Pride and Hate with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 40 - Free card... victory

Ellie

In the morning, I wake with a headache and remember Charlie's promise to have her lawyer look into this. It's past noon, and I can't remember when I last slept this late.

When I get to the kitchen, Lydia is eating cereal as if nothing's happened.

"We need more milk," she says.

"Lydia, what happened last night?" I gratefully pour myself a cup of coffee.

She shrugs. "It was just a mistake. You don't need to worry about it."

"Don't worry? You called Charlie, and I had to come home immediately to try to get you out of jail."

"And I appreciate it, Ellie. I really do." She sounds irritatingly calm.

"I don't understand. What if this gets out? You'll have a criminal record. How can you not care?"

"Because there is nothing to worry about." She pulls out her phone and shows me her Instagram feed. "See, nobody knows what happened."

"Not yet, but they will, and then what? You'll be labeled a criminal for the rest of your life, and you know people will look at you differently."

"That's not my problem."

"It is if one of those people is a future boss."

"Ellie, you worry too much. So a few people have some wild theories about me? So what?"

I rub my temples. "You have to know how bad this is."

"Do I?" She finishes her cereal. "I have to get ready for tonight."

"Tonight? You're going out tonight?"

"Of course. I have to."

"Lydia, you can't go out tonight."

"Don't you see? I have to. I promised I'd join Trisha for the barcrawl, and I love her, but she is such a gossip. If I don't show up, she'll make up all sorts of stories."

I follow her to her room and watch as she cleanses her face.

"Charlie spoke to her lawyer. He'll contact us today and help us figure this out."

"That's ok. The lawyer from yesterday has it all settled."

"What lawyer?"

She picks up a jar and shrugs. "Just some lawyer."

"Was he working pro bono? Because you know we can't afford to pay him."

"I don't think so."

"Then how much is that going to cost? And is he any good? I guess I could ask Charlie for money."

"Honestly, Ellie, I have no idea."

I sit on her bed as she finishes slathering some gray concoction on her face.

"Wait a minute, it wasn't Victor's lawyer, was it?"

"No, it was not." She turns to face me. "And you really need to believe me when I tell you there is nothing to worry about."

"I should have told you about Victor as soon as I found out. I just didn't know you were hanging out with him."

"Told me what?"

I hesitate. "I... Well, I found out some things about him, and it turns out he's not a good person. He's pulled stunts like this before."

"Well, it's not like you have to worry about it anymore." She picks up different jars and puts them back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, part of the deal was that I don't see him anymore." After reading the label, she opens one jar and puts some lotion on the back of her hand.

"What? Why was that part of a deal? What deal?"

"I think he's moving out west, anyway." Her callous attitude is driving me mad as she lotions her hands.

"What deal, Lydia?"

"It doesn't matter. Now, I really need to get ready. Spending the better part of the night in jail did nothing for my skin."

I close my eyes. "You really don't care that your actions have consequences, do you?"

"Why do you care? It's not like you'll suffer from this."

"You're my sister, Lydia. And you still haven't told me what happened."

"It was nothing. Victor wanted to continue the party on his yacht and I thought that was a great idea. I guess we got on the wrong boat or something. The coastguard stopped us and hauled us back to the harbor and apparently they had called the cops. They took us to the station, and that was that."

"Well, do you have to go to court? Did you pay bail? What happens now?"

I want to be angry at her, but I can hardly blame her when I didn't even warn her about Victor.

"Jeez, Ellie, he took care of it. Relax."

"He? Who's he?"

She falters for just a moment. "The lawyer."

"You're lying. Who took care of it? Was it Victor?"

"No, it wasn't Victor. Victor tried to blame it all on me."

"Asshole. That figures. So who?"

She takes a deep breath. "I promised I wouldn't say."

"Tell me."

"Dylan Darcy was at the police station."

"D?"

"I have no idea why. I guess he knew me because Jenna and Julian used to date?"

Everything is spinning as Lydia works some lotion into her cuticles.

"I don't know what he was doing there, but he and his lawyer came back to see me. They asked me everything that happened and then they spoke to the police and the owner of the yacht. I'm not sure what he did, but the owner dropped the charges against me and said it was all a misunderstanding."

"Just like that?" My voice sounds foreign to me.

"I guess. But I really need to get ready now. Can we talk about this later?"

With a shake of my head, I get up and leave her room. It's been a crazy twenty-four hours and I'm not sure my brain has kept up with it all. D was at the police station. But he had been at the ball when I left. And I got the first train out. He must have flown in. Just like that.

I had been so wrong in my first impression of him. And then I had believed the things Victor said. I lay down on my bed and stare at the ceiling.

I can't believe he would do something like that for me. For me? Or did he have some other reason behind what he did? How can I ever repay him? What he's done for us is incredible. I remember my thoughts and place a pillow over my head. I thought he was selfish and vain. Turns out he's generous and thoughtful and perfect.

I let the pillow muffle my scream. He's perfect, and I messed it up so badly.