Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,75

why Joseph hates Hamilton, then ask him yourself since you’re so fucking close. Why, Jared? It’s not like you’re hurting for money or a job. Why?”

“See, that’s the thing,” Jared said while lowering his voice and taking a step closer. “I am hurting for money. Dad is close to filing for bankruptcy. I have a scholarship for class, but Joseph paid for my apartment. I actually do need this job. You of all people should understand that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked in a shrill voice.

“I just mean, you and your mom know what it’s like to be willing to do anything to get ahead. I can’t rely on my trust fund or my dad’s connections anymore. This job with Joseph was a godsend, and I’m not going to apologize for jumping on the opportunity, especially since hanging out with you wasn’t much of a hardship.”

I was stunned. “I’m going to ignore your statement about getting ahead. My mother married Joseph under false pretenses, not me. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of this. What’s ironic is that my mother is under the impression that you’re rich. She keeps pushing me to date you because she seems to think it would be good for me. Fucking joke.”

“Yeah, she has the right idea but the wrong dude. I’m broke as hell. Which is why I’m going to politely ask you to stop fucking your uncle and let me go back to working with you. I really need this, dude.”

I gaped at him. “You’re kidding me.”

“Not at all. It’s my senior year, Vera. I just need to get a fucking piece of paper and get out of here. Please consider it. I just really don’t think Hamilton is worth it. I get the impression that he doesn’t have your best interest at heart.”

“And you do?” I asked incredulously while crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re such a dick.”

Jared threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey. I just figured I owed you one. I legit think Hamilton is on some next level shit. Something is not right about him. Also, you’re really hot when you’re mad. Come on, sweetheart, we could be really good together. It doesn’t all have to be work, you know.” He winked at me. Jared fucking winked.

“You lying, opportunistic bastard!” I yelled, not caring who heard me. “Thank fuck I learned who you really were in time.” I poked Jared in the chest and pressed my lips into a thin line before speaking again. “Don’t look at me. Don’t talk to me. I want absolutely nothing to do with you. Hell, I don’t even know you. Leave me alone. Your money issues are not my problem.”

“And what am I supposed to tell Joseph?” Jared growled while throwing his hands up.

“Tell him you failed. Tell him to call me. Tell him to get fucked for all I care. Bye.”

I left Jared standing there with his shoulders slumped before making my way into the classroom. Deciding to avoid Jared, I took a seat on the fourth row and angrily got out my notepad.

Jared filed into his seat just before Dr. Bhavsar arrived. Her eyes scanned the room, pausing when they landed on me in my new seat. “Good morning, class. Your syllabus says we’re going to talk about Ralph Waldo Emerson, the father of the transcendentalist movement. Can someone please tell me what the transcendentalist movement is?”

Someone a few seats down from me spoke up. “It’s an idealistic system of thought. It says that humanity is innately good. It also focuses on the supremacy of insight over logic and suggests that experience leads to the revelation of one’s deepest truths.”

“Congratulations, you can read a textbook,” Dr. Bhavsar said dryly before pulling up a powerpoint and continuing. “Ralph Waldo Emerson was a champion of individualism. He rejected the pressures of society and shared his views through essays, poetry, and lectures. He believed in intuition and imagination. He believed that people could be their own authority when deciding what is right.”

Dr. Bhavsar clicked the powerpoint and smiled at me. “Have you ever trusted your intuition more than logic, Vera?”

I swallowed. Yes. Yes, I had. Logic was telling me that Hamilton was a train wreck about to destroy me. “Yes,” I admitted.

In the front row, Jared snorted. “I wouldn’t call being horny intuition,” he said under his breath but still loud enough for me to hear.

Fucking prick. Dr. Bhavsar cleared her throat while scowling at Jared.