Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess

Fresh from the shower, his hair slick and damp, Oliver felt the droplets trail from the tips of his locks, gliding down, pausing briefly at the ridge of his collarbone before continuing their path. He approached the bed, where Josefina lay in deep slumber. Assured she was out like a light, he quietly retreated to the adjacent guest room to catch some Z's.

Later, seated on the couch, Oliver busied himself with some paperwork on his laptop until an unfamiliar ringtone broke the silence. A frown creased his brow as he answered the call.

"Oliver, it's me," Shay's voice filtered through, tinged with a tremor of hesitance.

"What's up?" His tone remained as cold as ever, devoid of any warmth, almost robotic, lacking even a hint of tenderness.

Shay stumbled, "It's just that I-"

With a click, the line went dead. Oliver had hung up. Shay felt the sting of rejection, her face contorted with the shock of his callousness. How could he be so heartless?

Fuming, she dialed Sydney, who was just about to tuck herself in for the night. The phone barely rang before Sydney, recognizing Shay's number, picked up.

from Finley that my Oliver's got a girlfriend now? Any idea who

get Sydney's blood boiling. "It's that Harrison girl," she spat out. "You haven't seen the half of it, Shay. That girl's got nerve. Your dad and Oliver had a bit of a tiff, and she just swoops in, provoking your dad. Now look at us, practically under house arrest in this

at how capable Lena turned out to be. In the brief time Shay had been abroad, had that little

Oliver really listen to her like that? Allowing

him. He treats

expression darkened further. "He's really

ladies. He'd keel over without them. Now, he's so desperate he can't even think of a way to hop the fence."

Oliver's security caught him, and he ended up breaking a leg. Now he's crawling

ghastly. She needed to return home, and pronto. "Mom, I'll be back in a few days. I've got to see for myself what kind of girl has Oliver wrapped around her little

sinking back against the couch, staring blankly at the breakfast spread before her, appetite

through the glass, casting golden streaks across Josefina's eyes. Her lush, long lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, only to be met