I push her away. “Get off me.”
“What?”
“You’re such a cock tease,” I snap angrily.
My words cut her and pierce her worse than any sticks or stones ever could.
“Why are you saying this, Sam?” she asks, her forehead creasing in confusion and pain.
I’ve never felt so powerful in all my life. I have the power to hurt, to control someone with my words. “I said, you’re a slut, just like your whore of a mother.”
“Sam!” my name escapes her lips. One of her hands flies to her mouth to hold in her sob and I suddenly wish I could take them back. But I can’t.
“Patience—”
“Stay away from me!”
I grab for her as she tries to run back to the house. “Please, I’m sorry!”
She turns and slaps me, hard across the face. “Stay away from me.”
And then she leaves me there, standing under the tree alone.
“You okay?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts.
I swallow, thinking about Patience, the girl I hadn’t seen since the night under her tree where I kissed her, then called her a slut.
“What?” I ask, taking a drag of my cigarette.
“You went all…” he shrugs.
He looks deep in thought, like he actually gives a shit about this story—about Patience, me, and the outcome of it.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about shit.”
He looks out into the rain. “You ever think this is all bullshit, Sam?”
I throw my cigarette to the ground. “I think most things are bullshit, brother,” I reply without looking at him. “Whatever. I need to go.”
I don’t wait for him to reply before jogging to my car, becoming drenched again by the time I reach the door. Pride drives a shitty Chevy Impala that looks like it’s about to fall apart, yet he doesn’t seem to notice. The man could be driving a Lamborghini and I doubt he’d even blink. He’s all business and no pleasure.
He starts his engine, and I watch him drive away until I can’t see his lights anymore, then I look out into the rain beyond my window, thinking of that night with Patience.
I’d pushed that memory, and that night, to the back of my mind, and now it was going to bite me in the ass.
Ilook up Mayor Noelle as soon as I get home. Research is everything with this task. I’ve seen Patience a handful of times since that night, but nothing after she turned fifteen. Someone once said she was being home-schooled, but I never cared to look into it. I was too busy fighting, fucking, and taking drugs by that point.
A quick search on Google shows Mayor Noelle still lives in the same old plantation house, half a mile from here. But there aren’t any discussions on the whereabouts of where Patience is now.
I bring up some photos from a recent charity benefit, hoping to spot her, but the creep is constantly surrounded by women—young women who should have better sense than allowing this prick to fuck them.
My cell vibrates, and I pick it up, reading the message from Sebastian.
OPEN YOUR DOOR.
I frown at the message. I’m not in the mood for company right now. I have shit to be getting on with and making small talk with him isn’t important right now. I head out of my room to the front door of the pool house and sure enough Sebastian is stood there, his green eyes cutting through the gray day.
“What?” I bark.
