I hadn’t really paid attention to the gossip before, but ever since my talk with Jack, the universe kept throwing it in my face. People called us white trash. Every news organization painted my mother as a gold digger cashing in on an opportunity.
Luckily, Greenwich University was used to catering to the elite, so they had good security on campus. My apartment had guards around the clock, so I felt safe.
But I also felt trapped.
Mom was worried and wanted to hear my voice, but I was too twisted up inside. If she could hear or see me, she’d recognize the anger buried in my tone. I was still livid with Jack, and yet I couldn’t blame him, either. My brief brush with this Saint gave me a glimpse into their world. Jack was just trying to protect his legacy, but I was coping with the trauma of where I’d come from. I couldn’t figure out if he was conditioned to be heartless and treat the world through such a business-like lens or if he was just that blasé about how he conducted his family’s affairs. Either way, it left a really bad taste in my mouth. In my mind, Jack was my sweet, trustworthy grandfather. I really liked him. Was it all an act? And if it was an act, how did he become so good at pretending to care?
Jack just wanted to safeguard his reputation and wealth. I saw the signs. I knew that this rushed wedding and the rumors were true. I just hated that Mom’s new beginning was starting off on the wrong foot. She deserved better. It wasn’t her fault that her only daughter was a product of rape. And she shouldn’t have to hide what happened to her or be bullied for her upbringing. I knew that every single person in the Beauregards’ circle would look down their noses at us more than they already were if they knew the truth. In some ways, I was thankful that Jack managed to bury the story to protect Mom. I just hated that he even had to. And more than that, I hated how indifferent he was about the entire thing.
I was sitting on my oversized plush couch, flipping through help wanted ads online when yet another call came through, but this time it wasn’t my mother’s name on the caller ID.
I answered the video call, and Jess’s face appeared. “Hello there, stranger,” she said with a grin. “Hamilton and I are going out tonight, you want to come?” Behind her, Hamilton was shrugging out of a shirt. I couldn’t help but stare at the dips of his hard body and the tan skin that stretched over his large muscles. Holy shit. He looked far too beautiful for his own good. “I’m going to take your drool as a yes,” Jess teased, snapping me out of my staring. Hamilton turned his head over to us and then looked down at his abs, brushing his fingers along each muscle in a playfully teasing way. He knew exactly what he was doing—and I loved it.
Wait. No, I didn’t. Bad, Vera. Very, very bad.
“I’m not drooling,” I rushed out. “And where are we going? I’m not even sure I like you, remember?”
Hamilton chuckled and picked up a black shirt before putting it on. “Were you mean to my little rose petal, Jess?” he asked. Rose petal? Why did that make my cheeks feel hot all of a sudden?
Jess’s eyes widened. “Yours, huh?” she asked before continuing. “And maybeeee,” she replied. “Come on, Petal. Let’s go. Don’t you want to meet people? You wanted to make friends, right?”
“Where are we going?” I asked, my mind still on the paparazzi that followed me to the grocery store. What if they found Hamilton and me together? It was normal, right? To spend time with my…uncle?
“My girlfriend’s band is playing at a local venue. She’s really good, and last time she had ten people show up. Tonight, we’re hoping for fifteen. Come on. We need all the help we can get.”
“What kind of band?” I asked.
“It’s kind of a crossover between polka and alternative screamo.”
My face twisted up in horror. “That sounds terrible.”
Hamilton tossed his head back and laughed. “That’s what I said!” he called out.
Jess picked up something and tossed it at his head. “Please! I’m trying to support my girl here, guys!”
I chewed on my lip before responding. “I’m not sure if I should. I had some paparazzi follow me to the grocery store, and I don’t want to give them any more ammunition…”
“I’ve been dodging journalists for years. You’re yesterday’s news, Petal,” Hamilton said, his voice a lazy drawl. “They won’t find you there. And if they do, I’ll do something scandalous so they’ll focus on me and not on you.”
“Are you sure? This is all new to me, and I just don’t want to—”
“It’ll be fine! Promise,” Hamilton assured me.
“Are you going to interrogate me more?” I asked Jess, brow arched.
“I solemnly swear not to ask you a million questions again,” she promised while holding up her pinky finger for me to see.
“Fine,” I began. “Send over the address. What time does it start?”
“I knew I liked you,” Jess replied. Liar. “It starts at ten.”
“I’ll meet you there. I’m still trying to figure out the public transit situation, so I might be a little late.”
“I’ll come get you,” Hamilton called over his shoulder.
“That’s okay—”
He marched up to the phone and grabbed it out of Jess’s hands. Once he was fully in the frame, I swallowed at the sight of him. God, why did he have to be so hot? Up close, I could see every detail of his perfect face. “I’ll come pick you up. See you in thirty minutes. Text Jess your address.”
I nodded, unable to say anything because my fucking traitorous throat closed up.
“Do I make you nervous, Petal?” he asked, picking up on my mood.
“No.” I straightened my spine to echo my words. I didn’t know how to respond. My conversation with Jack had cut deeper than I thought. He was all about his image, and for reasons I was still learning, Hamilton was already an outcast. How would it look if I had a foolish crush on my…uncle? Saint would have a field day with that knowledge. The title made me want to gag. Not that it really mattered. Hamilton wasn’t interested in me. I just felt like I was navigating a chessboard and didn’t know the rules.
“You feel it, don’t you?” He licked his lips, his eyes dark as he cocked his head to the side. “The chemistry between us.”
I swallowed; my eyes widened in shock at his assessment. “Do you think we have chemistry, Hamilton?” I asked, unsure why I was hanging onto his answer like it was air and I’d been sitting under water for hours.
“I’m choking on the tension between us, Petal. My cock’s been perpetually hard for the last three days just thinking about you,” Hamilton mocked with a smile before pulling away. “See you soon. Wear something slutty.”
I shook my head. Hamilton gave me whiplash with his mood swings. “What are you, my pervy uncle?”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “I’m the uncle that’s going to help you get laid and loosen up a bit. You need your pussy licked. Fuck the rose analogy. Petals are meant to be picked, Watcher.”
My throat went dry. Something was different about Hamilton. He was more brazen today.
“I’ll wear what I want.”