Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
The crowd simmers down, and my father continues to speak, but I’m done listening. I'm pinned between the betrayal in Bel's eyes and the way Spencer grasps my arm tight against her body. There's nowhere to go, and I've never felt more powerless in my fucking life.
Sebastian leans down to whisper in Bel's ear, and again there’s no surge of jealousy, nothing but relief that he’s here for her.
Lee cuts through the crowd, a smile on his face as he grabs my hand from Spencer’s, shaking it vigorously. "Man, I'm so excited for you."
Then he leans in and whispers into my ear, "What do you need? What can we do?"
It's as if he can tell I'm on the edge. Of breaking open and killing my father, maybe? Of walking away from this room and never looking back?
"Let's go get another drink to celebrate," he suggests, tugging me back toward the bar. Sebastian holds Bel's arms, and I can see the fresh tears on her cheeks.
Fuck. This goddamn hurts.
When we reach the bar, Lee casually turns to me so my back is to the rest of the room, nothing but Lee in my face. "What do you need? Want me to get you out of here?"
I shake my head. "It's pointless. He'll just hunt me down and make me pay in another way for embarrassing him or our family name."
I clutch my ribs, and he eyes me up and down. "Wait, did he already hit you? That fucking bastard."
My father's discipline has never been a secret among my closest friends. They try to help, but they can do nothing except save me from the destructive warpath I go on afterward.
He grabs me by the shoulders and gives me a little shake. "Snap the fuck out of it, man. This isn't you. You control the school, The Mill, all of it. You don’t bow to the whims of one damn asshole. Get yourself together and take care of this. Or are you going to let your father continue to humiliate your girl?"
I turn and find Bel had been beckoned once again to pass out drinks. There's a spotlight on Spencer's glowing face as she shows everyone within six feet the fat princess-cut diamond on her finger.
I’m hopeless. "There's nothing I can do. Not yet at least. Once this is over, maybe there's something, but you guys aren't going to like it."
He snorts and takes a swig of a beer. "We don't like throwing ourselves in front of three-hundred-pound linebackers to save you either, yet we still do it."
My father seeks me out in the crowd, his pensive gaze on me, and I let out a sigh of defeat and walk back out to the floor. It's all a circus act. My father may be the ringleader for now, but he can't hold the crowd's attention for long. I just have to wait until he passes the baton. And when he does, I'm going to fucking destroy his pride and joy, his company, his entire fucking world from the top down.
CHAPTER 34
BEL
All I can do is stand here like a fucking lawn ornament and offer people drinks. I wonder if he's been engaged the entire time he's been...well...fucking me. A slimy feeling coats my insides. I feel sick and duped. He was right before when he said we never made any promises. He made demands, and I acceded to him. He doesn't owe me anything, and I don't owe him anything. If that’s true, then why does it feel like my chest is caving in? Like he put his big foot inside and stomped all over my damn heart?
I circle the group, keeping my eyes locked on the tray. I countdown the seconds until I'm out of drinks so I can run away to safety. I’m desperate to get out from under the scrutiny and judgment of all these fucked-up people. Or hell, even worse, their indifference. They don’t think I see it, but I do. The way their noses tick up at me as I pass by. I’m nothing more than a walking drink dispenser to these fucking people. I keep my distance from Spencer and the sparkling symbol of my stupidity on her finger.
There's no way he wasn't at least fucking her and me at the same time. God, please explain to me how I missed this. How could I have been so stupid? Engagements take time. Commitment. All the things he wasn't willing to give me, clearly since I was nothing more than a secret fuck.
Perfect for fucking in a dusty library but not bringing home to Daddy. My heart races in my chest, and yes, I know I should’ve expected this since things like this are the entire reason I refuse to date or do anything with a man, but I thought… I thought Drew cared, at least a little bit. He told people I was his girlfriend. Yes, it was only to keep people away, but it had to stand for something.