Chapter 562
Lance frowned as he listened. “So, where are you all planning to go?”
He already knew there was no way Cindy and Claire could get along, and he definitely wasn’t going to force Shirley to invite Cindy just because. Right now, all he cared about was Claire.
“We’re thinking Montara. The views there are amazing, and the weather’s just right —not too hot, not too cold, perfect for a trip.”
Honestly, they were hoping to swing by the desert too, if time allowed.
“I’ve actually got a business trip there anyway. How about I just join you?” Lance put it out there, not even hesitating.
“I could bring Cindy along. She can hang out with me, so you don’t have to worry about taking care of her or feeling awkward.”
“I’ll pay for everything, too—the whole trip, on me.”
Even Shirley had to admit, that last part was pretty tempting.
But she wasn’t about to be swayed by money alone. “Lance, I can’t promise anything. I need to talk it over with everyone first.”
Before Lance could say another word, she turned to the group. “My cousin Lance wants to come with us.”
“No way,” Claire said from behind the wheel, not even pausing to think about it.
“He says he’ll cover all our expenses, but he wants to bring Cindy.”
“He probably just wants Cindy to hang out with us by default,” Shirley added.
Sophia made a face. She wasn’t a fan of Cindy, and it showed.
“Who cares about his money? We just want to have fun. Bringing someone nobody really vibes with would totally kill the mood.”
She glanced at Shirley, a little worried, since Cindy was her cousin. If Shirley took it the wrong way, this could get awkward fast.
But Shirley’s expression didn’t even change.
Len shrugged. “I’m cool with whatever. You guys decide.”
The truth was, none of them were short on cash, and nobody seemed all that excited about Lance tagging along.
So Shirley told Lance, sounding a little sorry but also firm, “Lance, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a bit too old for our group. You probably wouldn’t enjoy it anyway.”
“If you really want to help out, you can just send me and Claire some money for our trip. Otherwise, maybe just skip it this time.”
Lance almost laughed at how blunt she was.
So they wanted his money, but not his company? Wild.
Fine. He could just keep up with their trip on Shirley’s social media. Nothing was stopping him from following along, whether they wanted him there or not.
After hanging up, Lance called Cindy next.
Cindy hadn’t slept well in days.
She honestly had no clue how to face her mom and Fallon. The two of them hated each other’s guts, and lately, things had blown up beyond repair.
Worse, it was Fallon’s fault she’d been swapped at birth. That wasn’t something she could ever forgive.
Still, a part of her was scared. What
if Octavia told her she could never see Fallon again? She wasn’t ready
for that sof
So for now, she was hiding
out in Lance’s apartment, not
planning to go home anytime soon.
When Lance’s number popped up, she figured he was probably about to give her some lecture.
She picked up, already feeling prickly. “What’s up, Lance?”
Lance had no clue what she was going through. He just asked, “Are you home right now? Want to get away for a bit?”
“Where to?” Cindy actually did want
to get out, clear her head, but she
didn’t feel like dealing with her usual friends, they d barig out with wer but only because they wanted something from her-she’d picked up on that a long time ago.
“Montara. The scenery’s beautiful. The weather’s just right. Let’s just take a few
days and relax.”
That caught Cindy’s attention.
“Really? Are you taking me, or what’s the plan?”
“I’ll be working part of the time, so I might not be able to hang out every minute If York wants to come, the three of us can go. If he doesn’t, I’ll just bring you You focus on having. fun, alright?”