“I don’t care about his fucking money. If he was my father, you can keep the goddamn money. I don’t want it. I don’t need it. I’ve been taking care of myself since I was a little girl. I don’t need your handouts,” I snap at him, slamming the ledger closed.
Trevor reaches across the table and takes my hand. I’m powerless to pull it away.
“Then don’t. But it will be yours all the same. We can set up a trust. You can donate it to charity. But the fact of the matter is, it’s yours to do with as you see fit. One thing I really want to stress to you, Aurora, is that Fallon and I are here for you. We want to get to know you. We may have the same father and only be half-siblings, but family is important to us. Especially after what happened last year.”
Why do I get the feeling he’s not talking about the plane crash that killed Phillip and Patricia Montgomery now?
“Please think it through. Get the DNA test done for your peace of mind. Fallon and I need no more convincing that you are our sister. We’re all in. He, Tati, and I have learned over the past year that we need each other. Sometimes the best families are the ones you create, not the ones you’re born into.”
I want to believe Trevor so badly. I want his promises, his assurances. To have people that will care about me and love me. Cam was the person that did that for me, and he’s gone now. Would it be weak of me to want that again? I’ve been so lonely, and just plain alone. What Trevor is offering me—an instant family that wants me in their life—is something I’ve always dreamed of. Could it be that simple?
I study the man before me who looks so very much like myself and find that I want to say yes. So, I do.
“Where do I go for the DNA test?”
Chapter 6
Ipull my Jeep Gladiator into one of the empty parking spaces outside of Ruby’s Diner. The diner is a popular eating spot located between our town of Highland and the town of our rival school, Fallen Brook. Both towns are on the northern outskirts of Raleigh, North Carolina. Even though we’re close to the capital city, I’ve always appreciated Highland’s small-town feel. Don’t get me wrong. There is a huge social dichotomy between the affluent part of Highland where I live, and the lower income families that live literally across the train tracks. Stereotypical bullshit, I know, and something that I have never bought into. Luckily, there aren’t that many small-minded people that live in our town, but unfortunately, there are a few.
I put the truck in park and immediately see Aurora’s motorcycle chained to the light post at the corner of the diner. I decided that I didn’t want to take any chance of her bailing on me tonight, so I arrived almost an hour early.
Turning the ignition off, I climb out of the cabin. Instead of going inside, I lean against the driver’s side door and look through the diner’s large front window. Immediately my eyes find Aurora—the sight of her causing my blood to thicken and my heart to race. Even wearing a stained apron wrapped around her middle, she is stunning.
She scowls down at someone and that’s when I notice AustinfuckingMatfield sitting at the table that she’s standing next to. He grabs her wrist and I’m about to storm inside and rip his hand off of her, when she removes his grasp and walks away. I track her to the back where she sits down at a booth across from some really big dude that could be her twin, they look so much alike. Trying to figure out who this new guy is and why I’m jealous of the fact that she’s talking to him, I don’t hear Austin and his side crew of soccer asshats come out.
“Dude, why are we leaving? I’m starving,” Will whines, which earns him a shove from Blaise.
“Shut the fuck up,” Austin growls.
Luke slaps Austin’s back, howling with laughter. “White trash shut you down fast tonight.”
Hearing Luke call Aurora white trash has me standing up straighter, wanting to lay the motherfucker out.
“Didn’t I just say shut the fuck up?” Austin says again, then catches me watching. “S’up, QB,” he greets me with a smirky grin.
Austin and I have never been friends even though our parents have been good friends for many years. His dad is the managing director of one of the biggest financial conglomerates in the state, while mine is an investment banker whose major client is Montgomery Pharma. As quarterback and captain of the Highland High football team, I try my best not to let my personal opinions or dislike of any of my teammates get in the way of team unity. As far as I’m concerned, as soon as we step out onto the field, it’s all about winning the game.
However, right this moment, we aren’t on the field.
“Stay away from Aurora,” I warn him.
Austin leaves Will, Luke, and Blaise to approach me. “Trying to fill Cam’s shoes? Too late. I’ve already offered my services to Rory.”
“Yeah, and she said no,” Luke says with a chuckle.
I arch my brow at Austin who’s not happy with Luke’s slip of the tongue.
“What are you doing here, QB? Never seen you here before.”
I know as soon as I say it, Austin is going to become a problem for me. He and Cam fought all the time, mostly over Austin’s interest in Aurora. The problem that Austin has is that he acts like the typical schoolboy on the playground. Like a girl? Then shove her on the ground or pull her pigtails until she cries.
“I’m here to meet up with Aurora.”
His brown eyes flare briefly. “I see,” he says, looking back into the diner where Aurora is still talking to the other guy. “Come on, assholes. We can order pizza at my house,” he tells his three friends, looking at me one last time before they hop into a GMC truck and peel out of the parking lot.
I take a deep breath. So far, Austin and I have managed to keep things mostly civil between us. It’s a shaky foundation considering that his older brother, Marshall, and my cousin, Elijah Barnes, had some huge beef with each other back in high school. Rumor circulated that Elijah kicked Marshall’s ass for something he did to Julien Jameson, a soccer player that went to Fallen Brook High, and who is now Elijah’s fiancé.
I shake off my irritation with Austin and step inside Ruby’s, the smell of grilled hamburgers and baked apple pie hitting me and making my stomach rumble.
