As I help myself to a bowl of fruit salad, my dad walks by.
“Feeling better?” he asks. “You look fine.”
He wants me to do dinner with the Bradys, but I don’t. What if that’s when Jack wants to meet up? My mind starts churning. I don’t feel like getting into another big argument with my dad about marrying Kenton. Once I’m back at Notre Dame, there’s not much he can do about that and hopefully he’ll give up on the idea. But how can I get my dad off my back for today?
“I feel like I might be coming down with something,” I say.
“The dinner won’t take up that much of your energy,” my dad returns.
“I just don’t feel up to socializing.”
“There’s not much socializing. I don’t think we’d be the only guests for dinner.”
Ugh. I want to tell my dad he should stop trying with the whole Kenton thing.
My dad narrows his eyes. “Maybe you’re just tired because you were out late. Where were you?”
“With Chase and his cousin.”
“Chase? He’s your bodyguard, not your friend. This is not acceptable. I’m going to have to assign you someone else.”
Panic shoots up my spine. I do not want another bodyguard. I’m lucky that I formed a rapport with Chase and that we’re able to keep each other’s secrets. I don’t want to have to break in another bodyguard, and I may not be so lucky with a new one.
“Okay,” I say hastily. “I won’t hang out with Chase anymore. No big deal.”
I turn to get orange juice from the refrigerator to buy myself more time to think without my dad trying to read me.
“Why were you hanging out with him in the first place?” he asks.
“He seemed, um, sad because he and his girlfriend got in a fight. We just talked. I gave him advice about women.”
I should appease my dad before he gets too far down into the idea of replacing Chase. Jack probably wouldn’t want to do the kidnapping in daylight hours, so maybe I can do something with Kenton earlier in the day.
“I was thinking of catching the new Marvel movie with Hannah,” I say. “Maybe I can invite Kenton instead of going to dinner with his folks. If I am coming down with something, I’d rather stay in during the evening hours.”
That seems to satisfy my dad. “Are you definitely going to the movies?”
“I’ll go text Kenton right now.”
Taking my fruit and juice with me, I head back to my bedroom. My phone was actually in my pants pocket the whole time, but I wanted to get away from my dad.
I decide to text the group about going to the movies this afternoon. I don’t want to go alone with Kenton. Hannah asks why not catch an evening show. I reply that I’m bored right now. She, Kenton, and his cousin Aiden text back that they’re willing to go.
After we’ve finalized the details of meeting up, I think about Jack’s instructions to stay put until he calls again. But why should it matter if I go out for a little bit? I can still be a good girl.
Besides, he won’t know.
Chapter nine
Kai
WatchingalivestreamfromCasey’s phone of the text messages she’s sending to her friends on my phone, I shake my head.
“That’s not being a good girl,” I murmur.
There’s a risk that she’ll tell one of her friends about the kidnapping. It doesn’t bother me if she does unless that friend interferes with my plans.
“You’re doing the kidnapping tonight?” Andrian asks me on a call later while I’m outside with Athena.