“You know everything about me—my father, my life. Let me in,” I protested.

He stroked my arm resting against his. “I know you have. But… just leave it. Please.” I stopped persisting when his eyes clouded, shutting me out.

Romeo took a deep breath and confided, “They’ve gotten worse lately. Something’s goin’ on, but I have no idea what. They’ve always pushed me with Shelly in any way they could, but it’s like they’re desperate for me to marry her more than ever. My daddy was never this insistent until recently. Somethin’s definitely up; I just can’t work out what it could be. The phone calls have become almost twenty-four-seven.” His forehead wrinkled while deep in thought.

“I want to go.”

Romeo groaned dramatically. “It’s goin’ to be hell, don’t you get that? I can’t knowingly put you in that position. I know I don’t talk much about my past, but they’re not good people, Mol. I know that much. I’m a product of them, after all.”

“Don’t ever talk about yourself like that! You’re not cruel or abusive; you’re kind and so unbelievably caring, especially to me. Ring them and tell them we accept their invitation.”

He stood with me cradled in his arms and carried me to my bed, dumping me in the centre, and shed his sleeveless grey T-shirt. “Fine, we’ll go, but you need to get naked now and persuade me on why I should willingly let you into the lions’ den.”

“I get naked for you all the time. You’re just looking for an excuse.”

His jeans dropped and I swallowed loudly at his bare, delicious body. “You’re not naked, Shakespeare. Do it or be sorry,” he threatened.

I did as instructed. I brought my dress over my head and I immediately felt his mouth latch onto my breast.

“We’ll go, but cancel the rest of your day. I’m gonna need a lot of convincin’ that this isn’t a huge f**kin’ disaster waitin’ to happen… a lot.”

* * *

A few hours later, after Romeo had gone to football practice, I knocked on Ally’s door.

“Yeah?”

“Ally, it’s me. Can I come in?”

The door opened to Ally’s beautiful face, and on her bed were Cass and Lexi. I waved as I walked in. “Hey, what’s all this? Why wasn’t I invited?” I asked playfully, but at the same time meant it. Our foursome was pretty inseparable and I loved that I had such good friends now. Real, authentic friends, but I was a bit peeved that I’d been excluded from their little gathering.

Cass kneeled up on the bed and straddled the quilt, threw her head back and rocked her hips repeatedly. “Ah… Romeo… ugh… shit… I’m… I’m… ROMEO!”

Lexi scampered behind her, slapping her arse and pushing forward, imitating doggie style. “Do you like it, Mol? TELL me you like it! Fuck… yeah!” she screamed.

I threw my hands over my face to hide my complete mortification, and they all broke out in fits of giggles.

Cass piped up first. “We did knock on your door, darlin’, but after the animal noises we heard coming from y’all, we thought we’d leave you to it. Sounded like some f**kin’ hot sex!”

Ally put her arm around my neck and kissed my head. “Ignore these two. But just so you know, the walls in this place are real thin, and although I’m your friend, Rome’s my cousin and I never wanna hear him doin’ things like that!”

Lexi snorted she was laughing so hard, rolling around on the bed, holding her stomach.

I contemplated running. As I turned for the door, Cass dived off the bed, threw me over her shoulder, and dropped me down amongst the sea of throw pillows, tutting and shaking her head. “We’re messin’ with you, Molls. We’re all getting some… It just seems you’re getting more than others.” She winked and popped her finger in her mouth… phallically.

“Please can we not talk about this?” I whispered and then chewed on my lip to the point that I tasted blood.

“Leave her alone, guys.” Ally sat on the end of the bed. Cass and Lexi sprawled on either side of me.

“What’s up, nympho?” Cass lilted, flicking her tongue against her teeth suggestively. I couldn’t help but crack a smile.

I slapped her on her arm and faced Ally. “Romeo’s parents have invited us to dinner tomorrow. They want to meet me… officially.”

Ally rubbed at her forehead, complete desolation on her face. “Shit!”

Not the reaction I wanted.

“Romeo didn’t want me to go, but I think it’ll be a good thing, don’t you? You know… improve relations between us.”

“It won’t.” Ally stressed. “Mol, they’re not good people, you’ve seen a little of what they’re capable of. Do yourself a favour and back out. Don’t go. Be happy with Rome without their interference.”

“Jimmy-Don told me they’re real hard work, girl. You and Rome are good. Don’t spoil it,” Cass said seriously, tapping my hand.

“I’ll have to meet them eventually. Why not now?”

Ally jumped up and began to pace. “Because you invite them in and they’ll make sure they get you right out!” She walked over and squished herself beside me. “This stays in this room, right?” She stared pointedly at Cass and Lexi, who nodded in agreement.

Her fingers pushed at her temples and her face morphed into an expression of deep anguish. “I never wanted you to hear this from me. I don’t believe it’s my place, but I feel this will help you decide the best thing for you both in meeting the famed Prince tycoons!”

I swallowed in apprehension.

“I’ve never known parents could hate their child, you know? Folks are meant to idolise their kids, but they don’t. They hate him somethin’ fierce. He never does things right in their eyes.

“When he was a kid, he’d make a silly mistake like dirtying his clothes or displease them in some stupid way, and his daddy would go completely crazy at him, give him the belt, and put him in his room. They’d hit him. A lot. He’d be grounded for weeks, on his own for weeks—a tiny little kid isolated and told how much he was disliked, over and over until he just seemed to go numb, reverted in on himself. My daddy has never forgiven himself for what Rome had been going through and none of us knew just how much.