Piper puts on her seat belt and stares out the window as we leave. I turn onto the main road, and her eyes are glued outside.
“Palm trees? Are we in Florida?”
Smirking, I increase my speed onto the freeway without responding. She huffs and doesn’t say anything else.
I could drive to my family’s beach house with my eyes closed. Though I wish I were visiting under different circumstances, I’ll take what I can get.
Glancing over at her, I notice she’s fallen asleep. Though she’s a huge YouTube star with millions of adoring fans, death threats from a pervert had never happened before now. It’s actually shocking it took this long, considering how obsessed people are with her.
But Jack? He’s taken it to the extreme.
I turn onto a small paved road, then pull into the driveway. Luckily, the doors are equipped with security keypads, so I only need a code to enter. I put the car in park and lightly nudge her.
Piper wakes and looks around. “We’re here?”
“Yeah. I’ll grab your things.”
She nods, and we get out of the car. I swing her backpack over my shoulders then grab my duffel and her suitcase. When we walk in, I realize the cabin hasn’t been aired out and smells musty.
Piper looks disgusted. “What is this place?”
“It’s my family’s beach house.”
“Wait, there’s a beach?”
I nod and point at the windows, though she won’t be able to see since it’s dark. “It’s private access, and during the day, you can see it from here.”
“So we are in Florida, aren’t we?”
“Yes. But that’s all I can share. It’s better if you don’t know exactly where we are.”
She swallows hard. “Do my parents know we’ve arrived?”
“I’ll call your dad once you’re settled, but he was notified via text that we landed and picked up the car.”
“Okay,” she tells me as her eyes scan over the place. I wish I could read her mind. This house is far from the luxury she’s used to.
She makes her way into the living room, then glances at the small kitchen and moves closer to the large wall of windows. Since the moon isn’t out, seeing the water is impossible. I open the windows, allowing the natural breeze to flow in.
“Your room is upstairs.” I lead the way. Once on the second floor, I turn to where she’ll be staying and wheel her suitcase inside.
“Where’s the master bedroom?” She walks inside, noticing it’s not large.
“There isn’t one,” I explain. “I’ll be right next door. It’ll allow me to be closer.”
The look on her face is nothing short of horrified, and I try not to laugh.
“This is a joke, right?” She’s seething.
“Let me set something straight before you start complaining—you’re not here for a vacation. I know you think you’re roughing it, but try to be respectful.”
She glares at me, then takes her suitcase and throws it on the bed to unzip it. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the hall.”
“There’s only one?”
I meet her eyes. “Upstairs, yes, which means we’ll be sharing. Lucky you.”
Piper shakes her head and grabs some clothes. Storming past me, she finds it, then slams the door shut. The toilet flushes, then the water turns on for a while before finally shutting off. Five more minutes pass before she comes out with her hair up in a bun.
“Can you turn on the air conditioner? I’m sweating.”
I chuckle and walk to the large rectangle windows and open them. “There you go. Nature’s A/C.”
“You’re shitting me.” She looks like she’s about to explode. “Wait until my dad hears about this.”
“He’s aware. Said it would be good character development for you.”
Her lips move into a firm straight line. “I hate everything about this. A small room and bed. No central air-conditioning, and it stinks like a wet dog.”
I ignore her comments. “Now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, it’s time for some ground rules.”
Piper glares like she’s ready to murder me.
“The house does have internet.”
She perks up.
“But…”
“I knew you weren’t done.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the doorframe. “Under no circumstances can you connect to it.”
“Of course I can’t.”
“You also can’t check your social media,” I add.
“Without the internet, it’s impossible. Can I at least have my cell back? You can put it on airplane mode if it makes you feel better.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what Jack has access to at this point, and I’m not willing to risk it. If you login from a different device, he might have your socials hacked. The last thing you want is him showing up, trust me.”
She sighs.
“You can use your laptop without the internet though. So if you have work that you can do without being online, feel free.”
“I have sponsored videos and pictures I need to edit, but it’s not like I can post them. All of this…” She looks around, then meets my eyes. “Is what my nightmares are made from.”