“He likes Bora.”
All the life is sucked from me as I let that finally resonate. If nothing else keeps me in check… that will.
“And any guy who is into Bora, would never be into me.”
“Ah hell, girl. That’s not at all what I meant. Any guy who’s into Bora doesn’t really deserve you, but you definitely deserve their attention. All I was saying is that’s his flaw, because that girl is skin deep and nothing more.”
I frown again, even though Shanna can’t see me. She knows I don’t like her bashing Bora, but my sister makes it hard to defend her when she does shit like this. She’s deeper than the skin, but she doesn’t show it as often as she should.
“Even if it wasn’t weird to have sex with someone my sister has been with, I still wouldn’t have sex with him without a committed relationship. I don’t work that way. I expect a real relationship, and he’s obviously not the type. Bora does monogamy, but not serious.”
“If you go marking off all the men Bora’s had sex with as a no-touch rule, you’ll be marking off all of Sterling Shore before long. Nothing wrong with her getting around; I’m envious she has that sort of power. But don’t limit your options because of her. She sure as hell wouldn’t hold back because of you.”
Bora would never touch someone I’d touched. This isn’t even the argument I’m making. As usual, Shanna twists it to say what she wants to say. It’s a pointless argument, and I hate pointless arguments with stubborn people.
Sucks that I’m always surrounded by them.
“I should go. He wants me to have cocktails with his mother and sister. I’ll call you later. I may possibly need you to pick me up from the airport when he realizes I’m nothing at all like the fun girl he’s used to.”
That might actually be the solution to the problem: Be me instead of trying to be Bora.
She mutters something under her breath before saying, “I doubt very seriously he’ll find you less interesting than Bora. I still say to fuck his brains out. You’re stupid if you don’t.”
As Jax moves along the sand, meeting his dad halfway, my lips tighten to a thin line.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I murmur before hanging up.
Steeling myself and preparing for the worst, I make my way down the stairs and toward the living room. But when I reach the bottom of the staircase, I hear the none-too-quiet chatter from Mrs. Marshall—whose first name I don’t know—and Viv… which is probably short for something.
“She’s a gold digger, and this trip will prove it to him. Jax always thinks more clearly when we’re in Hawaii,” Mrs. Marshall says, and I tilt my head.
It’s obvious they’re referring to Bora, and that actually elicits a smile from me. Bora is a number of things, but not a gold digger. There’s no need for her to be.
“She’s definitely got him twisted around her finger. I didn’t believe you until I saw him with her. He’s been following her around since they got here.”
“Only because she’s practically naked,” his mother scoffs, making me frown.
Hell, I thought I was decent, compared to what Bora normally wears.
“By the end of the week, she’ll be ready to go or he’ll be done with her. You don’t survive our family unless you’re Marshall strong,” the mother states proudly.
I cock my eyebrow. She has no clue how tough I am, even if I hate social things and groups. I might have a blind spot for my sister, but you don’t own a multi-billion dollar business by being weak.
Wait... This will be perfect. They can run me off, and then I can say I’m not comfortable with his family. He loves them; he’ll side with them over a girl he’s known for less than two days—er, I mean, two weeks. He can dump me instead of me having to dump him.
I was joking with Shanna when I said I should act like myself. But if I’m going to do this, I can’t play Bora full time. It’s too confusing. I can wear her clothes, wear her makeup, and even swear a little more, but I can’t answer to her name—though it’s also my name. Damn rockstar father.
“There are my two favorite ladies.” Jax’s voice is sudden and unexpected, and given their simultaneous gasps, they didn’t hear him enter either.
“There’s my handsome son. We were just discussing you.”
After a short pause, Jax says, “Were you talking about me with Bora? She was on her way down when I went out with Dad.”
“No. Bora hasn’t come down from the room yet. Is she always so rude?”
Rude?
Hermit? Yes. Antisocial? Definitely. Rude? Never intentionally. Of course, I consider talking about your guest like they’re gum on the bottom of your shoe to be rude, but that’s just me. What do I know?