“This is better than Days of Our Lives,” she says with a smile. “Go after her!”
I nod and dump the rest of the flowers on her lap before following Patience out into the hallway, but when I get there, she’s gone.
Fuck.
The sound of Maxwell’s shoes slapping across the floor as he walks through the foyer draws my attention. I look up from the computer I’m working at as he stops in the doorway.
“School called,” he growls, “you missed your appointment.”
I put down my pen. “I’ve already spoken to them and rescheduled the appointment.”
He sighs. “You’re missing the point, Samuel.”
“Am I?” I glower. “Because I thought the point was to go to school and not get in any fights, and that’s what I’m doing.”
His eyes narrow on me, finally taking in the papers spread over the desk like confetti. “What’s all that?”
“Homework,” I bite out. “Apparently, the most boring teacher in the world with a voice that sends you to sleep isn’t enough torture. They also want to make sure we’re bored as fuck when we get home too.” I drag a hand through my hair, noting the way his lips raise in a half smile at that comment.
“Mr. Pulliver,” he chuckles. “He’s got little dog syndrome, but he knows his shit if you can get past how boring he is.”
I laugh back, then force myself to stop. His own laughter dies off. “If it’s all right with you, I’m going to take this evening off. I could use a break. My brain isn’t used to doing all this work.” I lift an eyebrow.
He frowns, confused by my admittance and me asking him for anything.
Don’t get used to it, fucker.
“Sure,” he replies before turning from me. I smile, but drop it quickly when he glances back around to face me again. “I have a charity function tonight your grandmother is throwing. Sabella is coming.” He scratches at his beard, a harsh scowl on his face. “I have another ticket if you want to come with us.”
I soften my features and nod. “Yeah. That would be good.”
He grunts something else before walking away, and I smile again. I already knew about the charity event tonight, thanks to Sebastian, and I had no doubt The Elite could have gotten me a ticket if I’d asked, but I needed to go with dear old Daddy and my sister. Patience is going to be there, and if I’m going to win her over, my bad boy image isn’t going to cut it. She’s had boyfriends, and they’ve all been the type who try to date Sabella: good, wholesome family men—the opposite of everything I am.
I can’t change or hide the fact that I’ve been kicked out of so many schools, or deny my police record for fighting, so changed man is what I’m going for. Showing up with my sister, father, and grandma is imperative to win her over.
“Sammy?” Sabella says as she comes into the room. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I got into a stupid fight at school,” I lie. “It doesn’t even hurt,” I lie again, and shrug like nothing happened, despite the fact that my legs feel like melting jelly.
“Really?” She peers into my face, which by now must be starting to bruise, or at least swell. “It looks painful,” she says as she reaches up to touch the cut.
I force myself not to react when she touches my bloody, tender lip, and I’m rewarded with a smile from her. I smile back, glad I didn’t tell her the truth.
“See,” I say. “I’m fine.”
She nods, but frowns. “I don’t understand why you’re always fighting, Sammy. Why you’re so angry all the time.”
I shrug, because what can I say?
Our father hates us. He hires nannies to look after us, but when they realize they’re not going to be the next Mrs. Gunner, they take their frustrations out on us—on me, because I take the beatings for you.
I’m bad because then you get to slip under the radar.
But if I’m good, we’ll both get hurt.
And I’d rather die than let something happen to you.
“I don’t know. I just feel angry all the time,” I say, which isn’t a complete lie.
