Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,71
and more so, I didn’t want him to feel obligated to help me.
“Get ready,” he whispered before kissing me. “I’ll make you some breakfast and drive you to school. You get out at three, right? I can pick you up then.”
“You know my schedule?” I asked, brow raised. It was little moments like this that reminded me how much Hamilton legitimately cared. Last night he made me strawberry shortcake for dessert because I mentioned it in passing that I used to eat it every year for my birthday. When I borrowed a shirt to sleep in, he also tossed me a pair of socks because he knew how much I hated when my toes were cold at night. It wasn’t grand gestures that made me feel safe with Hamilton, it was all the little ways he made me feel heard.
“I do. And I figured you’d like one more day to pretend that shit hasn’t hit the fan. Your mom is calling again,” he murmured before grabbing my cell and ignoring the call for me. I rolled over and rested my head against his chest, running the pad of my index finger along his abs.
“I need more than a day to pretend. Can I have a year or two? By the way, when do you have to go back to the rig?”
Hamilton softly ran his hand down my arm before replying. “Two weeks. We have plenty of time,” he whispered. “And I happen to like your avoidance tactics. The shower sex last night was—” Hamilton stopped to kiss his fingers like a chef.
“Whatever,” I replied before sitting up and shuffling out of his bed. Cool air washed over my skin as I made my way to his bathroom to shower and get ready for class. Shower sex actually sounded pretty nice, but I had a big day ahead of me. I’d have to see Jared in Dr. Bhavsar’s class, and I wasn’t ready for that confrontation. Not even a little bit. I was likely to punch him in the gut, especially after the texts from my mother this morning. I hadn’t even bothered to open the messages from him. I didn’t see the point. Everything he said was lies, lies, lies. Even though we only knew each other for a little bit, I was still overwhelmed by his betrayal. I thought Jared was a friend, but he was really just bribed into being in my life.
Deciding to look good for class, I showered and blow-dried my hair. I got dressed in a plaid skirt, black tights, my favorite boots and a black, crop top, knit sweater. When I made it into the kitchen, Hamilton was flipping an omelet and humming to himself, still wearing nothing but his boxers as he made breakfast. When he saw me, he licked his lips.
“Shit, you look good.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a blush. My phone was sitting on the counter and went off again. I eyed it warily. “Do you think they’ll file a missing person’s report if I don’t answer that soon?”
Hamilton looked at my phone, then back at me. “It’s possible. But you’re an adult, and they all know where you are. Jack called me last night.”
Jack had called? Shit. Jack had been honest about the lengths he’d go to when it came to protecting his family’s image. He’d looked into my mother’s background and was very likely regretting welcoming her into the family now. “What did he say?”
“I don’t know. I never answer his calls.” Hamilton turned off the stovetop and put my omelet on a paper plate and brought it over to me with a cup of coffee.
“And why is that, exactly?”
“Sometimes people don’t deserve forgiveness, Vera,” Hamilton replied before changing the subject. “What are you going to say when you finally talk to your mother?” Hamilton asked while handing me a fork and sitting down beside me. “We can practice. Want me to call you a crazy unclefucker to really set the scene?”
Rolling my eyes, I replied with a snappy, “No.” In a way, I was glad that Hamilton made this somewhat of a joke. Laughing about the entire situation was better than obsessing over it. “I’m not sure what I’m going to say to her. I suppose I’ll ask why she hired Jared and how much of his friendship and attention was her instruction and how much was him. I never wanted to date Jared, but it makes me feel cheap. He didn’t actually like me. I was just