Everywhen: (Savage Princess book 1)

by liberty freer

  “Private plane,” I say. “I guess that’s how we roll now, Tills.”

  “A private plane!” she squeals. “That’s so cool! I’m going to call Margo from the plane. Oh my god, they are going to flip when I tell them you’re Anna Westling!”

  “No,” Aiden and I say at the same time. We stare at each other, him with a lopsided grin and me with a raised brow.

  Aiden twists in his seat to better see Tilly. “There will be a press release sometime in the next few days. Until then, nobody is supposed to say anything.”

  I pop my shoulder. “I’d be fine never saying anything.”

  “People would find out eventually,” Aiden says.

  “We probably need makeovers,” Tilly says, grinning. “Just so we’re appropriate to be in the spotlight. Highlights, manicures, facials, and new clothes, right, Hayley?” I give her a pointed look and her smile falls. “You’re no fun.”

  Aiden laughs. “Mom is going to want to do exactly that.”

  “Is Nick going to be there?” Tilly asks. “And Casey?”

  “Casey’s in Hawaii with his family, but he’ll be there soon, and Nick is on his way there now with my parents. Nick’s cousin Rocco is staying with us too.”

  Tilly’s jaw drops. “Rocco Cabot is going to be there?” She fans her face. “This is the best day of my life.”

  “Oh, someone you like more than Nick and Aiden?” I question and Aiden laughs.

  “Rocco Cabot is the hottest guy alive.” She inspects the clothes she’s wearing and frowns. “I need to put my pink dress on before we get there.”

  “Mm.” I nod, liking that idea. I want her to stay young and innocent for as long as possible.

  “We’re here,” James says, shutting off the SUV. “Everyone ready?”

  Hell fucking no, my mind screams, but I smile at Tilly and open my door.

  Chapter 13

  A little over two hours later, we’re in front of a massive mansion. Yellow concrete seems to be never-ending. There are multiple levels, balconies, and windows. The word villa comes to mind even though I’m not exactly sure what that is.

  Nora and John greet us on the patio as the sun is slipping behind the house. Liv’s eyes are closed, her head resting on her father’s shoulder. John supports her weight with one arm while pulling me in for a hug with the other. His shirt is soft against my face and smells like lavender and citrus.

  Nora pulls Aiden to her side, brushing a lock of wavy hair from his eyes. Aiden’s light blue shirt matches Nora’s dress. They all seem to match with their pastel colors and crisp whites. A whole matching family and here I am in ripped jeans and a faded gray tank. My dark blue lip ring matches the bow in Liv’s hair, so there’s that.

  Of course Tilly loves that they match. She even looks like she belongs to them with her pastel pink dress and white headband.

  John hugs me tighter. “I’m so happy to finally have you here,” he says. “We all are.” He pulls away and smiles at my sister. “You must be Tilly. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Hello, Tilly. That dress is darling.” Mrs. Westling turns to me with a tight smile I’m becoming all too familiar with. “I could have my personal shopper pick some things up for you if you’d like?”

  Meaning, I hate your style. I’ve dealt with people like her, privileged and spoiled. I took a cleaning position last summer for a wealthy woman. These types of people are simple to deal with—nod, smile, and agree.

  “Sure. If you want.” She can buy me all the clothes she wants to, but it doesn’t mean I have to wear them.

  Nora smiles. “I’ll give Claire a list. Come in and I’ll show you around.” She wraps her arm around my shoulders, steering me toward the front door.

  “Come on, Tilly,” I say over my shoulder, fighting the urge to shake away Nora’s too tight grip. Nora leads us into a massive foyer, and I see yellow is the theme. We’re shown two separate living rooms that are big enough to hold a hundred people each. Both rooms have gaudy chandeliers, stiff furniture, and maroon carpet. A two-story library at the center of the house is a room I can see myself spending time in. I bet it looks awesome at night because the ceiling is made of nothing but glass.

  The maroon carpet and yellow walls continue to the second floor as well. The library is accessible from this floor too. There are two hallways with several bedrooms and bathrooms and a living room that matches the ones downstairs. Every corner of the upstairs has a large balcony overlooking something beautiful like the beach, a garden, or the pool.

  Nora shows me where I’ll be sleeping and then shows us Tilly’s room a couple doors down. We head back downstairs and then Nora leads us through the kitchen to access the back door. The patio is covered, large, and decorated with furniture. She points out a private beach, boat dock, tennis court, and pool. Nora tells us this is a French-inspired home. I didn’t know the French liked the color yellow this much.

  By the time the tour is over, I feel like I’ve walked for miles. Even Tilly, who was the most excited about being here, has lost her pep and looks like she’s ready to fall down.

  “Thank you so much for showing us around and for letting me stay,” Tilly says as we stop in the hall near the library. “You have such a beautiful home, Mrs. Westling.”

  Tilly is a good liar. The house is ugly and way too big. I don’t see why they need sixteen bathrooms and thirteen bedrooms. Maybe famous people have their other famous friends sleep over regularly.

  “Please, call me Nora.” Her lips twitch. “Tilly is such an unusual name. Is it short for something?”

  Tilly blushes. “It’s short for Matilda.”

  “Oh, I see why you’ve shortened it. Tilly is a pretty name.”

  Not missing her dig, I narrow my eyes. “I think Matilda is a strong, beautiful name that suits Tilly’s personality.” I smile, tucking a strand of hair behind Tilly’s ear. “Our mother loved it. It was her grandmother’s middle name.”

  Tilly grins at me. “Mom said my name being Matilda felt like fate, like I was a gift from her grandmother.”

  Nora’s smile is tight. “Of course, it’s a pretty name.” She gestures down the hall. “You girls look like you need to rest, so I’ll leave you to it. Sara should have unpacked your belongings. Night.”

  I watch her walk away; glad she’s finally gone.

  “Can you believe we’re here?” Tilly grins and then tilts her head. “Mrs. Westling kept calling you Anna. Should I?”

  “Uh, definitely not. We’ll let everyone else call me what they want, but my name is Hayley.”

  “Okay. Should we try and find our rooms?” She glances around, lowering her voice as she says, “I wonder where Rocco is?”

  I lead us to the winding staircase. “I think you should have been Anna Westling. You fit in so much better here.”

  She giggles. “I do. Nora kept looking at your clothes in horror.” Tilly’s somber as we walk up the stairs. “She’s your mom, Hayley. Your real mom.”

  “She might be my biological mom. Our mom was my real mom.”

  Peering over the edge, Tilly runs her hand along the metal handrail. “Still, this has to be freaking you out. This was supposed to be your life.”

  That’s a punch to the gut. If Anna wouldn’t have been kidnapped, she would have spent her summers here. I wonder what kind of person she’d be? If I had grown up here, would things be different for my parents and Tilly?

  We move from wood and metal to thick maroon carpet. “This is it, right? Do you remember those paintings?” I motion to the large floral paintings lining either side of the hall.

  “I think so. There were some of those downstairs too, though.”

  I chuckle under my breath. “I can’t believe you told her she had a beautiful home.”

  “Um, it is beautiful. Did you see the artwork downstairs or the antique furniture?”

  “Yeah, old, ugly, and dusty.”

  She laughs. “You’re impossible.” She points to a wooden door. “Maybe this?” Sh
e points to an identical door a few feet down. “Or maybe that?”

  There are several closed doors in this hall. “This is bullshit,” I hiss.

  “I agree.”

  Tilly and I spin around to face the source of the deep voice. Nick Cabot stares back.

  He tilts his head to the side, a frown on his face as he glares at my sister. “Why are you here?”

  “Hayley wanted me to.” Her eyes widen. “Wow, your photos don’t do you justice.”

  His gaze moves up to mine. “Hayley, huh? I’m surprised you’re not claiming the name. You moved in fast enough. What should I call you?”

  “You can call me whatever you want.”

  He smirks. “Oh, I don’t think you’d like that.”

  I narrow my eyes, not liking his tone. “We’re trying to find our rooms. Can you help or maybe get Aiden for us?”

  Nick steps closer, his chest almost touching mine, and then his arm shoots out, his fist knocking on the door behind me. Not taking his eyes off mine, he backs up, and then Tilly’s scream has me spinning around. Rocco’s in the now open doorway, grinning ear to ear. It’s easy to tell him and Nick are related. They have the same hair color, same perfect skin, and the same nose. Rocco’s eyes are hazel instead of brown, and he’s half the size of his well-built cousin.

  Aiden appears behind Rocco, eyes narrowed and glaring down at my sister. I slap my hand over her mouth for the second time this week.

  Tilly quickly peels my hand away. “Holy shit! I can’t believe I’m standing in front of you, breathing the same air as you.” Her hands fly around dramatically. “You’re Rocco Cabot! I’ve seen every movie you’ve been in.”

  Rocco chuckles. “It’s nice to meet you… what was your name?”

  “Tilly. My name’s Tilly.”

  “I see we have fans,” Nick says from behind in a derogatory tone Tilly doesn’t seem to catch.

  “I am the biggest fan of all three of you. I’ve read everything and watched everything.” She pauses. “But not like a stalkerish fan. Just a supportive fan. I’m sorry. I’m a little over excited. I’ve never met anyone famous and then today, I meet five of the most famous people.” Tilly’s eyes widen. “Six. Hayley, you’re famous too.”

  Rocco’s gaze moves to me. “Whoa, you do look like Aiden. Liv was so excited for you to get here. She kept saying Aiden’s twin girl was coming.” He laughs. “I think she passed out a little bit before you pulled up.”

  “Six famous people,” Tilly mumbles. “I’m in the middle of history right here.”

  Nick crosses his arms. “What about you, Hayley Anna? Were you a fan too? Have any posters of us on your walls?”

  My eyes widen slightly. I don’t think I mentioned anything about falling asleep with my eyes on his poster. It’s not like I wanted to. It was directly in front of me.

  Tilly snorts. “No. She isn’t a fan of anyone. I had to beg her to go to the interview.”

  Nick’s eyes narrow like he doesn’t like that answer. His gaze flicks to mine and then Aiden’s.

  “We’re trying to find our rooms,” I say to Aiden. “Can you help?”

  Aiden chuckles. “Already lost? I see you have Dad’s sense of direction.”

  That causes me to pause. At the word Dad, I instantly think of my dad, the one who adopted me. John Westling could be my biological dad. I might have inherited things from him like my crappy sense of direction. Or not. I’m still waiting for the lab to call and say there was a mix-up.

  I give Aiden a tight smile as he leads Tilly and me to our rooms a hallway over from his. We tell Aiden goodnight and then Tilly and I move into her room. It’s almost identical to mine—ugly as hell. The four-poster canopy bed is a dark wood that goes with the rest of the house. The comforter and canopy are floral. There’s a cumbersome dresser with matching vanity, maroon carpet, and yellow walls.

  We step out on to the private balcony. It’s dark outside but the moon illuminates the water and beach. It’s serene. I’ve never been to the beach or even cared to go. Now, I see what the allure is. At least at night. It could be a whole different story during the day. Walking along the beach at night would give me something to do when I can’t sleep.

  “Mom would have loved it here,” Tilly says, leaning over the thick white rail. “She would have been so excited for you.”

  Not wanting to crush her spirit, I nod and smile. Mom might have been positive about a lot of things, but with this, I think she would have felt guilty. I can imagine her blaming herself for what the Westling family had to go through and for me missing out on my biological family.

  Shit is going to hit the fan when the world finds out. I hope my dad will be sheltered from this in rehab. Maybe Tilly and I can convince him to stay there for a couple more months. I could beg Aunt Kathy for money to help me pay for it.

  “Dad.” I sigh. “We can’t tell him about this. It could ruin his progress.”

  “I know,” Tilly says. “It’s too soon. But I think he’ll be happy for you once the initial shock wears off.” She glances over my shoulder and then focuses back on me. “Do you think Mom and Dad knew?”

  “No way. They couldn’t have. They were rule followers.” I bite my lip. “Adopting me wasn’t in their plan. They were a last resort to keep me with a foster family so I didn’t end up in another group home.”

  “Remember Elfie,” Tilly says, talking about the stuffed elephant that was our mom’s when she was a kid.

  I laugh. “Yes. It’s the only thing that would calm me down. You gave it to me on my first day even though you hadn’t slept without it since Mom and Dad adopted you.” I eye her. “You okay sleeping here tonight?”

  She grins. “Hell yes. I can’t wait to get into that royal bed.” She bounces over to her bags next to the dresser and pulls out pajamas.

  “This whole day has been exhausting. Maybe I’ll actually sleep tonight. I’ll leave my door cracked in case you need to come in.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay,” Tilly says as she pulls on pajama shorts.

  I slip into the hall and see John knocking on my bedroom door. “Hey, John. Need something?” Is it weird I feel weird calling him John? I don’t want to call him Dad, but I bet he wants me to. I saw the way his mouth turned down slightly when I called him by his name.

  He smiles. “I was coming to say goodnight. I’m catching a late flight to California. It’s important Colt has a parent with him. I was spending the day in Florida when we got the call you’d been found.” His eyes shine. “It still seems unreal but here you are.” He stares at me for a moment, and then clears his throat. “Colt’s filming tomorrow and then I’ll bring him back here to see you. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have long to stay. The set is making huge adjustments for him to come home. We can’t exactly tell them we’ve found you, so I told them it was a family emergency.”

  “Okay. Sounds good,” I say using my go-to line when I don’t know what else to say.

  “You going to be okay tonight? It must be weird not sleeping in your own bed. Is there anything you need?”

  “I’ll be fine. No worries. Goodnight.” I force a smile onto my face. I find this whole thing awkward. I bet any other girl would jump right in and play the role of their daughter.

  “Goodnight.” John moves to the side, giving me access to my door. “Oh, An—Hayley. Let me give you my number in case you need to reach me.”

  He pulls out his phone, and I call off my number for him so he can text me his, and then I slip into my room, relieved he didn’t try hugging me again. My mom was a hugger too, but she was my mom, so it’s different. John is a stranger, even if we might share the same blood.

  My room is a little bigger than Tilly’s, and I have my own bathroom. I take a long shower before pulling on underwear and a sports bra. The bed is huge and hard. I thought the bed at my grandmother’s house was bad, but this is worse. I slip under the scratchy floral blanket that has a weird smell, and then grab another pillow to shove under my head.
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  I lie awake in the dark listening to the quiet and expecting Tilly to tiptoe through the door. She only got used to sleeping alone a couple of years ago, and when she found out we were sharing a room at Nana’s, she was happy. She doesn’t like to be alone.

  At the sound of my door opening, I roll over and sit up. “I was thinking we could bring your bed in here if you want, just until you’re more comfortable.” I stretch my arm toward the nightstand.

  “That’s so thoughtful of you,” a deep baritone, who is not my sister, says.

  Chapter 14

  I click on the bedside lamp, and Nick struts up to the bed. He raises his brows as he takes in my chest. I want to roll my eyes. I’m sure he’s seen plenty of women in their bras. Not that what I’m wearing is even a bra. It’s a sports bra. Lots more coverage.

  I lean over to scoop my shirt from the floor, and then I pull it on. My jeans are on the floor too, but the blanket covers my thighs. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I see you’re all settled in. Acting as if you belong,” Nick says in a patronizing tone. “Couldn’t get here fast enough, huh?”

  “It’s your fault I’m here. I didn’t want this. You should have kept your mouth shut,” I snap.

  “You’re the one who interviewed,” he growls.

  I cross my arms, angry he’s right. If I’m going to blame him for this, I’d have to blame and be mad at Tilly too.

  He leans in closer. “If you hurt Aiden, I will bury you. Whatever you’re planning, you better rethink it. In fact, I would suggest you drop this whole charade and leave.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Still playing games.” He clicks his tongue while his eyes burn into mine. “You can keep denying you don’t know anything, but I’ll find out, and when I do, you’ll wish you would have never come here.”

  I’m sick of threats. “Get the FUCK OUT of my room.”