Blood Money (1) | The Inheritance Games

XLII. carolina

"Why for years they've said that I was guilty as sin and sleep in a liar's bed, but the sleep comes fast and I'll meet no ghosts. It's between me, the sand, and the sea."

Spencer. October 18th 2020.

The night everything changed in our lives was over a year ago now. That night I got a call from Emily, informing me she and Jameson were over. 

"We're done." She told me bluntly, not sounding remorseful or even a little sad. "You and Jamie? I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" I asked with sympathy, placing my violin down and flopping down on my bed, prepared to give a pep talk about how she made the right choice ending it with him. 

"Is Grayson in his room?" She asked, completely ignoring my question.

"What- Yeah I think so?" I pondered.

"Great. Meet me at the waterfront in an hour. Wear your nice underwear, not the ugly ones." She told me.

"Why?" I said slowly, sceptical and not particularly happy about having to get up out of my pj's. She didn't answer, though she rarely did. Instead, she just hung up. 

I shivered as I pulled my satin pajama's off my freezing body from the unusually cold night in October. Fully nude, I riffled through my drawers for the Emily approved underwear. 

They were a bright pink color and are completely inappropriate for a 16 year old, but Emily bought me them for my birthday about 5 months prior. 

"Spence.. You still up?" Jameson's voice came from outside my door.

"Yeah.. one sec." I grumbled, pulling on some jeans and a hoodie. I pulled my bedroom door open, expecting to find him in floods of tears. 

"Hey.." I started off slowly. "You going out?" He asked me with furrowed brows. "Might be." I shrugged. 

"You okay?" I asked him with a frown. "She tell you already?" He hummed, lying down on my bed unbothered.

"She mentioned it. Didn't tell me what happened though." I shut the door and sat at the end of the bed, comforting him.

"I broke up with her." He clarified. I was taken aback, practically flinching. "Oh.. Why?" I gaped. The boy who's been obsessed with Emily Laughlin for as long as he's known her, finally got the chance to date her and ended up being the one to end things.

"Doesn't matter. I'm just glad I did." He scoffed. "How are you feeling?" I asked slowly, pulling my legs into my chest that way I always did around Emily to hide my stomach, this time more just out of instinct.

"Relieved." He told me truthfully.

"That's good then?" I shrugged. "Yeah." He nodded. "You been playing? Show me." Jameson gestured to my violin.

I groaned and picked it up, positioning it under my chin and holding the bow. I continued to play the song I had been playing earlier before Emily's call. I noticed my older brother smiling at me as I played, pride in his eyes.

"That was really good." He told me, "I know." I snarled sarcastically, he laughed a little.

"I need to get going." I sighed, pushing to my feet and tying my shoelaces.

"Where you going at this time?" Jameson asked. "To a friend's house." I lied through my teeth. "Don't be home too late." He ordered.

"You shouldn't be driving this late on your own." He interjected, pointing at me with a brotherly warning. 

I mean legally as a 16 year old I had to have a learners permit, which meant I couldn't drive without someone over 21 in the passenger seat, or drive at all past midnight, or drive with anyone else in the car under 18 outside of my family. All the bullshit rules were easy to bypass when you were hot and rich though. I've flirted my way out of tickets and bribed away half my life savings since I got this licence.