Something More | Discontinued

[ 7 ] I'll Start To Think It Runs In The Family

© 2018 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.

Something More

[ Chapter 7 ] I'll Start to Think it Runs in The Family

. . . . .

Hayden

.

There was something oddly comforting about lounging around in Scarlett's apartment in the morning. There was frost on the windows, and the smell of her coffee from earlier still hung around in the air.

"You're alone?" Axel scoffed. "Don't be a perv and go looking through her panties now, Penn. We both know how girls feel about that."

"Don't make me regret answering the phone, Ass-el." It was people like him that made me leave the country in the first place.

I could hear a faint laugh coming from his side of the phone, that laugh being a bit more feminine than Axel's signature chortle. It seemed Josie didn't have anything better to do at times like this than to listen in on Axel and I's weekly chats. It was about time they gave us a talk show with all the witty banter we exchanged.

"Alright," Axel caved. The sound of Josie typing away on his computer at his side seemed to lull him into a lust filled daze before he cleared his throat and got back with me. "How's your little stay-cation going? I know Scarlett can't be thrilled to get all the family back at once."

"Well Jay's got an attitude if that's what you're referring to."

Axel couldn't contain his laughter, "he's getting married, Hayden. He's got the right to pout and sit in the corner- owe!"

"Will you shut up?" Josie cut him off abruptly.

"Well it sure seems like you're going to make me, so I won't even ask for a taste of those sweet lips."

"If you keep flirting with me in your father's office I might have to throat punch you."

The two squabbled away, pretending I didn't exist for the time being. My presence had never affected the way they acted around one another, let alone the utterly disgusting way they talked with each other, so I wasn't exactly surprised that my phone call had been tossed to the side.

Instead, I negated Axel's panty raid suggestion and turned my attention to Scarlett's bookcase. Despite the fact that she wanted to be out of her all too great apartment within the month, she had neglected to pack. Ever inch of the place still screamed Scarlett Blaine, her bookcase included.

Setting the phone on the bottom shelf, I sat down on the rug below. The stupid material tickled my feet the same way it had back at Elias and Angel's place, but I didn't particularly care. What I did care about what the fat dictionary sized book that was taking up space on the second to bottom shelf.

Personally, I think being a bitch if you ask me."

"You're talking about Axel, right?" I laughed. "Cause if not, I really am going to throw you in the physic ward this time, Jos."

"Empty threat after empty threat," she called back to me. "I'm talking about your brother, idiot."

"I'll give you a seventy-two hour evaluation-"

"This time I want you to shut up," I cut Axel off myself. "Serious, get a room and turn off your damn phone. I don't want to get gross ass texts every time you hook up with a girl."

I ignored whatever half-thought-out retort Axel shot my way as I pulled the book from the shelf. Without much police work, I found it was one of those fake books I thought only Elias would have bought for his secret lair he had to have in that massive mansion back home.

Come to find out our own Scarlett Blaine had a few secrets of her own.

"You know he's just defensive after what happened on Labor Day," Axel and Josie went on. The mere mention of the holiday gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that's certainly not something I say often.

"Cause he's a little slut and got caught by his girlfriend?" Axel chuckled at his own joke. "Couldn't be that, could it?" The sarcasm was dripping from his voice.

"Well if you wanted to be a prick about it we could just bring up the Mirada in the room-"

"Guys," I huffed in annoyance. "I don't think I'm speaking for just me when I say I never want to relive that night again."

The sheer image of Zane getting caught trying to put on pants would forever haunt my nightmares.

"Don't be bitchy Hayden, I'll start thinking it runs in the family." Josie's smile could be heard through the phone. The woman was far too proud of her wit and prowess for her own good.

That and the hold that she had over our resident CEO of Reynolds Records slash Reynolds Hotels. The man had some money and he wasn't afraid to waste a hearty amount of it on the woman of his dreams.

I rolled my eyes and popped open the lid of the book, or rather secret box, before feeling my heart getting ripped from my chest.

I wasn't even a fucking girl and I had to work my ass off to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Penn, Josie and I just worked out the schedule and we should be in Boston on Thursday. You want to get coffee liqueur with your usual brunch buffet?"

"You think I care?"

"No need to be rude, Penn. Thought it would be nice to have a proper check up with our favorite patient-"

"I've got to call you guys back." I muttered before locking my phone and tossing it onto the couch.

Every inch of the box was covered in the things that I'd worked so hard to shove to the back of my brain. The boarding pass from when we went to The Hamptons, the now dried up rose from Angel and Elias' wedding that I'd snagged for her; even the receipts from the coffee shop down the corner from our place in Connecticut were tossed into the secret hiding place.

All in all, Blaine still had the hots for me.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

__________

And for the first time since I started writing again - we've hit a plot twist!

Do you guys think Hayden should have gone snooping? What do you think will happen next?

Btw: which POV do you want for the next chapter? I was thinking Hayden but I could be swayed in Scarlett's direction!