I glared at the phone, wishing I was with him right now. Being locked in this room was messing with my head—I’d always had so much freedom. It was the one thing I’d had in spades.
Me: Don’t get into trouble. Love you.
Dante: Trouble? Me? Love you too, Riles.
I threw the phone onto the bedside table, confident that I’d hear it if Dante messaged me again. As I dropped my head down again, I remembered that I had to send my number to Eddy too, but I’d do that when I woke up. For now, I was sleeping some of this nightmare away.
The rest of the weekend passed in slow motion. By the time Monday morning rocked around I’d tried on half my wardrobe, texted Dante twenty times, and set up a time for Eddy to pick me up for school. I hadn’t seen Debitch, and I almost wished she’d come back so we could get this confrontation out of the way. I would not remain a prisoner like this long term. There was no way in hell. So we needed some sort of compromise.
Stewart, who, with a little encouragement, was turning out to be so helpful—he’d even found me a phone charger—knocked on my door. “Riley, the Mistress wants me to inform you that you’ll be going to school this morning. Everything is set up for your enrollment, you just have to go via the office to get your things.”
I flung the door open and grinned at him. “Stew, seriously, that’s the best news I’ve heard all weekend.”
I tried to peer around him to see if Catherine’s coldly beautiful face was close by—she was supposed to be back today—but the hall was empty.
“Am I no longer a prisoner?” I asked, watching him closely.
He smiled. “She is granting you the freedom to go to and from school, for now, and when she returns you will discuss the rest of the rules.”
I was both ready and dreading her return.
“I’ll get dressed,” I said, turning away.
He cleared his throat, and I looked back. “Please wear the uniform correctly,” he said. “I will send one of the day maids up, she will lay it out on the bed.”
I shrugged, having met a few of the day maids already. They never spoke, kept their eyes locked on the ground, and hurried around cleaning.
“I’ll be in the shower then.” Turning the other way, I crossed to my bathroom, as the main bedroom door closed behind me. There was no distinctive click of the lock this time, and I tried to contain the happiness bubbling in my chest.
Freedom had never tasted so sweet, even if I did have to attend a preppy rich school to experience it.
My shower was short because I was more than a little anxious to get out of this room. I slapped on some makeup, taking a little extra care with my eyeliner—I was not rocking up to some rich-kid-school looking like a raccoon. It took me a tad longer to blend makeup around the healing cut on my cheek as well, and nothing could hide it completely, but it was at least harder to see.
I exited the bathroom, clad in matching black underwear, and stopped short when I saw the outfit on the bed. Or more accurately, the shoes perfectly positioned on the floor below.
“No fucking way,” I choked. Were they actually serious right now?
Striding across to the door, I swung it open and called out: “Heels? You want me to wear heels all day?”
I slammed the door then and grumbled the entire way back to my bed. I loved heels as much as the next girl, but I was usually drunk when I wore them, and as Dante said, I usually ended up on my ass at least once during that period of time. My feet already ached just looking at shiny black school shoes.
Knowing I had no choice, I quickly shimmied into the skirt and blouse, not at all surprised they were my exact size. Everything in my clothes room had been my exact size, because Debitch was a weirdo stalker.
The skirt was pretty short, falling to mid-thigh, and I tucked the blouse in. Sitting on the bed, I pulled on the knee-high socks and then gingerly slipped my feet into the shoes. They fit so well. Like, my toes weren’t pinched and nothing rubbed even though they were new.
I wondered if they’d feel this good eight hours from now.
The last piece of the uniform was the jacket, and I slipped into the custom made number, surprised that it slid easily over my cast. Before I could stop myself, I turned to check myself out in a nearby mirror. The floor to ceiling piece, with a wide gilded frame around it, reflected back a stranger.
I’d left my unruly waves out, because it was easier than trying to manhandle it into a bun. My skin looked pale against all the dark colors in the uniform. The shoes made my legs look long, and considering I was just a bit above average height at 5’9, that was a nice change. But everything else about this made me uncomfortable.
Picking up my phone, I snapped a pic and sent it straight to Dante with the caption “I look ridiculous, shoot me now.”
His reply was almost instant.
Dante: Riles…
I wasn’t sure what to make of that, so I didn’t reply, just threw my phone into the pocket of my blazer, and took a few wobbly steps across the room. Stewart had told me that the books on my desk were my home books, for study outside of school—yeah, okay—and that when I got my welcome pack at the school, it would have my school copies.
So I didn’t have to break a nail carrying my books home with me.
My phone buzzed again, and I pulled it out of my pocket.
Dante: You’re going to get me killed. That skirt…
Me: I’m wearing fucking heels. Forget about the skirt, it’s not going to get anyone killed. The heels though…
Dante: Riles, watch this school. I’ve been warned about those guys from the race. They’re bad news. Really bad news. You need to keep me updated. I’ll be around.
Me: If I can deal with Debitch, I can deal with some punk ass wannabe rich gangstas.
It took him another minute to reply, and I knew he would be running his hands over his shaved head right now, face screwed up in annoyance.
Dante: Have you actually dealt with her yet?
Bastard. No need to poke holes in my brilliant plan so quickly.
Dante: Don’t argue with me. Keep your head down, don’t go searching for trouble. I got your back.
Since I trusted him with my life, I had no doubts of those words. Still, I was getting pretty sick of being dictated to so much. Ever since I was thrust into this world, I felt like everything about me was out of control.
I was losing myself.
None of my friends back home would even recognize me now, not that I had many outside of Dante. But I had plenty of acquaintances, if that counted, and not one of those would know who the hell I was if I rocked up like this.
I wobbled out of the room again, but thankfully got a handle on the heels pretty quickly. Lucky for me they weren’t six inches … more like four. I briefly considered switching the shoes out for converse, but a dark part of me enjoyed the Clueless look I was rocking. No harm in looking good for my new school, right?
There was no sign of anyone as I stumbled down the stairs and crossed to the door. Eddy had texted me a minute ago and said she was on her way, which meant I’d have to figure out how to get to the gates.
“Miss Riley?”
I turned to find Stewart in the doorway that I was pretty sure led into a massive kitchen. I wouldn’t know because I was not allowed such privileges as walking outside of my room. In his hand he had two things, one was an expensive looking leather satchel, and the other some keys.
“This is for you to take the golf cart to meet your friend,” he said, jingling the set. “Mistress approves of your friendship with Eddy, so she has no issue with this arrangement.”
I blinked at Stewart a couple of times. “How does Mistress know about Eddy?” I demanded, cringing at the fact that we sounded like house elves waiting to be gifted socks.
Stewart just gave me a don’t-be-so-dense look.
Eddy was lucky she was so awesome, because knowing Debitch approved of her, almost had me regretting our new found friendship.
“And the bag?”
He held it out to me, and with a sigh I stepped forward and relieved him of both items. “The bag has your identification, some cash for essentials, and a few other things that…” he cleared his throat. “Young ladies require.”
I snorted. “Catherine bought me tampons? Well, look at that, she’s almost a mother now.”
Stewart looked even more uncomfortable, if that was possible, and I couldn’t help reaching out and patting him on the arm again. “Thanks for putting up with me. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Straight home from school,” he warned as I rushed out the door.
I waved over my shoulder, too focused on my freedom to pay much heed to his words.
There was a cart already prepped and waiting for me, so I threw the bag to one side and slung myself into the driver’s seat. I’d never driven one of these, of course, golf was a rich person sport, but I figured it out quickly enough.
My heart started to beat faster as I took off, leaving the house behind me. By the time I reached the main gate, I was actually smiling. Parking the cart near it, I got out and grabbed my satchel.
A horn beeped, and I swung to find Eddy smoothly pulling up to the gates. My jaw dropped at the view I caught of her through the window. She looked so … proper. Her hair was slicked back in a demure bun. There was no cleavage or funky adornment to her uniform. I barely recognized her.
Until she opened her mouth...
“Come on, bitch, we’re gonna be late!”
My smile grew, and I rushed through the opening gates.
When I dropped into the seat, she eyed my outfit. “We’re legit gonna have to do something about that skirt. I can’t even see your ass.”
Her voice went falsely high, as she rolled her eyes at me. “I mean, how will you show the boys you’re available to them, if they can’t see your vag?”
I snorted. “I’m not available to them, so I’m giving the exact right impression.”
She winked at me. “That’s the way to approach it. Trust me. You’re new, and they’re going to be all over you. Fresh meat.”