The Rich Boy in a Rock Band

Song 11 ♪ This Is How You Charm Me

Was that what winning the lottery felt like?

I looked up, thanking the Lord for this miracle. Telling Him I would never doubt again.

But what I'd told the Mother Superior a few days ago was true. I was not used to good things happening to me without a catch. "Um, ma, are sure? You'll be short handed here."

She waved one hand and fished into her apron pockets with the other one. She produced the car keys and gave them to me. "We made good progress in the morning. Here, come back and give me the key before you go."

I picked the keys from her hand like they were the holy grail of freedom. Still, I tried not to look too pleased, lest my ma got ticked off and decided to call the nuns and tell them to screw off.

I turned away from ma, caught Ashton's eye and mouthed thank you. Aloud I said, "I'll see you in school, then."

He tilted his head. "What do you mean you'll see me there? I'll drive us." When we all looked at him, he just shrugged. "I have a car."

Of course he did. He probably had everything he dreamed of. That was totally not me sounding jealous because I'd always wanted a car for myself, nope.

I decided to count myself lucky already and all but ran out of the kitchen from the service back door. I put the key in the lock in the trunk of ma's car and got my stuff out. I was back in the house in record time. My cheeks hurt from not trying to smile.

Reluctantly ma grabbed the keys back and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Text me when you're back in school, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ready?" Ashton asked, hands in his pockets. Cool as a cucumber, as though he hadn't just disrupted my day, and my weekend, in the best possible way. At that second I couldn't help but like him.

"Yep."

I followed him out the house from the front door. Leaving this mansion felt like leaving a modern day castle, all marble floors and decoration out of a catalogue. Parked out front was a white Jeep, with black letters that read Rubicon. I shook my head. So maybe it wasn't the car I'd have expected him to drive, something low on the ground, in a flashy color and with a loud engine, but at that moment it felt like a carriage that was taking me to the ball with the Prince Charming.

As we climbed into the vehicle I guessed it was Prince Charming, actually, who was driving the carriage to his own party where a princess was waiting for him, and I was actually the mouse companion. He turned on the car and filled the car with the random sounds of commercials on the radio. I waved goodbye at his house as we pulled out into the street and sat back, pleased as punch, to have made such an easy escape.

After a few minutes on the road I noticed that he drove by and away from our boarding school.

With narrow eyes I turned to him. "Um, where are you going?"

His smile made me want to punch him.

"I didn't lie to your mom, but I was thinking we could take a little detour since we just have to be back by curfew and practice starts tomorrow."

"If this detour is leading to a Starbucks I'm fine with that."

Blue eyes flashed to me for a second, but I was glad he kept them on the road. It was only when he pulled to a stop at a red light that he spoke again.

"I think I know where my brother is."

I folded my arms and paraphrased my ma from earlier. "And what does that have to do with me?"

He brushed his fingers through his hair and bit his lower lip. I swatted his thigh.

"Stop doing that!"