Page 109 of Notorious Park Avenue Prince

“Did East just tell someone else toleadthe way?”

My lips twitched at his friends’ disbelief as their questions faded and I found us somewhere quiet to talk for a moment. If anyone saw us, I didn’t notice or care—I just wanted to make sure he was all right and see if there was anything I could do to make his day easier.

“How are you doing this morning?” I said, making sure my back was to the hall, shielding him from any prying eyes.

“The same as I was when I woke up next to you this morning—good. Why? Do I not look good?”

Of course his mind went there, but East had nothing to worry about in the looks department. Between his fashion sense and aristocratic good looks, he was one of the most attractive guys I’d ever met.

“You look fantastic and you know it. Just like you know that I don’t mean that. Stop deflecting—it’s just you and me right now.”

“I’m aware. I’ve got to say, it was pretty hot the way you just forgot who you were out there for a minute, Mr. TA. I think you might’ve just short-circuited my friends’ brains.”

“I didn’t forget. I just didn’t care.” I squeezed his fingers between mine. “You’re more important than that.”

East sighed and let go of my hand, and the cocky front he’d put on display slipped away, leaving the vulnerable man King and I had fallen asleep with the night before.

“I didn’t think this would be so hard,” he said more to himself than me. “Coming back here and acting like everything is okay.”

I couldn’t begin to imagine what he was going through—no one could. East hadn’t seen or heard from his father since his arrest, and his mother didn’t exactly strike me as the nurturing type. He’d been cut off from all his friends until this morning, when he’d learned his father had finally made bail, and now here he was, putting on the show of his life.

He had a reputation to uphold, and considering he was one of the most pretentious people to walk the halls of Astor, he wasn’t exactly garnering sympathy from the student body—more like apathy.They didn’t care what happened to James Easton or his father. In fact, most of them had popped the popcorn and were watching with rabid interest to see the mighty fall. Something I might’ve gotten on board with months ago, before I’d gotten to see behind East’s façade.

Was he arrogant? Yes. Was he condescending? Yes. Something I was beginning to suspect he’dhadto be in order to survive the family he was born into. A defense mechanism of sorts. If he showed even the slightest hint of vulnerability, his father would’ve eaten him alive. What had East called him? A shark? I couldn’t imagine how he’d had to swim in waters with someone like that his whole life, always worrying he’d be bitten.

Everyone thought they knew East, knew what made him tick. But there was so much more beneath the surface.

“You don’t have to act with me—you know that, right?”

“I know, it’s just…” East shook his head.

“What?”

“This is going to sound so fucking stupid.”

“I’m sure it won’t. Try me.”

“I don’t know who I am without this name, without…money. So I’m just out here faking it. Acting like nothing’s changed. When the fact is I’m not sure I can afford a goddamn coffee this morning.”

“East?” When his eyes fell to the ground, I put a finger to his chin to bring them back up to mine. “There is so much more to you than your money.”

“Sure there is.”

“Thereis,” I said, then lowered my voice. “Do you really think King and I were thinking about your name, money, or connections while you were on the island? While we’ve been back here?”

“No.”

“Exactly. You have so much to offer. You’ve just never had to think about it before.”

East snorted. “Yeah, well, I’d rather not have to think about it now, either.”

My lips twitched, and I let him go before I did something crazy, like kiss him right there in the hall. “I know, but there arealways options when it comes to making money. Things outside of your father’s business. Like The Cellar, for example. You could come and work with me.”

“As a waiter?” East looked so horrified I couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t really think I’m busboy material.”

“I didn’t mean as a waiter. I was thinking more behind the scenes.”

I knew it was a far cry from how he’d always seen his life playing out. He’d said himself he was being groomed to take over his father’s company, so anything less than a multimillion-dollar position must seem like a horrifying option.

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