“He wasn’t very different from what you see now, except when he was with his brother?—”
“All right, Marina. I think that’s enough for now.” He guides her back to the stove. “You two can talk all you want later.”
Laughing at the banter in the kitchen, I jump when Jake squeezes my shoulder harshly.
“Dude, that hurts.”
When I look up, Jake is facing the door. “Fuck me.Fuck.”
“What’s wrong, and why aren’t you paying attention to everything happening in the kitchen? Everyone here is smiling and having fun.” I try to pull him around when he gives me a stare I’ve seen before. It’s scary and hateful.
“Jacob?” I whisper.
“Shhh. She just walked in, she’ll hear you.”
I scan the area for anyone who might look familiar, but come up empty. “Who?”
Grayson returns to tell me where the aprons are and how I can help. “Have you ever peeled carrots and potatoes before?”
“Yes, I just can’t grill, boil, sauté, or do anything like that with them.”
He smiles. “That’s what the cooks are for. But maybe you can make your scrambled eggs sometime.” He meets my eyes. “I heard they’re ‘pretty great.’”
A small, surprised laugh escapes me as he repeats my words from the other day.
Is this why he asked me to take a chance on the soup kitchen? Because he’s more himself here? If that’s the reason, then it’s kind of working. And bykind of, I meanreallyworking.
“Johnathan?” a girl’s voice calls from one of the cutting stations. She’s a gorgeous, taller woman with a curvy, plump body like Kamila’s, but with paler skin and a longer frame. She’s supermodel pretty and has almost gray-colored eyes—hold on. This is the girl Levi and Kami told me about last semester. A girl they ran into who Jake seemed to strongly dislike for some unknown reason. The details are a bit fuzzy, but the way they described her looks was unforgettable. Stevie also met her briefly at an audition, according to Levi.
My head tilts back to see Jake close his eyes and turn slowly. “Nice to see you, Dax.”
Dax?That name doesn’t sound familiar.
The girl’s face reddens. “It’s Dakota,” she seethes.
That sounds a bit more familiar…I think.
My friend smiles devilishly. He must have known exactly where to hit, and I know it’s because he hates being called by his first name.
“What are you doing here?” Dakota asks.
Glancing at Grayson, I notice his eyes have widened a fraction, looking at Jake as if everything has finally clicked. He also seems to pick up on the underlying hostility between Dakota and Jake when he says, “Jake is helping for the day with hisfriend Emma, who is writing an article featuring the soup kitchen for theDriscoll Wolf Weekly.”
Smiling, I give her a quick and friendly nod, not knowing what else to do.
Her eyes soften when she sees me, then widen. “You’re Emma Brighton?”
My jaw goes slack.She did not just say that.
“Yes, she just said that,” Jake whispers angrily as if reading my mind.
Some heads turn toward me, recognizing the name, while others don’t. My father focuses more on owning properties, so the last name is only familiar to those who travel a lot, are a bit older, or know their architectural history well. Still, that name is in the news sometimes, unlike Haywood.
“I go by Haywood,” I reply.
Dakota sees that she’s said the wrong thing and mouths,Sorry.
I wave my hand dismissively. If it’s out there, then it’s out there. It’s not like some people on campus don’t know who I am, and the paps already know where I study, but Jake’s dad took care of them a long time ago. I’m not exactly sure how, but as always, knowing less is better when it comes to Jake and his family. However, the name Brighton is never spoken around here unless it’s during campus charity gatherings involving the school’s owner.
