Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,74

at what point do we stop letting their issues ruin our lives?”

I didn’t have an answer to Hamilton’s question. I was still letting my mother call all the shots in my life. Even now, though I was with Hamilton, it was taking every ounce of control that I had not to run to her and ask for permission and forgiveness. I wanted to fix this. I hated disappointing her. That impulse to bend over backward and fix everything was ingrained in my soul.

“Let’s get going. Don’t want you to be late,” Hamilton said, changing the subject.

“Okay,” I replied. I was starting to understand Hamilton’s cues. When he wanted to end a conversation, when it was getting too close for comfort, he simply ended it.

Ended. It.

20

Jared was pacing the hallway outside the auditorium when I walked up. I clutched my textbook to my chest, treating it like armor as I walked up to him. Hamilton offered to go with me, but I needed to do this on my own. Jared had hurt me. If it weren’t for Hamilton calling him out, I probably wouldn’t have known that he was working for my stepfather. I had to start meeting my problems head on. No more hiding from them.

The moment Jared’s cerulean eyes landed on me, he practically sprinted my direction, a mixture of relief and anticipation on his porcelain expression. “Vera! Thank fuck you’re here. Joseph has been calling me nonstop—”

Of course Joseph had been calling him. My stepfather was such a prick. I kept walking, avoiding Jared’s gaze and heading toward the door despite his bulky frame blocking my path. “I don’t want to talk to you about my family and how they hired you to be my friend,” I snapped.

Jared grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to stop. “Vera, stop being dramatic. It’s a good thing I’ve been here. For fuck’s sake, Saint showed up on campus last week and threatened you. I was just making sure you were safe. I don’t get why it’s such a big deal.”

I looked up and clenched my teeth for a moment before replying. Jared at least had the decency to look completely fucked. His hair was wild, and his normally finely pressed suit was wrinkled. “Right. That was the same day you stormed off because I wouldn’t date you. Did you even like me? You were just trying to pressure me into something to make my mother happy. And for the record, it’s a big deal, because everything I told you—in confidence—you reported back to my mother! I trusted you, Jared.”

Some students walked by, eyeing us curiously. I knew we were making quite a scene, but I didn’t really care. “Look, honestly, I’m not a huge fan of your mother. She’s a major cunt, and the dating thing was her idea. I get why she wanted to avoid a scandal with the whole unclefucker thing, but she was really pushing a relationship between us hard. Not that it was a hardship. You’re hot, Vera.”

At least Jared was being honest with me now. Even though it kind of hurt my pride. “Did you like me at all? Not just romantically but as a friend?”

Jared let out a huff. “You’re a cool chick, Vera. You’re a little boring, and I wish you went out more, but I did enjoy our time together. And you’re totally fuckable. But does it even matter what I think? You’ve really just dived off the deep end with Hamilton there. Your mother wanted me to drag you out of his house, but I’m not trying to catch a case here.”

My brow dipped in confusion. Now that all of Jared’s lies were out in the open, it was like talking to a completely different person. He was every bit the frat boy fucker I initially thought he was.

“I’m so sorry that my sex life is ruining your future career aspirations.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Dude. I’m not pressed. But you seriously need to get your shit together. I don’t know what it is about Hamilton that makes Joseph rage, but he’s been shitting a brick ever since I told them about the two of you. Do you know why they hate one another? I mean, damn, Joseph really hates his little brother. There’s got to be a reason, right? I don’t think Hamilton’s being completely honest with you.”

“That’s rich coming from you. God, I fucking hate you,” I growled. “Hamilton has been honest with me from day one. If you want to know