I drove for over two hours listening to depressing songs as I made my way across the state of Florida. I'd called Avery numerous times to let her know I would be home early, but she never answered. She was my absolute best friend in the entire world and I wanted to spill every little detail. But after Hayden's reaction, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't petrified to tell her.

Exiting I-95, I headed east and drove for a few minutes until I reached one of two long and narrow bridges that sat parallel to each other. Growing up, I'd been terrible with directions. My dad always said, "The beach is east, Ana," which made it easy for me to learn navigation.

I crossed on to the island and rolled down my window to breathe in the salty air. Lavish cars lined the streets. Porches, Mercedes, BMWs, and Ferraris were the choice of cars driven here along with Lamborghinis. People of all ages strutted the sidewalks, their arms heavy with posh named bags. Every single person dressed to the nines, scarves donned their necks to protect them from the seventy-degree chilly weather. Noses held high in the air, an aura of money surrounded the uppity, entitled people of Palm Beach Island.

My smile faded. That was the one thing about being on the West Coast of Florida I really enjoyed. I never got the sense of privilege over there as I did here.

Thick garland swooped from store to store, red and gold fat bulbs arranged on wreaths topped with giant red bows. Trees expertly wrapped with white lights—never the gaudy colored ones—and leafy palms garbed with green lights. Christmas decorations were everywhere and the holiday spirit was all around. I had to give it to the town, it was a winter wonderland and looked stunning at night.

Veering on to North Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach Island was small, and it was only a matter of minutes as I drew closer to Avery's house, a large Mediterranean villa home like mine. Her car was vacant from the pebbled driveway where she always parked. I knew school was out for the winter break, but seeing as it was the weekend, I had no idea where she could be since she still hadn't answered her cell phone.

I continued past her house and flipped on my blinker and turned left, pulling into the long winding driveway of my home. The lush lawn, a manicured vibrant green, with two inclined palm trees lined the sides of the purposely weathered front door. I smiled as I parked my Escalade and glanced around, appreciating my home.

Walking toward the side door I'd used since childhood, I caught a glimpse of a BMW. It wasn't abnormal to see this kind of luxury car in my parents' driveway, but what caused me to stop were the jet black twenty-two inch rims that looked awfully familiar.

I strained my neck to see if there were necklaces hanging from the rearview mirror. The windows were pitch black, I couldn't see in unless I peered through the windshield. If there were—

There were, which left me even more stumped. Blue and orange beaded necklaces hung from the rearview mirror, the colors of the college she dreamed of attending.

I wracked my brain trying to figure out why Avery was here when she refused all my calls in the first place. She couldn't have known I was coming home.

The scent of the black currant and vanilla fusion candles Mom was obsessed with crashed into me as I pulled open the door. My eyes popped from the aromatherapy that promised relaxation. Designed in mind to soothe, all it did was give me an instant headache. I'd forgotten how strong this aroma was. This time she'd gone a little overboard.

"Dad? Mom? I'm home!"

Noise from every corner of the house caught my attention, but it was the familiar click-clacking of Louboutin heels that turned my head in the other direction.

Mom walked under the arched foyer looking as radiant as ever. She had her face painted on and not a hair out of place. Dressed to impress. Our eyes met, and the corner of my lips hesitated to pull up.

"Ana!" she exclaimed with her arms open. With Mom wearing heels, it put her just under six feet, so she had to bend down to hug me. Despite the many differences between us—and not just in looks, but also our views on life—she was still my mom and I loved seeing her.

"It's so good to see you, honey!" Her Chanel perfume engulfed me and I wrinkled my nose, too many smells going on. She placed her hands on my upper arms and my stomach tightened. I prepared myself for what would come next, yet I couldn't stop the hammering of my heart.

Mom's shrewd eyes moved down the length of my body. I held my breath. "Aside from your arms and shoulders starting to resemble your brother’s, you look absolutely amazing. So skinny!" A backhanded compliment. I'd take it. "But those clothes…" She clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Oh, Adrianna. You know how much I hate that style, but you look like you're positively glowing."

I bounced on the balls of my feet. "Thanks, Mom. I missed you."

Her sparkling blue eyes softened. "I missed you too. It's so good to have you home."

"Is that my daughter I hear?"

I turned around at the sound of Dad’s baritone voice rebounding down the foyer. He strolled toward us at a leisurely rate. A crystal tumbler filled with an amber color liquid clutched in one hand, and a delighted smile across his seasoned face.

"Dad!"

Dad placed his glass down on the counter and Mom hissed behind me. The table was Purple Heart and considered one of the most expensive woods in the world. Found in the tropical rainforests of South Africa, when cut, it swiftly went from dark brown to a deep, rich purple. It was my mom's favorite piece of furniture in the house and she made sure to keep it in the welcoming room for all to see. She adorned it with a monstrous vase of pure white exotic flowers.

"Sweetheart."

I met my dad halfway and threw my arms around his shoulders, jumping into his hug. He lifted me up and my knees bent behind me. He squeezed me tight and I feigned lack of air.

"Dad… Dad." I tapped his shoulder. "I can't breathe."

"You can breathe just fine, don't exaggerate. Let me hug my only daughter another minute or so."

I smiled into his neck, but he really was starting to suffocate me.

Placing me back on my feet, he beamed down at me. "I wasn't expecting you home so soon. Last I spoke to Konstantin, I figured another few days before you came back."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Well, some things changed at the last minute, so I was able to come home early."

"Speaking of Konstantin…" Mom said, picking up the glass and handing it to Dad. She eyed the table for a wet ring. "He called a few days ago about the meet you're no longer competing in. We lost a few hundred dollars on that. He said something about you not being ready. After all that time away to train, Ana, you're still not in tip-top shape?"

Dad slanted his head to the side. His inquisitive eyes caused deep creases to form between his brows. "Konstantin didn't mention anything like that to me when we last spoke. In fact, he seemed very pleased with your progress. Now that I think about it, he was raving about you."

Pleased with my progress? Raving about me? No way. Kova had to be lying, or Dad was trying to protect me. In the past year that I'd been at World Cup, not once did he wear a smile around me, let alone show that he was pleased during practice. Either it was his way of giving me constructive criticism, or he was lying to my parents.

I twisted my fingers together, hot heat spread to my ears. "Well, Coach and I spoke about it, and he felt that I should wait just a little longer. Given my Achilles strain, and changing up my routines, he wants to be one hundred and ten percent sure I'm solid. That way I start off competition season with a bang and make a name for myself. I really need to make it count." I put a lot of weight into my words, hoping they picked up the importance of them. "Let's just say Coach is a little obsessive compulsive. He doesn't like to lose. He wants to make sure that when I go in, not a finger is out of place and I come out on top. While I can appreciate his attention to detail, sometimes it gets annoying."

Dad nodded his head as if he knew what I was talking about. "He still has that trait about him? Not surprised." He laughed under his breath and my shoulders loosened. "The couple of times we did house flipping, or when he bought property, he was particular about every little thing. He'd walked around and slowly inspected every square inch of the property. As a businessman"—he placed his hand over his heart—"his keen eye was welcoming. He picked out things I hadn't noticed. I once tried to bring him on to my company, but he refused."

"You did? I don't recall that."

I looked at Mom, bemused by her constipated looking face and narrowed eyes, she didn’t like being kept out of the loop.

"This was many years ago, darling. Ana was just a young child."

She plastered on what I knew was a fake smile—her social event smile. The one she taught me. "Well, things worked out how they're supposed to, right, Frank?"

"Yes, darling."

Mom clapped her hands together. "I have a meeting I need to get to. This year we're doing a silent auction to help benefit the people of Zimbabwe. We're trying to raise enough money so everyone can have mosquito repellent tents to sleep under. Next week we have a gala at the Four Seasons. All donations will go to the Children's Hospital in Boston. I trust that you will be there, Ana?" She dragged her critical eyes down my body for the second time today. "Appropriately dressed? Yes?" She nodded with her statement and walked away. "Oh, Avery is here somewhere," Mom said, before exiting the room.

"Avery is here?" I asked my dad.

He shrugged his shoulders. "She comes and goes from time to time."

I stared, thoroughly stumped. "You mean she comes and goes with her brothers?"

"Couldn't tell you. I don’t pay much attention." He swirled his glass and then took a sip. "It's good to see you, but I have to get back to work. See you for dinner, sweetie. I have a business call, then I'm flying out late tonight on a red-eye."

My face fell. I should've expected this, but I'd been gone for so many months that I assumed he'd take time off to see me.

"You're leaving? But I just got home."

"I'm off to Colorado for a few days. It won't be a long trip."

"With Michael?"

Michael Heron was his business partner and Avery's dad. They usually traveled together.

"Not this time. I'm meeting a potential new client." His eyes lit up as he raised his half-empty glass of alcohol, like he had tricks up his sleeve to win this client over. I sighed. He either traveled for a potential client, or to close a deal, which meant he was always gone. Money was his biggest motivator.

Dad dropped a kiss to the top of my head, then turned and made his way back to his office.

Pulling my cell phone from my back pocket, I checked my notifications. Still nothing from Avery yet her car was outside. She and Xavier fought like siblings. I couldn't imagine she'd be at my brother's pool house…unless her twin brothers were there and she was with them.

Curious, I walked through the kitchen to look out a window. Overgrown tropical plants edged the backyard, blocking the view of the pool house my brother had moved into after he graduated high school. It was like his own little hidden bungalow. Sliding open the glass door, I stepped outside and walked past the pool and under the archway that lead to one of two impressive guest houses on our property.

A string of high-pitched, fiery profanity carried through the air. I stopped walking and crouched behind the nearest pillar. Peeking through an abundance of plants, I caught a flash of blond hair that dashed behind the leafy palms.

Avery?

A door opened and then slammed shut. Multiple footsteps pounded on the pavers. I stood up to get a better view and spotted Xavier.

"Get back here," he growled, storming after her. He was shirtless and in a pair of jeans that sat low on his waist. I was close enough I could hear what they were saying and luckily small enough to hide behind a stone column to watch.

I hadn't seen my brother in months, but there was a noticeable difference in his appearance. He had to be hitting the gym. He was much more muscular and way leaner than I remembered. He filled out and was in the best shape I'd ever seen him in.

"Avery!" Xavier roared. He had a black eye and a dried up cut on his lip. "I'm calling your name. I know you can hear me!"

"The dead can hear you," she snapped over her shoulder. "Go fuck yourself, you conceited bastard."

His eyes flared to life. Xavier reached out and yanked Avery by her elbow. He spun her around and she fell into him with a huff. He had her pinned against his bare chest, one hand on the back of her neck, the other on the small of her back. Xavier took after both my parents and got the tall genes of the family. He towered over Avery, she had to crane her neck to look up at him.

What the fuck?

Avery sagged against him, her shoulders loosened. I frowned, confused beyond hell to see them so cozy. My stomach revolted, mainly because she was my best friend, and because this was uncomfortable to watch. Chicks before dicks.

Their voices dropped and I had no idea what they were saying. With their bodies pressed together intimately, faces separated by mere inches, I strained to listen, but all I was granted with were whispers through clenched teeth. Avery moved to slap him, but Xavier grabbed her wrist before she could finish. He glared at her as she resisted his hold. She shoved and pushed against him, but judging by the smirk on Xavier's face, he knew he had control over her.

I couldn't take it. I was at the point of suffocating from covering my mouth so hard. A million and one questions floated through my head so fast I couldn't process them. I also couldn't be a sitting duck any longer.

"Avery?" I called out, walking toward them.

"Adrianna?"

Surprise laced her tone. She and Xavier jumped apart.

"Oh my God. Is that you?" she squealed, then ran toward me with a huge smile on her face. We threw our arms around each other in a tight hug, rocking from side to side with happiness. I was curious to see if she was going to bring up that little scene I just witnessed.

"I've missed you!" I said.

"I can't believe you’re home!"

I pulled back when Xavier walked over. "Hey, sis." He smiled and pulled me into a hug. He reeked of weed and I could smell the faint scent of day old booze on his breath. "It's good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same for you. You smell like shit," I said.

He chuckled, unashamed.

"I wasn't expecting you until closer to Christmas."

"I finished my final exams a couple of days ago, so I came home early." Xavier's eyes lifted toward Avery for a split second before returning to mine.

I glanced at Avery. She had her bottom lip rolled between her teeth.

"I called you while I was on the road a million times to tell you I was coming home early, but you never answered. What are you doing here? Where've you been?"

Avery let out a loud and annoying huff. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She held it up to my face. My brows shot up.

"This is why I didn't get your calls. My phone won't turn on. My dumb, fucking brothers thought it would be hilarious to paint my iPhone Miami colors while I was sleeping last night. My brand new iPhone, Aid. Not only that, with the help of your brother"—she shot him a murderous glare—"they doused my car in cake flour and eggs. I swear to God, I'm gonna murder them."

She handed me her phone and I looked down. I tried to scratch and flick at the hideous streaks of orange and green paint, but it wouldn't scrape off. Both sides were completely painted. At sixteen, Avery was a massive Gators fan. She may hate the Seminoles, but she detested the Hurricanes. No one liked Miami.

I glanced up at my brother, puzzled why he and her brothers would do this. "Really, Xavier? What are you? Ten?" A vein throbbed in the center of his forehead. He tried to stifle his laughter, but he was bursting at the seams like a one-year-old smashing blueberries in his hand as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

"It rained early this morning, Aid," she stated, her feet shifting from one to the other. "Flour was stuck to my car."

When she said stuck, it hit. My jaw dropped, and my eyes popped wide. I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help it. I swung back and slapped my brother in his midsection with the back of my hand. This was a typical senior prank at our high school. Only she wasn't a senior yet and they were just assholes.

"I spent all morning having my baby detailed, inside and out. I got enough off the windows so I could see where I was going, but when I got inside my car and turned the air on, I was shot with a massive puff of flour. There was flour everywhere, Aid, everywhere. I tried hosing off the flour on the outside, and it only made it worse. There's still flour and eggshells all over my driveway."

I couldn't contain myself and busted out laughing as I pictured Avery sprayed with flour.

"Oh my God. But why would they do that?" I turned toward my brother and asked him the same question.

"Why not?" Xavier said, shrugging.

"Because they're fucking assholes, that's why. Need any more explanation?"

I chuckled at her annoyed tone, and so did my brother. It was impossible not to.

"So, you came over here to yell at them?" I paused, thinking about what my dad said and the scene I just saw. "My dad said you come here from time to time while I've been gone."

She shot Xavier a fleeting glance before setting her eyes back on me. "I think your dad is drinking too much bourbon. Why would I come here without you? To see who?"

"That's what I said. But then I…I thought maybe..." My heart pounded. I had to get it out. "I thought…I thought maybe you guys might be seeing each other or something."

"What! Are you fucking kidding me?" Xavier exclaimed. His face turned a deep shade of red. He wasn't laughing anymore. "I'm not a fetus humper. Young bitchy Barbies aren't my type."

Avery stared straight into my eyes as if she was calculating his demise in her mind.

"A fetus humper," she stated, putting heavy emphasis into the words. "A fetus humper. Where do you come up with this shit?"

"I don't screw girls, especially ones much younger than me. Not worth the jail time, and I'm not a fucking sex ed teacher. I like them experienced and untamed."

I scoffed, pretending to dry-heave. "You're so gross." The last thing I wanted to picture was my brother having sex.

Avery chimed in. "Tell me, do you happen to have another brother I don't know about that I'd come visit instead of this fuckwad standing next to me?"

I feigned a smile. "You know I don't."

"I will admit that I've been here more lately since they came home for winter break two weeks ago, but that's it. Girl, I missed you, but I don't miss you that much where I need to sleep in your bed and shit and be close to your brother to feel close to you. What the fuck?" I relaxed, laughing at the expression on her face. "That's some psycho shit right there."

"As much as I'm loving this cozy little reunion, I gotta dip."

Before Xavier could leave, I called out his name. "What's with the bruise and cut?"

He tilted his head and gave me a side glance. At this angle, I could see he had dark circles under his eyes. He put up his fists and crouched down, pretending to box the air, throwing jabs and undercuts.

"Just fuckin' around with some friends."

Xavier walked away. I watched as he opened the door and a huge cloud of smoke slipped out.

We couldn't be more different if we tried.

I pulled Avery into a side hug. "So, how do you plan to get them back?" She chuckled. Avery was already scheming.

We walked back into my house, making plans for the day to look for a gala dress. I was beyond excited to hang out with my best friend. My stomach flittered with butterflies and happiness radiated from her just as it did me. This time at home was going to be exactly what I needed. It had been many months since we got to hang out, being so far from Avery was way harder than I had expected.

I changed into a more Palm Beach look while Avery caught me up on all the drama at her school and how she worked her way up to cheer captain. I knew she'd make the team. When Avery set her mind to something, it was extremely rare she didn't achieve it. As she rambled on, I put on a little makeup and curled the ends of my hair. Despite praising myself on not being like one of the Gucci squad kids, I still had to keep up my appearance. I was fortunate, my parents gave me a lot, and doing something as simple as playing the part for them was something I could suck up and do.

Stepping back, I assessed myself in the mirror. I had gotten used to rolling out of bed and not having to get dolled up for anything that I'd forgotten how much I missed it. It was amazing how far a little mascara and nice clothes could go.

Just as we were about to leave, Mom walked out of Dad’s home office and took in my appearance.

"Ana, much better," she said proudly, her eyes glittering. "Please make an appointment with Sasha to have your hair and makeup done for both the gala and New Year's Eve party. You two can go together," she said, waving her fingers between me and Avery. "I don't know if you’ve made any friends back in Cape Coral, but if you'd like to invite them, you're more than welcome to. They can stay in our guest house if it's okay with their parents."

"I have a few friends I could invite and I'm sure their parents wouldn't mind if they come here, seeing as they live alone." She gave me a perplexed look and I answered her question. "It's Holly and Hayden, they’re twins. I think I'll invite them since we’ve all became pretty good friends. Thanks, Mom." I smiled cheerfully, thinking back to the time Hayden said he wanted to come visit.

"Why don't you invite your coach too," Avery suggested brightly.

This bitch. I glared at her, counting all the ways I could rip out each strand of hair on her head. I cleared my throat and said, "I don't think—"

Dad appeared in the threshold, leaning casually against the door frame. "I've actually spoken to Konstantin already and invited them. He said he had to speak to Katja and check their schedules. I'll follow up with him today." He took a sip of his amber liquid.

"I'm sure he and Katja already have plans," Mom said.

"Mom's probably right," I quickly added. Anxiety crowded my stomach. Please, dear God, let them have plans. The last thing I wanted was Kova and Katja here.

Dad shook his head. "I'll give him a call now. They can stay in our other guest house, and if anything, Ana's friends can stay in a guest room."

Mom sucked in a breath the same time I did. This was a terrible idea and I needed to have this plan overthrown.

"I'll need a final head count for the caterers by the end of the week, Frank," Mom said tightly. "You know, so we can prepare for any extra friends you might want to invite."

Dad dipped his chin in agreement. For whatever reason, Mom wasn't happy about this. She was downright seething and I had no idea why.

"Well, we'll see you later. We're going shopping," I nearly choked out to my parents, then turned to leave. They lowered their voices to just above a whisper as we walked away, a sharpness to each word Mom spit out stung, and I knew they were about to argue. I ignored it, I'd grown used to it by now.

Grabbing Avery's arm as we walked out the front door, I leaned into her ear and said, "I'm going to fucking murder you, Avery."

She laughed…and so did I.