In the Arms of the Elite (Rich Boys of Burberry Prep #4) - C.M. Stunich Page 0,109
we never got that bitch,” Zayd grumbles, and Zack grunts in agreement.
“Never say never,” I whisper as we find our chairs, and then mill around waiting for the ceremony to start. I don’t see Dad in the audience just yet, but he warned me he might be late. I shoot off a quick text to see where he is, and he sends back ETA 20 mins.
Twenty minutes, huh?
It’s gonna be tight; he might miss the beginning of my speech. I can’t delay though, not with what I have planned. It all comes down to timing. Harper du Pont, you are going down tonight.
“He’ll be here,” Zack says, reaching out to adjust my black cap, the tassel swinging back and forth in front of my face. I blow it out of the way and try to tamp down on my nerves.
Today is a big day. Huge. I’ve been planning it all year without telling a single soul about it.
Pretty damn proud of myself for that one.
“I know,” I say, letting Zack fold me in another hug. He’s so damn good at them, I can’t resist. “I know he will. I’m just worried about him.”
“I’m more worried about you,” Zack says, glancing over his shoulder as Mrs. Amberton moves over to stand beside us, holding out a red and white sash with a black word scrawled in cursive down the length of it.
“Congratulations, Marnye,” she says as I take my valedictorian sash and watch as she moves over to hand Tristan his salutatorian one. “And to you, too, Mr. Vanderbilt.” Mrs. Amberton steps back, her orange curls tamed into some semblance of an up-do, and she smiles fondly at me. She’s always been nice, one of my favorite teachers by far, but she was too weak to protect me from the bullies. I’ll always remember that, how I had to be strong enough to protect myself. It’s a good life lesson to learn, isn’t it?
“Thank you,” I tell her, and we share a small hug as the audience files into the bleachers, rows upon rows of society’s finest and most elite. Princess Alexandra is there along with Kathleen Cabot and her husband (Kathleen waves at me, and I can tell she’s proud as hell). Fuck, even Billy Kaiser shows up, and Zayd’s surprise registers all over his face.
Robin Brooks is sitting on the far side with her daughter, Kelsey, and I can only assume the two gruff looking men with them are Zack’s dad and grandfather.
Fortunately, I don’t see William Vanderbilt anywhere.
“He’s not here,” Tristan says, sighing with relief. “Thank fuck for that.”
“There’s not even a small, little part of you that wants him here?” I ask, and Tristan looks over at me with a severe sort of expression, like he’s never been more serious in all his life.
“The only person I care about being here is you. That’s it. I don’t need anything else.” He storms over to his seat, like he’s in a bad mood or something, but I know it’s just nerves. He’s worried about me. All the boys are. For an entire year, they’ve worked to protect me from a very real threat. For an entire year, it’s worked.
Today is the last day, the final showdown.
Just twelve fucking hours …
My harp is wheeled onstage, and we’re all ushered to our seats, so Ms. Felton can begin her speech, thanking the alumni, the schoolboard, and so on and so forth. Once she’s finished, I’m announced and the crowd cheers properly for me in a way they never did during first year.
I take the stage and play a special arrangement I wrote based on the standard graduation song, Pomp and Circumstance. My fingers pluck the strings, and my eyes close as the rest of the orchestra backs me up from the field, situated just in front of the dais.
The music surges through me, and I open my eyes, meeting Tristan’s, getting that special little surge of confidence that always hits me when he’s around while I play. Windsor is the next boy I make eye contact with, playing my instrument with confidence, knowing that at least for the moment, at least right here, everything is going to be okay.
My gaze lifts up and scans the crowd, and I find Charlie there in the front row, situated in a wheelchair with a hat on and a heavy coat, even though it’s sunny out. Jennifer is on his right, and his health aide stands just to the side on his left. He