CRIMINAL.

CHAPTER 9

I flop down on the bed, spreading my arms out wide.

It's been five hours ever since we flew to Miami, Florida. We flew here this morning and got here just an hour ago which means it's the afternoon now. It was a tiring flight, but it was worth it. I was this close to sitting beside Ricky on the plane, but Liv beat me to it. Ricky told her to get up, but she said no, and I didn't have the balls to tell her to move. So I had to sit with Sweet Pea the whole way there, but luckily, she moved from her seat by the window so I could sit behind Ricky and gave me a wink that made me blush. So throughout the whole flight, Sweet Pea and I talked a little bit, but she mostly listened to her music and I mostly played with Ricky's fingers and stared at him through the gap in the seat he was sitting in. One of the best flights I've ever had.

After that, we bought a Cadillac and an SUV on our way to the mansion Josh supposedly bought online with some of the money they stole. Don't know how much money they stole to get a huge mansion with queen-sized beds and an outdoor pool. He, Ricky, and the rest of the guys went out to buy some more "illegal" stuff, such as guns, bombs, and knives, since we left all of the stuff at home and didn't want to risk all of us getting arrested for smuggling those things into the airport. They also went out because Jackie complained that we didn't get enough privacy and that they needed to get to know me a little bit. I didn't want Ricky to leave, but I also wanted to get to know the girls a little bit more too.

So hear I am now, laying on a soft bed with a red comforter with a white robe on with the A.C. on high. It's so cold that it feels like I'm in an igloo and I just took a shower too, so I'm clean, fresh, and smell like lavenders which I learned were Ricky's favorite flowers.

God, I am obsessed. I've never been more attracted to any boy before. Not even a celebrity.

My train of thought is broken when I feel the springs on the bed jump and I look to my left to see Jackie and Nicki. Jackie is also wearing a white robe while Nicki is wearing jean shorts, a Mickey Mouse cropped T-shirt, and a snapback, carrying a crystal bowl of candies with colorful wrappers.

"Hey, you," she says, giving me a smile.

"Hi," I say, sitting up.

"See that you're wearing a robe," Jackie says. "Damn, these things are comfortable, aren't they?"

The doors to the bathroom open up and Sweet Pea steps out wearing a white tank top, black jeans, and a tiara that she bought from the airport when we landed.

Jackie laughs before popping one of the candies into her mouth. "Good evening, your highness," she says, teasingly, bowing slightly.

"You're not gonna wear that all day, are you?" Nicki asks as Sweet Pea plops down onto the bed on my right.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," she says.

"How's that arm doing?" I ask, looking at her right arm under the long, white sleeve from the robe.

"Pretty good," she answers. "Aches a bit, but it's not the end of the world."

"Hey, does anyone know where the hell Liv is?" Jackie asks.

"She still in the bathroom, trying some new lipstick she bought on," Nicki says, "I think it's 'cause she wants the 'ol Rickster back."

 Jackie rolls her eyes. "She needs to get off her crazy ass and find someone else to date 'cause he's not taking her back."

 "Yeah," Sweet Pea agrees. "And besides, he's already got someone else to obsess over." She winks at me, and I feel my cheeks heat up and the thought of Ricky obsessing over me the way I obsess over him. I take a purple candy from the crystal bowl and pop it into my mouth.