Page 140 of Wild Like Us
Right now, I want to press Oscar harder and tell him that’s not good enough. That he should have still radioed in once he was here, but I’m worried that if I sound as angry as I feel, it’ll be too suspicious.
Not that it matters. Our secret is already half-blown now that Charlie saw us. He could implode everything right here, right now.
Oscar has no allegiance to me when it comes to gossip, and if he knows I kissed Sulli, he’ll blurt it to the other Yale boys in less than a heartbeat. Shit, he’ll probably radio them about it right now.
And Banks…
He eyes me for a large second, confusion and questions pinging in his brown irises.I fucked up. Everyone’s going to know I kissed Sulli, and it’ll push him to the side. And then if she chooses him in the end—it just complicates things for her.
It’s messy.
So messy.
And only Charlie Cobalt has the ability to make it less complicated. Seeing as how I was once his bodyguard for a total oftwomonths, I’m not holding my breath.
32
SULLIVAN MEADOWS
Holy fuck.
Holy FUCK?!
Charlie saw Akara kissing me—Charlie, the one cousin out of all my cousins who is a complete fucking wild card. It’s almost worse than Moffy finding out. He’d just do the whole big brother overprotective routine and then settle on being happy for me, like he did with Jane.
I don’t know what Charlie will do.
I don’t even know what he’sthinking.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuckingfuck.
Charlie casually turns to his bodyguard, acting like nothing transpired. “I just have to talk to Sulli.” He glances between Akara, Banks, and Oscar. “And I’d like to talk to my cousin in private.”
“I’ll be outside,” Oscar says. “I can see you through the window.”
Banks and Akara don’t agree to that distance, but they take the crickets and head towards the other side of the store near the tackles. Out of earshot, but within better eyesight. They whisper to themselves, and I know Akara has to be updating Banks on this royal fuck-up.
“Charlie,” I whisper-hiss. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” His brows arch. “Shouldn’t I be the one with the first accusatory statement?”
I let out a frustrated noise. Communicating with him feels so fucking out of my wheelhouse sometimes. Like I needJane.“I just wanted to know why you stopped by the fishing store.”
“I came to find you.” He shoves his hands in his wrinkled slacks. His white button-down is half-untucked and unbuttoned. “I’m not here to watch you climb, remember?”
He’s here to try and rebuild my friendship with Beckett. “Seriously?” I say. “You couldn’t have waited until I got back to camp to stage this fucking coup.”
Charlie tilts his head. “It’s not a coup, Sullivan. I was coming to guilt you into talking to him. Make some story up about how he’s having a bad day. Blah blah blah.” He waves a hand. “But I have a better idea now.”
No.
He smiles wickedly. “You call my brother, and I won’t tell anyone you and Akara are fucking.”
“We’re notfucking,” I whisper angrily. “We justkissed,and fuck you—don’t talk about me like that.” The way he saidfucking,he made it sound…meaningless. And it’s never been to me.
