Page 39 of Broken Rules
Chapter Twelve
Sitting together onthe couch, Brandi explained to Savannah that she and William had been watching a movie earlier that evening when his mother had stopped by his apartment unannounced.
“You should have seen how uncomfortable he was. He didn’t even ask her to come inside or introduce us. He basically just shoved her out the door. But before she left I heard her ask him if he had remembered to get his tuxedo dry-cleaned for the wedding this weekend...” Brandi covered her face with her hands and sobbed harder than ever.
Wrapping an arm around her friend’s waist, Savannah asked. “What’s so bad about that?”
Taking her hands away from her face, Brandi straightened and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “He lied to me. He told me he was going to some kind of school conference thing.”
At that moment, Damien appeared in front of them and set two steaming cups of tea and a box of tissues on the table. Savannah mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to him as she handed Brandi a tissue.
“His family owns one of those big houses right on the coast, along with half a dozen other properties. They’re loaded. His oldest brother married old money from Delaware. And the wedding this weekend is for his other brother who’s marrying a freaking Vanderbilt. That’s right, a freaking Vanderbilt.” Her face crumpled. “He’s embarrassed of me, Savvy. Because I’m not some kind of Ivy league debutante.”
“Is that what he told you?”
She shook her head and wiped her sleeve across her nose. “He didn’t have to. I grew up in a freaking trailer park, Savvy. To people like them I’m trailer trash.”
Savannah gasped. “Did he say that?”
Brandi shook her head.
“Good! Because I was about to track him down and beat him senseless. Well, what did he say?”
Brandi sniffed. “Nothing. I didn’t give him a chance to say anything.”
“You mean you just left without talking to him about it?”
“He lied to me, Savvy! I mean, I thought I’d finally found a nice one, but it turns out he’s just like all the rest.”
“A wedding is a big deal, Brandi. It means meeting not just his family but extended family. You should have heard his side of the story. Anyway, William’s a good guy—you know he is, but you can’t expect perfection.” She turned then and met Damien’s gaze. “He’s all too human, just like the rest of us.”
Damien nodded his head encouragingly but remained supportively silent from where he sat across from her.
First sweeping her long dark braid off her shoulder, Brandi then dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “You’re probably right.” She lifted her shoulders. “I guess I just freaked. I’m not gonna lie. When I found out about his family’s money, I got a little insecure. I mean, what the hell is he doing with me?”
“He’s with you because you’re warm and smart and fun,” Savannah stated. “But what I don’t get is if his family is so rich, why is he working at The Cove in the first place?”
She lifted his shoulders. “He’s slumming it, I guess.”
