I sigh and shake my head. “No.”
We don’t have to be specific to understand one another. Mifflin married my mom. He had to deal with her. Me? Not so much.
He isn’t hostile, just. . . indifferent to me now, like since I’m not his kid, he can’t be bothered with the effort. The drunken fits have stopped. My mother makes excuses, suggesting he works long hours and doesn’t know how to raise a daughter. You can’t learn if you never try.
I guess it’s better than how he treated me a year ago. Back then, all he did was yell. I’m still not sure what caused his abrupt change in demeanor, but I’m glad he’s not an asshole to me anymore. But Liam and Theo? I know that’s the Vipers, especially Gage.
After Mifflin and Mom tied the knot, I made a considerable effort to become what my mom called a cohesive unit. It soon became apparent that Mifflin married my mother, but he didn’t want to be entangled with additional obligations. It smarts my pride more than it hurts. I had a father once, but I lost him. He died when I was six. I’m not looking to replace him, especiallywith a man even more arrogant than his sons, if possible. Not to mention the shit I had to put up with from Liam and Theo. They never let me forget I’m an outsider. The hostility is still present, just quieter and less physical now.
So, here I stand, relieved my mom arrived alone. I get to spend more time with her that way and consider it a win. Liam graduated last year, and Theo graduated early, so I’m the last one to walk and receive my diploma.
Ava hugs me against her side, popping a kiss on my cheek. “He’s missing out.”
With a nod, I agree. Mifflin had his chance to be a father to me, and he chose not to pursue it. Fuck him.
“Are you both still coming with us to dinner?” Ava asks, applying gloss over her lips. She slides the tube back in her wristlet as she adjusts her bottom on the uncomfortable, hard plastic chairs we’re stuck sitting on.
“Yes, as far as I know. Mom confirmed last night.”
“Good. We’re going to that Japanese steakhouse my dad loves. He said we could order whatever we want.”
“That’s generous.”
Ava beams a grin and faces the stage as applause breaks out. The graduation proceedings begin, and excitement courses through me. I focus on the speeches, the alumni, and their encouraging words. It’s important to me. I want to remember this moment and enjoy the accomplishment I feel.
Our row stands once the roll call begins. We head toward the stage, and I smooth my black dress beneath the dark red robe, making sure my matching cap is secure. The line moves quickly, and soon, I climb the stairs, awaiting my turn.
“Leticia Marie Jacobs.”
Applause ripples through the crowd, followed by my mother shouting, “That’s my daughter! Go, Letty!”
I can’t help but grin widely as I cross the stage, shake my principal’s hand, and pause for a picture. He hands me a diploma and offers his congratulations. It happens so fast, all that hard work, culminating in a five-second strut in front of my peers. I reach the stairs, descending as a hand shoots out, ensuring I don’t slip in my heels.
“Thanks,” I say before I lock eyes with the man dressed in dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather vest. His dark ink crawls up his exposed forearms and disappears underneath the sleeves of his shirt. I know every tattoo since I’ve had a chance to glide my fingertips over them.
It’s been a while, but it doesn’t change the facts. That night we spent together that first Homecoming still lingers in my thoughts and creeps into my dreams. The scent of his cologne. Being gently pushed back against the mattress. His head disappearing between my thighs, seeking my pleasure instead of his own. A night that still causes havoc in my heart.
And then there’s the Homecoming last year. Just eight months earlier, when he went down on me outside the dance, and pleasure spiraled through my whole body. He wore a wolf mask then. How appropriate.
Gage Blade’s focus dips briefly to my lips and snaps back to my eyes, holding mine hostage as if he can’t stand the separation. He slides his fingers through mine, holding our hands palm to palm while he walks with me back to my row. No one questions or stops him when he sits beside me in one of the folding chairs on the field and forces everyone down one seat.
Ava takes her place on my opposite side with a raised brow.
I shake my head. Now isn’t the time.
No, I didn’t know he was coming today.
Awareness prickles my body like piercing thorns while his heat nearly scorches me, pressing in from his encroaching proximity. I keep blinking, almost tempted to pinch myself.I’m shocked he showed up to my graduation. In all this time, I haven’t had a word from my stepbrother. Nothing since the masquerade. No texts, phone calls, or messages after eating me out like he was starving for a taste. Not a fucking thing. He’s been a ghost.
I have so many questions. Why today? Why this moment?
My heart races as I try to imagine why he’s stayed away so long and come up empty. He left me. I shouldn’t be holding his hand, giving my consent like he’s allowed to show up or walk out of my life whenever he wants. This isn’t a game.
I tug on my hand and try to pry it loose from his fingers, but he only tightens his grip. No words follow, but I understand. He won’t release me until he wants to, and to prove the point, he clenches our hands together despite the scorching temperature and the sweat already clinging to our palms.
The rest of the graduation ceremony is a blur. I can’t focus. Only when Ava squeals next to me, and everyone stands, whooping and hollering, does the fog lift.
I turn to her with a smile and hug my bestie as Gage releases my hand. “We did it!”
