Awaken: Book 1 of the Dark Paradise Trilogy Read online

  “Why don’t you have a seat next to Andie,” Mr. Frampton suggested. “Andie, would you raise your hand?”

  Andie held onto a groan she wanted to release but did as Mr. Frampton asked. She watched as the girl—Reese, apparently—headed toward her. Of course there was a sway to her hips as she walked, and, like clockwork, practically every single guy in class craned their necks to watch. At first, Andie thought Reese was doing it on purpose, but the more she observed, the more she thought that Reese’s walk was more natural rather than forced. Reese didn’t even seem to notice the guys checking her out. Andie expected the blonde to take her new seat and ignore her, probably run off after class and become the most popular girl in school, but she surprised Andie. Once Reese took her seat and Mr. Frampton resumed his lecture, she turned to Andie.

  “Andie, right?” she asked. She spoke fast, with a bubbly taint to her tone, a quintessential valley girl. “I love that name.”

  “Thanks,” Andie replied, unsure. Was this girl planning to mock her?

  “I’m Carey,” Carey interjected.

  “Oh my gosh, I love your hair,” Reese whispered. “You have the perfect face for the pixie cut. I definitely couldn’t pull that off.”

  Andie had to admit that Reese sounded like she meant the compliment.

  “Reese, I know you’re new here, but this is a lecture, not a sorority,” Mr. Frampton said, interrupting them. “Let’s save the gossip for later, okay?”

  Andie’s mouth dropped open. Mr. Frampton teased a lot of his students, but he had never said anything as remotely condescending to her and Carey when he caught them talking in class. Maybe Miss Perfect didn’t have it as easy as Andie initially thought. She glanced over at Reese. She had taken out a notebook and started to take notes, but Andie could see a faint blush still touching her porcelain skin.

  “If you want,” Andie whispered as she leaned over to Reese, “Carey and I can show you to your next class.”

  Reese locked eyes with her and offered her a grateful smile. “I’d appreciate that, thanks,” she replied.

  The day went by. Andie and Reese ended up sharing four classes together while Carey and Reese shared two. The only thing that differed among the three of them was their sixth period: Andie had her business class, Carey had dance, and Reese had soccer. The more Andie spent with Reese, the more she realized Reese was a really nice person. It was easy to hate her because she was rich, gorgeous, smart, and athletic, but once Andie got to know her better, she couldn’t not like Reese, especially after she refused to sit with Olivia Carlton—arguably the most popular and bitchiest girl in school—in order to sit with Andie and Carey.

  Sixth period Business was practically empty because nearly every student had already bagged an internship, which left Andie sitting at her desk, sending out her résumé to potential internships online.

  “You have until next week to get an internship, Andrea,” Mrs. Fitzpatrick reminded Andie for the umpteenth time. She was the only person who used Andie’s real name; apparently Andrea was more professional than Andie.

  When the bell rang, Andie all but dashed to the junior parking lot where Carey and her 2000 Nissan Maxima were waiting for her. They needed to head to Carey’s place and get ready for tonight.

  She still could not believe she agreed to this.

  “My mom made us lasagna,” Carey said as they walked into the kitchen. “Remember we can’t eat when we’re there.”

  “Like you have to give me a reason to eat your Mom’s lasagna.”

  The few hours before the job were longer than Andie expected. The butterflies that had occupied her stomach since packing her uniform this morning must have grown bigger and mated because by the time the two had to get ready, it felt like someone was playing pool in her stomach.

  “We’re going to be late!” Carey sing-songed after knocking on the bathroom door.

  Andie emerged from the bathroom with only one black pump on, scowling as she tried to find its match. She hopped around, unbalanced, mumbling how much she hated heels and how they were a sexist contraption. She looked up to find Carey waiting for her by the front door, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping almost in Morse code.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming!” Andie exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair as she disappeared down the hall. Seconds later, she was back with both pumps on her feet and her purse slung over her shoulder.

  Carey gave her friend a once-over before her face collapsed into her palm. “You couldn’t put any makeup on, could you?” she asked as she opened the front door. “Of course not. I mean, not to Jack Phillip’s party or anything, you just can’t happen to make an effort to look good.” Andie opened her mouth, a devious look crossing her features, but Carey immediately zeroed in on it and cut it off. “And don’t even start on how you already look good. I get it. You can definitely pass without makeup in the real world. But guess what? We’re not in the real world when it comes to Jack Phillip and his manor. We’re in Phillip world. Come on. My mom’s already there and expecting us in half an hour.”

  “Would you shut up?” Andie asked, sliding into the passenger seat and reaching over to buckle her seatbelt. “Trust me. I’ll be my usual charming self … unless, of course, Phillip sees me and throws my ass out.”

  The drive wasn’t long. Carey had to check in with two different people and pull the car around to the back. Apparently Jack Phillip didn’t want his hoity-toity guests to see the help.

  Andie stepped out of the car, wiping her hands on her skirt. Her eyes took in the mansion, though most of it was obscured by the trees that surrounded his property. She sucked in a deep breath. She could do this.

  “God, Carey, this freaking guy keeps ordering shrimp so he can watch me turn around and oogle my ass,” Andie said in a low voice on one of the rare times where she and Carey had a few minutes to themselves. “How long have we been here anyway? I haven’t even seen that asshole Phillip.”

  “Yeah, well with that mouth of yours, he might overhear you,” Carey mumbled dryly. She paused, a serious look touching her face. “Hey, thanks for coming with me tonight. It really means a lot.”

  Andie gave her friend an endearing smile. “If it was anyone else …” she teased.

  “If it was anyone else, you would do the same thing,” Carey replied, a knowing smile on her face. “You put up a badass front, but I know how sweet you are.”

  “Hey, hey, hey,” Andie said, raising her hands. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold, if you don’t mind. Now, what did that old perv want again?” The two friends headed into the kitchen. “Hey Robin, how’s it going?”

  “Need more shrimp, do you?” Carey’s mother asked, her dark brown eyes twinkling. “Boy, Mr. Krept’s going to keep you on your feet all night. Why don’t you take a break?”

  “Really?” She glanced over at Carey who nodded.

  Andie did not have to be told twice. Giving her friend a dazzling smile and a quick thanks, she took off her apron and all but dashed onto the second-story balcony. Once outside, she let out a sigh of relief. Running her hand through her now messy hair, Andie walked over and leaned her forearms on the cool banister, her eyes drifting up to the stars. It was hard to see the shining bodies of light in the city, but since Phillip’s mansion was maybe five miles outside city limits, pollution wasn’t as prevalent. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the bitter fresh air, and her eyes began to make shapes by connecting the stars. It was something she used to do with her mother after her father went to sleep. Her mother would take her out at nine o’clock, when Andie should have been in bed and Keirah already was, and the two would gaze up at the stars.

  But that was before the divorce, before her father left them behind, before they had to sell their townhouse and move into an apartment, before her mother withdrew from life.

  “Andie?”

  Andie jumped and turned, only to see Reese walking outside.

  “Reese?”

  The blonde’s face lit up with a s
mile as she rushed over to Andie and immersed her in a tight hug.

  “I thought that was you,” Reese continued, releasing her hold on Andie. “I wanted to come over and say hi.” Her eyes got wide and, after she looked around, said in a voice just above a whisper, “That’s okay, right? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

  Andie knew these uniforms were chosen specifically because they were boring, but she didn’t feel as plain as she did standing next to Reese. Her blonde hair was down again, but instead of waves, each lock was curled. She had light makeup, which included pink lipstick—how one person could pull off both pink and red lipstick, Andie didn’t know—and mascara. She was in a simple pink halter dress that reached a couple of inches past her knees. It was conservative, but clung to her body in order to reveal her curves. On her feet was a simple pair of black heels with a pink heart stitched into each one. They had to be at least four inches, making her Andie’s height, and somehow Reese was able to walk in them the way Andie walked in her Converses.

  “What are you doing here?” Andie asked.

  “Well, my dad’s the new vice president at Jack’s company, so he was invited tonight,” Reese explained. “Daddy loves socializing, so of course he wanted to come and Mom loves a party. They talked me into coming with them, so here I am. Brody, my little brother, lucked out and got invited to a sleepover. As to why I’m right here right now, I just had to escape a little bit.”

  “Really?” Andie hadn’t meant to sound so disbelieving, but it was hard to imagine Reese not enjoying herself at these types of parties.

  “What, you think because my family has money I love these types of parties?” She rolled her grey eyes. “Please. Total snooze fest. It’d be different if these people didn’t so obviously have something to prove.”

  Guilt punched Andie in the stomach. “I’m really sorry, Reese. I didn’t mean—”

  “No, it’s fine,” Reese said, another smile on her face. This one Andie could tell was more strained than the first one. “I get it a lot, don’t worry about it. Remember what Mr. Frampton said about me being in a sorority? Yeah, that’s actually one of the nicer things said about me. Anyway, I don’t want to keep you. I just wanted to say hi and thank you for showing me around school today. It really meant a lot. I’ll see you Monday.”

  Before Andie could stop her, Reese turned and headed back inside. Her stupid mouth. She spun around so she was facing Jack’s enormous backyard again. She only had a few more minutes on her break. The next time she saw Reese, Andie would make it up to her somehow. She still had no idea why Reese wanted to be her friend when she could be friends with anyone in school, but she found herself wanting that friendship.

  “Are you cold, young lady?” a soft voice asked from behind her.

  Andie craned her neck and her eyes came in contact with an older woman with long grey hair twisted into a loose bun, jade green eyes, and deep red lips. She was wearing a crimson dress that sparkled like the stars against the night sky with long sleeves, the hem nearly dragging on the floor, and a big diamond necklace hung around her neck. Andie recognized her as Jack’s elusive aunt, Beverly Phillip.

  Andie blinked and only then did she realize she had goose bumps littering her skin. The outfit she wore wasn’t helping much. It consisted of a black jumper with the skirt reaching the middle of her thighs. Underneath the jumper was her silk white shirt she had worn to her job interview which she managed to clean just in time for tonight. There was still a stain, but it was faded and hidden by the front of the jumper. Her legs were covered in black tights, and her feet were adorned with those simple black pumps Andie despised.

  “Um, no,” she said quietly, shaking her head. Why was Phillip’s aunt talking to her? Was she about to get in trouble? “I mean, it is cold outside, but I’m fine.” She glanced down at herself before tossing Ms. Phillip a careless smile. “It’s not like these outfits are helping though, you know?”

  Andie bit her lip. She wasn’t expecting to criticize Phillip in front of his aunt and now definitely expected to be kicked out. Ms. Phillip surprised her by laughing.

  “Yes, well, Jack did choose them himself,” she explained.

  “Wow,” Andie said with a touch of dryness to her voice. “He chose the outfit himself? Doesn’t that go against his policy of having nothing to do with anything?”

  “Actually, I revoked that policy a couple of weeks ago,” a soft-spoken voice said from behind the two.

  “Ah, Jack,” his aunt said with a subtle grin at Andie. “It would seem that I am speaking to your biggest fan.”

  Andie let out a nervous chuckle at the statement and she glanced at his aunt who, much to Andie’s dismay, was excusing herself. She tensed at the thought of being left alone with Phillip.

  “Okay, listen,” she said after a moment of silence. “I’m sorry that I’m here catering your party after my little blowout yesterday. But if you’re going to throw me out, may I just ask that you don’t mention this to the catering manager?”

  Phillip’s eyes sparkled in amusement, his thin lips twitching up. His brows perked as he asked, “Now why would I throw you out?” He took a sip of his martini before setting it down on the banister and turning his body so he could get a better view of Andie.

  “If you can’t think of a reason,” she said, avoiding his eyes, “I’m not going to provide you with one.”

  This caused him to chuckle. “Did you get my message?” he asked.

  “What message?” Andie asked, glancing up so she was looking at him.

  “I wanted to personally offer you the internship,” he said. She looked up at him suspiciously. Another chuckle escaped his lips. “What? I’m being serious.”

  “I may not be as esteemed as you are, but I’m not stupid,” she said. “I don’t like being taken advantage of, and people in this town have a knack for doing just that to other people. So excuse me for not believing you.”

  “I’m going to be honest with you,” he said, shifting his weight and sliding his left hand in his slacks. “You are probably the only person in Onyx who was actually honest with me. And I need that. So what do you say?”

  Andie stared up at him, trying to decipher if the man was being honest or not. He looked genuine enough, but then again, he was supposed to. They wouldn’t consider him a playboy if he didn’t act the part.

  “You’re not messing with me, are you?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Because if you are, I just want you to know that karma will come back around and bite you in the ass.” She was so intent that she didn’t realize she had just cursed at him.

  “I’m sure it will,” he said with a smile. “But to answer your question, no, I’m not messing with you.” He stuck out his right hand, the inquiring look still present on his face as he gazed at her patiently. “So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

  Andie hesitated, but the fact of the matter was that this was one of the few internships offered to high school students that actually paid, and she needed the money. She chewed the bottom of her lip before placing her hand in his. It was warm, big, and instead of being soft like she assumed, it was rough. If she inspected it, she would probably find calluses decorating his palm. Andie found this bizarre. If he was wealthy and rarely did manual labor, why would his hands be rough?

  The odd embrace ended as a drop-dead gorgeous woman—a supermodel Andie recognized from the latest spread in Cosmopolitan—slipped her arm through Jack’s, causing his hand to slip out of his pocket. She regarded Andie with a cool stare, which forced Andie to press her lips together in order not to laugh. Was this woman really threatened by her? She was a supermodel for goodness’ sake, while Andie was a high school student who worked at the Spirit Museum and occasionally took a waitressing job in order to help out Carey’s mom. Someone needed to get their confidence in check, and it wasn’t Andie.

  “Come on, Jack,” she said, looking up at him with her hazel eyes. Andie saw Jack’s brow twitch, but it vanished in an instant. “There
’s a group of people who want to meet you.”

  Jack nodded and looked at Andie again. “I’ll see you at one o’clock Monday afternoon then,” he told her before heading into the party.

  Andie shook her head, watching him leave. She pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream and found that, no, this was actually reality. She had gotten the internship from Jack Phillip himself.

  5

  Keirah would never admit it, but she took extra care in getting ready for work the next day. Fridays were known as a paperwork day where she got to leave at three instead of five, and as such, Keirah could come in dressed casually. Even so, she still decided to grab a pair of slacks and a nice shirt. The only clients—if there were any clients—were scheduled for the morning. That, however, changed with the arrival of Noir. He was scheduled for an hour long session with Dr. Hawkins Monday through Friday at exactly one o’clock. Because the client was high-risk and deemed a first priority from District Attorney Lucas Burr, Hawkins couldn’t show up late. The schedule was impossibly strict and Keirah wasn’t sure if the doctor would be able to make such a drastic character change in a twenty-four hour span. However, much to Keirah’s surprise, a couple minutes before one, in walked the doctor, throwing a hurried nod to Keirah before heading into the room without a word.

  At one, Officer Hiro walked in with Noir by his side, clanging with each step he took. Keirah sucked in her breath as she watched the criminal. She knew she shouldn’t; she should be typing up an essay due on Monday or confirming appointments, but she couldn’t help it. He was looking at her too, those hazel eyes shining gold and his head turned at such an unnatural angle that she was surprised it hadn’t fallen off. Then he winked at her and let out a high-pitched laugh before disappearing down the hall.