still, I'd only ever thought of him as the president of the Elysium—ex now—and Serena's dad.

"He's sulking."

I nodded, disappointed Travis hadn't left. But hardly surprised at where he'd gone. "That tracks."

Archer gestured to an empty seat, and I quickly took it.

"You look about as comfortable as I did the first time I spent a night out with these guys."

"Yeah, well, I didn't choose to be here. You did."

Archer's lips curved as he looked across the firepit to where Preston stood laughing with Gavin."Well, can you blame me?"

It took everything I had not to roll my eyes, because of course I was sitting next to a love-struck fool. Apparently it was contagious in this bunch, though why I was surprised they were infecting one another with anything was beyond me.

"Uh huh."

Archer chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "You sound less than impressed."

"Sorry, but you and Preston aren't really high on my favorite people list."

"I can understand that."

When he didn't elaborate, I turned to eye him. "Are you dying to say something like ‘it's for my own good'?"

He laughed, and his eyes crinkled at the sides. "No. I was actually thinking it was more for my own good."

"Ha, well, least you're honest."

"You want a drink?"

"I want about three, but…" I looked to the bar.

"Travis is over there."

"Right."

"Well, since I'm the one that got you in this mess, why don't I do you a favor and go and get you one…or three. What's your poison?"

After putting in my order, Archer got to his feet and made his way across the patio, making sure to stop and kiss Preston on the cheek. The sappy smile Preston aimed up at his man was enough to make my stomach twist.

So, I got to my feet and headed over to the balcony to take in the magnificent view of the Chrysler Building and city skyline twinkling in the distance. It was such a different perspective of the city to the loft, and it made me nostalgic for what I'd left behind. It also made me acutely aware of just how different my life was going to be after a mere address change.

I turned back to face the group laughing and drinking with one another and knew that if I wanted to survive the next year, I was either going to have to get a thicker skin or be eaten alive. There was no in between with these guys. If you were one of them, you were expected to be where they were and act a certain way, and unfortunately, they'd their sights set on me.

Many would kill to be in my position. I was just trying my best not to kill each and every one of them.