“Shirt broke,” I told her, lifting the one Maverick had ripped open the night before.
“Speak in full sentences!” she snapped loudly, making me flinch. “You were raised better than that.”
“My shirt broke,” I repeated quietly.
“Your shirtbroke.” She said the words as if they were sour sitting in her mouth. “Tell me, Harley, how does one just break a shirt?”
My ears burned hot, and a lump rose in my throat. I hadn’t prepared any sort of answer for that because I hadn’t anticipated her asking it.
“I don’t have a good answer for that,” I whispered, feeling stupid, even as I said the words.
“I’d better not find out you were with that boy last night.”
“I…”I didn’t know what to say.The little bit of preplanning I’d done vanished as anxiety made the room shrink around me. My heart pounded loudly in my ears while I tried to come up with something to say. My voice was barely audible as I kept trying, “I just… I…”
“Speak up!” She slammed her hand on the table, making me jump. I took an instinctual step back, putting as much distance between us as I reasonably could—a habit I’d picked up from time with my grandfather. “Say the words like an adult, Harley. You’re not some unintelligent fool. Where were you?”
I couldn’t lie.Not with her staring at me like she could see right through me.
“I was with Maverick,” I admitted quietly.
“Maverick Fox.” The disdain in which she said his name hurt. Her hatred for him was something I’d never understand. “You’rebetter than the likes of him. You will always be better than that no-good piece of trailer trash.”
“He’s not—”
“He is, and you know it!” she said over me. “That boy doesn’t want you! All he wants is your money! That’s what they all want! He can’t understand you. He’s playing you.”
“That’s not true,” I replied. “He’s not like that. He’s different.”
“Of course, you think he’s different! You’re naive and easily manipulated. A fool of a man like your father was.”That comment stung.I glanced away, my eyes burning with frustration or sadness or who knew what. “You know nothing about the real world, Harley! Boys like that will always try to get things from you. You have to squash them like the cockroaches they are before they cause problems.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. It’d do no good. Nothing I said or did would make her see Maverick the way I saw him. The way I knew him.The way he deserved to be seen.
“Now, you listen to me, Harley Christopher Lowell,” my mother began as she rose from her seat. I forced myself to stand still as she approached. She took hold of my chin to ensure I was looking at her. “You’re never going to see that boy again. I refuse to let that boy ruin your future, and I refuse to let him take advantage of what this family has worked so hard to build. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mother,” I murmured.
“And do not test me, child,” she continued. “You have no idea just how far I’m willing to go to protect my family, especially from the likes of someone like Maverick Fox. Are we in agreement?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Good, now go upstairs and take that ridiculous shirt off,” she ordered. “Put on something reasonable, and tell Clifford to dispose of that one.”
Except I didn’t tell him that. Instead, I kept it tucked away in a place where she couldn’t find it.Wouldn’t find it, hopefully.I just didn’t know how to throw away anything that had to do with Maverick.
CHAPTER 28
harley
MAV: what are you up to, princess?
MAV: are we okay?
MAV: if you don’t want to talk anymore, the least you can do is have the balls to fucking say something.
The text message notifications stacked up on my phone screen as I ignored them.I had to. My mother had a sudden obsession with sticking close and filling my time.
Like today… when we had a business lunch with Alexander Hammond, the real estate mogul. I’d met Mr. Hammond a few times while tagging along with my grandfather. Their gatherings were always of a social nature—at least from what I caught of their conversations. Mr. Hammond talked. A lot. He was so long-winded that the world seemed to slow whenever he spoke. Most of the time, I just zoned out while I nodded or chuckled when appropriate.
