CHAPTER THREE

Frema

He was looking over at us like we were fresh meat. It freaked me out but I maintained eye contact. Willing myself not to chicken out. Arsen stared directly at him too, as confused as I was.

How can a person have so much hatred in his eyes?

Suddenly, he stood up abruptly and hastily left the restaurant. I looked over to Liam. He avoided my gaze and wrote a cheque for the meal, sliding it on the table.

"Liam.." I started.

He finally looked at me and gave a half assed smile, leaving the restaurant as well.

"Who's that?" Arsen asked.

"I don't really know. He's creepy, right? And he's grumpy too. This is the second time he's been here. His name is.. Eron." I explained. He sighed.

"This is why you have to resign, Frem."

"I will, in three days time. That's when I have to go back to college."

Arsen rolled his eyes. "I don't get why you even have to work. Dad is like, bastardly rich.. we don't have to lift a finger if we don't want to."

"But you're working."

"For dad. There's a difference." He turned away from me and looked around. "Where's Riley?"

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Her brother fell sick. She had to go home."

He turned to me, concerned. "Nothing serious, right? Do you know if she needs help with money?"

I gave him a pointed look. "You know Riley would not accept your money."

"I know. She takes yours. I don't see the difference." He stated, pissed.

I shrugged.

It was no secret to anyone close to my family that Arsen and Riley really liked each other. But I could tell that Arsen fell deeper than my best friend. Sometimes I was scared for my brother. Riley was spontaneous. What if she decided one day that she felt nothing for my brother anymore? It would ruin him. I allowed her some trust anyways. After all, she was my best friend. I had faith in her. In them.

"Can I see her? Do you think she'd get mad?" He asked sheepishly. I grinned.

"Of course. No, she won't get mad. She's really stressed these days, you could calm her nerves." I replied. He grinned, pulling me into a hug.

"You're the best baby sis ever, you know that right?" He asked. I laughed.

"Of course."

___

Four days later, my ass was getting settled in my room in college again. Riley was my roommate, of course. We bickered as we unpacked and when we were done, we decided to treat ourselves to icecream.

"Oh my God, I really needed this." I groaned as the flavour of the icecream hit my taste buds. Riley ate hers too, as dramatically as I did. We groaned and moaned as we ate our icecream, tuning out everyone else in the icecream shop.

Suddenly, someone stood over me. I looked up warily. Then gasped.

Eron? What was he doing here?

"A word." He told me, then turned as if I should follow him. I turned to Riley, she nodded eagerly.

"He could be a criminal." I whispered to her.

"He won't hurt you. I'd strangle him. Plus, a siren's got nothing on me. Trust me, go."

I shrugged and followed him to a partly secluded spot in the shop.

"Fremantle Michaelson."

"How do you know my last name?"

"I'd like you to go on a one night stand with my buddy, Liam." He started and I gasped. What the actual disrespect?!

But he continued like he said nothing wrong. "One night of wild sex with him equals 20 grand."

I looked on at him unbelievably.

"50."

"Do you know who I am? You seem to, because you know my last name so obviously there's no mistake—"

"I know perfectly well who you, your brother, your father and.. and your mother are. But you still worked at Kimmy's palace so I'm assuming you still want to make a few bucks." He said ‘your mother’ way too harshly. But that wasn't my business. If I had the guts, I would've punched this guy fair and square against his nose. Made him bleed to his last drop.

I looked over at Riley. She raised a brow. I shrugged and gave a fake smile before turning back to Eron. I didn't know where the guts came from but I leaned forward and spoke confidently,

"Do you need 50 grand? Is that what this really is? Because I have some spare change I can leave to you if that what you really want. Your friend is a sweetheart but I'm definite that he didn't send you here. As for you, you're a devil and I don't want anything to do with you." With that, I turned to leave but he caught my arm and I turned back to tell some words at him but his intense eyes shut me up.

"Daddy's money won't do much for me, princess. If you aimed to insult me, which I'm sure you did, it worked. But I promise you this isn't the last time we'll see. Watch your back and keep your mouth shut about this little piece except you want to disappear and never return." He finished, before letting go of me and walking off casually.

I turned to walk back to Riley and she looked confused as hell. I began explaining,

"He's just stupid. A rich stuck up bitch who thinks he can pay me off to fuck his friend." I said, leaving some parts to myself for the first time since Riley and I became besties.

"How much?"

"50 grand."

Her eyes widened. Then she groaned. I eyed her, confused.

"What?"

"Nothing really. Just wishing he called me up instead. Cause I know you declined."

I gasped. "Riley!"

"What? 50k is huge money these days, and just for a night? Let me remind you that I lost my virginity for free, girl. I don't mind getting used once for pay. It really ain't shit."

I grabbed my stuff from the table, "Well thank goodness he didn't ask you, then."

Riley scoffed. "You're just jealous, I'm more adventurous."

"Or I'm just careful about my friend being used by stuck up boys and coming off cheap." Frema stated, getting pissed.

Riley burst out laughing. "Chill, Frema. I'm just joking."

Frema sighed in relief, a small smile finally gracing her lips.