Jillian Dodd: Hate Me

“Dallas! What did you do to your hair?”

Dallas rubs his buzz cut. “You know everyone at home thinks I’m at military school, right? So I got buzzed on the plane.”

I hop up and run my hand across it while he gives me a hug. “You look cute. Older. I like it.”

“Well, here’s hoping the female population of Eastbrooke echoes that sentiment, because there are eight newly single varsity cheerleaders that may require my attention.”

I give Riley a big hug and he whispers in my ear, “I want to hear about your trip.”

Dallas overhears him and says loudly, “I think we all want to hear about your trip.”

“The Cave it is, then. Tonight.”

Dawson points to my sweatshirt and says, “Bring a coat, Keatie.”

“And here I was gonna suggest she bring some hotties,” Jake says with a laugh.

“Oh, that too,” Dallas agrees. “That too.”

“Wouldn’t they expect us to party tonight?”

Jake thinks about it. “Hmm, maybe we should wait a day or two.”

“Sounds good, prefect. I’ll see you all later.”

Riley accompanies me upstairs while Dallas stays in Dawson’s room to bullshit some more.

“So you and Aiden worked things out?”

“Yeah. I hear that’s partially because of you.”

He shrugs. “I figured I owed him since I broke his nose. Did he do the dirt?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Riley shakes his head. “Why? I told him it was the dumbest thing ever.”

“Because he knew I’d love it. I was going to make him leave until he gave me the dirt.”

“Girls . . .” he says, laughing and shaking his head again.

“Speaking of girls,” I interrupt him. “How’s Ariela?”

“I miss her like crazy but, thankfully, she’ll be back soon. I want to change my shirt and stuff before she gets here.”

“I’m surprised you don’t want to greet her shirtless.”

“Naw, I want her to rip it off me.”

When we get to Aiden’s door, he bangs on it, and says in a girly voice, “Aiden, open up. I wanna fuck.” And then runs down the hall to his room.

My hand is still up in the knock position when a sexy voice startles me. “Bonjour.”

“Aiden, where did you come from?”

“Logan’s room.” He points to the door between his room and the stairs. “Maggie is in there, unless, you know , you need my services now,” he jokes.

“You know that was Riley.” I laugh.

“Did you get unpacked?”

“No. Bryce and Katie were, uh, getting reacquainted in my room. I just dropped my bag and left.”

“Where have you been?”

“I was on my way up here, but Dawson pulled me into his room.”

Aiden clenches his back teeth, his jaw tightening. “I see.”

“Aiden, he’s my friend. And he was telling me about his weekend. And Jake was there, and then Dallas and Riley showed up.”

“Well, I’m glad you ended up here.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna let me in your room?”

He gives me a forced grin. “Only if you take off Dawson’s sweatshirt first.”

I look down, remembering I have it on. “Better he give me his sweatshirt than offer to warm me up himself, right?”

Aiden pushes his hands under the sweatshirt, purposefully running them up my sides. As he strips the sweatshirt off me, it pulls my dress up in the front and gives Aiden a flash of my thong.

“Aiden!” I yell, my voice muffled by the thick sweatshirt swaddling my head. It’s dark and I can’t move my arms.

He pulls me into his room, shuts the door, finishes pulling the sweatshirt off, then starts stripping off my dress as he says, “I think I can find a way to keep you warm without a sweatshirt on. Without anything on.”

I’ll double it.

12:04am

I’m meeting with Cooper, laying out my plan.

He listens to the whole thing without interruption.

“So, what do you think?”

“If your life weren’t on the line, it’d be a great plan.”

“Well, that’s where you come in. I’d like you to quit working for Garrett and work for me.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll double it.”

He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Fine. I’ll triple it.”

“You suck at negotiation,” he laughs.

“That’s what agents are for,” I laugh in reply.

“Why do you want me to work for you?” He looks at me intently as he leans on his forearms.

“Because I already almost got you fired. And . . . I’m probably going to ask you to help me with some things Garrett may not approve of.”

“You’ve asked me a lot of questions regarding pushing Vincent. Is that part of your plan?”

“Yes.”

“And how do you think that will end?”

I fiddle with the string on Aiden’s hoodie, the one he pulled over my head as I was leaving, hoping Cooper will forget the question.

“Answer me,” he says firmly.

“How do you think it will end?” I whisper.

“With one of you dead.”

I nod. “That’s what I think too. And, either way, it’s a win.”

“How is you ending up dead a win?”

“Because if he kills me, I know you’ll get the evidence we need to put him away for life. Which means my family will be free of him. That’s all I want. If I survive, I’ll give you a really big bonus.”

“I don’t want your money, Keatyn. I’d do this for free.”

“I know you would, but your life will be in danger too.”

He says softly, “I won’t let him win.”

“There are a lot of ways it could go down. Lots of different endings to the script.”

“Like what?”

“He kidnaps me, you come get me, and he goes to prison. Or, he kidnaps me, you can’t find me, I escape, and then he goes to prison. Or, he kidnaps me, kills me, and you make sure he either goes to prison for life. Or . . .”

“Or what?”

“I’m going to update my will this week.”

He squints at me. “Once I get over the shock of a seventeen-year-old even having a will, I’m going to ask you why.”

“If I’m murdered, there will be a provision giving you a large sum of money. I want you to use the money to move your family somewhere there’s no extradition. Then I want you to hire a professional to kill him.”

Cooper shuts his eyes tightly. “Is there a happier ending? One where you aren’t kidnapped or dead?”

I sigh and tell him the rest of my plan.

“When the time is right, we’re going to let him kidnap me.”

“Are you nuts?”

“Probably. We’ll worry about that later. For now, you’ll only have to worry when we start baiting him.”

“ Baiting him?”

“Cooper, I understand why your sister didn’t want to change her life when she was being stalked. I get it, probably more than anyone. But the difference is she wasn’t ready for him. We will be.”

He still doesn’t look convinced.

I jut my chin out and add, “It’s either that, or I go back to Malibu by myself.”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I’ll give you an answer regarding my employment in the morning. Go get some sleep.”

Got blown up.

9:30am

When I get to the diner, Garrett and Cooper are already sitting at a booth in the back. I skip the hostess stand and join them.

“Hey, Garrett,” I say coolly, taking a seat. Be strong, Keatyn. It’s time for you to take charge.

“Good morning,” he replies.

Cooper rolls tired eyes at me by way of a greeting.

“So, let’s hear this plan of yours,” Garrett says, cutting to the chase.

“My plan got blown up the second you made me leave the island. Look. I want to preface what I’m about to say with a thank you. I sincerely appreciate what you’ve done thus far in keeping me and my family safe. And you’ve been especially kind to me.” I sigh. “But, when you threatened me—no, worse: when you made Tommy threaten me—it forced me to take a long look at things. You’ve purposely divided us. And I understand that we shouldn’t be in the same location, but what I don’t understand is why you haven’t been forthcoming about all that’s been going on. It’s tearing my family apart, Garrett, and I won’t allow it anymore. So, starting now, everything goes through me. All bills. All plans.”