“Same last name,” I assure her, “but the similarities stop there.” His eyes dart over to Sugar and I turn to her, smiling. “So, believe it or not, we’re here to meet your family. This is Sugar Voss, recipient of your parents’ scholarship.”
“Oh, you’re Sugar!” Gwen’s expression softens. “I really love your work. The black and white one of the cemetery with the flags was really provoking.”
“Thank you,” Sugar replies, tucking her hair behind an ear in an uncharacteristically shy gesture. Despite that, I can still see the spark of overwhelmed pride in her eyes.
Gwen’s phone chimes and she looks down. “I think the rest of the family is already inside. I hear you’ve already made an impression on the twins. You can meet everyone else, too.”
I peek into the large front window, internally cringing at what awaits us inside. The whole fucking family came. Even the older brother. Even Skylar. At least that’s one sin that’s not hanging around my neck.
“Sugar, walk with me. We can talk art while the guys catch up.”
I release Sugar’s hand and watch her walk off. I drag my eyes away from her and look at Hamilton, who’s watching me closely.
“How’s lacrosse?” he asks in a clear display of shooting the shit.
“Starts in a few weeks. I’m waiting to get cleared from a concussion.”
“Ah, right. I won two hundred bucks at one of your fights.” He looks me over, assessing me. On anyone else, it’d look like an attempt at intimidation, but I know Hamilton better than that. “Guess that’s how you got the concussion.”
“Yeah, something like that.” I take a stab at the elephant lurking in the parking lot. “Look, I know we never really hung out or anything. Heston pretty much preferred me to be as far from his orbit as possible. But just so you know, I’m not anything like him. You seem to have a pretty good grasp on Gwen’s family, so if you think that me being here will damage Sugar’s reputation with them, I should bail now.” I rake my hair back, blowing out a hard breath. “I really like this girl, so the last thing I want is her being judged on an association with my asshole brother that doesn’t even exist.”
“They’re not like that,” he says, twisting at the waist to peer in the window. “I mean, fuck, I’m petty as hell, but Gwen’s family? They even forgave me, and you know how much of a shit I was to Gwen. They’ll probably just see any association with Heston as another reason to take her under their wing. They love adding a new wayward soul to their flock.” He laughs, dark eyes flashing. “Hell, why do you think they like me so much?”
“Okay.” I nod, feeling a little bit of the tension easing. “Okay, good. That’s a relief.”
“How is your brother, anyway?”
“The same,” I reply, giving a bitter, tight-lipped smile. “I avoid him as much as possible, truthfully.”
He looks toward the door where the girls just walked in, face set into a pensive frown. “Have you told him about her?”
“Fuck no,” I reply quickly. Maybe too quickly. “You know how he is. First sign of a weakness and he grabs hold.”
“Yeah, I know.” He shakes his head. “Your girl looks tough on the outside—I guess she’d have to be to deal with the assholes at Preston—but bro. Bro.” He gives me a significant look. “Underneath that, she’s really got that fragile, lost thing going on, you know?”
Irritation at him sussing out Sugar so quickly puts me on edge. “The fuck does that mean?”
“Gwen’s family is the least of your worries. Your brother will sniff that shit out in a heartbeat.” He holds my eye. “If you know what’s good, you’ll keep him away from her.”
I already know this. It’s why I kept him away from her at the car show. But hearing Hamilton say it—Hamilton Bates, who was such a terrible bastard that he was the only one at Preston who could keep my brother in line—just cements my determination.
I exhale and nod. “Yeah, of course. Thanks for the advice. And look, not that it’s worth much, but I’m sorry about what he did to Gwen and Micha.”
Hamilton holds up a hand. “Don’t apologize for that sack of shit. That’s his baggage, not yours.”
By the time we walk into the restaurant, I’m seeing Hamilton Bates in a whole new light. He still seems like the same prissy little shit he always was, but he’s grown