Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“And I assume you’ve hooked up with a member of the catering staff and already forgotten their name?” I toss back at him.
He reaches out and for a moment I think he might try to punch me.
I realize he’s just going for a champagne glass from a caterer’s tray as they’re walking by.
“Pot, meet kettle.”
“I don’t do hookups anymore,” I tell him. “You don’t know me, Torin.”
He takes the glass and tips it back against his lips, staring at me.
He looks me up and down.
“How’s it been at Crimson? Picked a major yet?”
“Don’t do this here, Torin,” I tell him. “Not in the fucking mood.”
Weston is hovering beside me and when I catch his gaze, it’s so easy to tell he’s holding back a smile. Wes has a field day watching other people go at each other’s throats, but just because he ended up with his former enemy doesn’t mean everyone will eventually get along.
Torin loves to ask me about my life’s purpose. He’s known forever that he aims to start a nonprofit, and he’s dedicated to his major of Environmental Studies.
But I’m used to being interrogated about my future.
My older siblings are all different flavors of massively successful: Blaise and Cameron are corporate execs, Mickey and Alicia are in finance, and Maya is a lawyer.
Torin doesn’t come from money, but he has a noble goal in life and volunteers for more charities than anyone else I’ve met. All of that means even more to my dad, and my siblings fucking shower him with praise for it, too.
“Going to knock out some credits with a couple of summer classes,” I tell Torin. “A lot of the Onyx guys are staying on campus this summer, too.”
He nods curtly. “Summer courses should be a breeze, even for you.”
I clench my jaw at the way he says the words so offhandedly. “Are you calling me stupid?”
“You’re not stupid. You’re just too busy throwing glow-in-the-dark parties to ever think about anything for school.”
“Noah was actually one of the top students in our history class last semester,” Wes says, defending me in his sweet way.
Bless his heart for trying.
“Boys!” my dad declares as he makes his way over to us, beaming a smile as he wraps one arm around each of us in a hug. “The ceremony’s about to start. Let’s head into the ballroom.”
“Never seen you this happy before, Phillip,” Torin says.
At least he’s not calling my father Dad.
A photographer stops us to snap photos. “Everyone closer together,” he says.
Torin’s arm lands around my waist as he pulls me close, and the flash of the camera is blinding.
My blood goes hot.
His scent fills the air, and he holds his hand firmly on me until the photographer is done and I push it away.
The next few minutes are a blur.
Dad brings us into the ballroom and insists that Torin and I sit next to each other for the ceremony, right at the front of the room.
I take my seat beside him, not saying a word.
Our wooden folding chairs are placed so close that the edge of my thigh keeps bumping up against his. I can smell his lightly spiced scent again, invading my world and assaulting my senses with every passing second.
I try to ignore him. But it’s impossible.
He drums his fingertips on his knee, and the glint of the silver cuff bracelet he wears around his wrist keeps catching my eye.
The wait for the ceremony seems interminably long. I’m surrounded by deep pink and white flowers, vine garlands in every corner, and endless twinkly lights in the grand ballroom.
It’s a fairytale wedding venue. My sister Maya is on the other side of me, but she’s caught in a conversation with my brother Blaise and she’s barely looked over at me once.
I sit in silence, refusing to turn toward Torin.
“You didn’t bring that girl you were dating,” he finally says. “Stella? Amy? Claire? I can’t keep them straight.”
“At least I stay with people longer than one night. I actually remember their names, too.”
“And what about the girl you got caught with on the rooftop? Did you bail yourself out of that one with Daddy’s money like usual?”
I finally turn to face him, glaring at him.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
He pushes his hair to one side, holding my gaze. “I know you were going to face a charge if it weren’t for your trust fund. Just had to take your dick out in public?”
“No one was on that rooftop, and nobody could see us.”
Torin found out about an unfortunate incident I had right before leaving for college. I hooked up with my friend Bree on the roof of the financial building where she had a summer internship.
We got caught, and yes, my father exchanged enough cash that neither of us got a mark on our permanent record.