Page 22 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
“No.” He shook his head then tilted it slightly. “You do look sad.” His gaze shifted toward traffic—thankfully—giving me a chance to breathe. When he looked at me, it felt like I couldn’t, leaving me dizzy and a little light headed.
“Although I doubt it’s a permanent affliction. You’re so pretty, I doubt most people even notice you’re not fine. Since I hide lots of things myself, I can see it. The silence … It really does keep people away, doesn’t it? I will humor you, and it will keep me away, if you want, but comeon. Let me show you around before you make up your mind. You can’t live here and not see any of the sights, can you?”
I considered him carefully, realizing his brothers must have filled him in about me.For sure more than they warned me about Barrett, anyway. “Are you their friendship filter? Do you decide who gets to be their friend and who doesn’t?”
Internally, I stewed, abruptly annoyed with him and maybe myself.I need to reevaluate my shoe theory. I noticed he was rich, spoiled, sure. But I didn’t pick up on the judgmental nature of his shoes, and it was my own fault. I would have to revisit my internal charting.
He took a second before responding, blinking his striking eyes once before he gave me the smile again. The one that flipped my heart a little, because I sensed somehow it might be rare.
But it was time to cross the street, and so we remained silent until we reached the other side. He finally said, “I’m not the friendship police, not usually. If I’m totally honest, I normally don’t give a shit about their friends. Besides, out of my brothers, Phoenix doesn’t have any real friendships, he only has people who come and go as he sees fit. The other two are pretty typical, so why would I ever dare try to police their choices? You, however, are different, so yes, I am checking you out.”
His words didn’t put out the fire in my stomach, the one that came out of my mouth like acid spit from some venomous dinosaur. “Because I’m poor and unfit?” I shook my head. “How surprisingly typical you are.”
I nearly stumbled, surprised I said it aloud, but I’d met his type before, and honestly, I had my fill.What is the matter with me?I stopped walking. For someone who usually prided myself on staying quiet, I sure seemed determined to let my big mouth get me in trouble around him— and I wasn’t sure why.
“Alatheia,” he said my name, and I went still, only then realizing how my breaths heaved out of me in fury. “This way? You won’t regret it. And no, I’m not here to meet you because you’re poor, but wow, you went there fast. Do they call that Cinderella complex, or is there some other name for it? Comeon.I’m starting to see why they like you so much, though. At first, I thought it was just because you’re so pretty, but that is the least interesting thing about you, isn’t it?” He nodded left. “Come on, please?”
Heat flooded my cheeks, but I tried to squash it. I opened and closed my mouth, staring back into his eyes. My plans to leave fled as I followed him through the park, as if he somehow hypnotized me into following him. We wandered past lots of things, but we didn’t stop at any of them, not even the balloons. Only once we came to a lake did he stop so I could take in the view. The sheer beauty of it made me catch my breath again, but heat still stained my cheeks. I hadn’t known the city hid such natural beauty, so I focused my attention on the safer landscape.Is it manmade?I didn’t know. Regardless, I couldn’t deny the gorgeousness of the view.
Wandering along the fence, my fingers trailing over the metal, I took in the scene around me. Benches were spaced along the perimeter, offering plenty of comfortable spots to rest. Music drifted through the air like an enchantment. A child and his father pointed at a small remote-controlled boat on the water, as if it wasn’t working properly.
There is a lot of life here.
I let out a breath. This was it—the thing I’d been searchingfor in the city without realizing it, the piece I didn’t know was missing.
“It’s my favorite place in the park.” He nodded toward one of the benches. “Let’s sit.”
I smirked as I followed him. “Julian was right. He said you and Jeremy like to be in charge.”
“Yes, but they don’t listen to us. Just because I like to give orders doesn’t mean that anyone gives a shit most of the time. It helps that I only tell them what to do to help them get through our lives. It’s complicated.”
They kept saying that.It is complicated. I should ask what they meant, but instead, I just watched the water. I closed my eyes and let the sound of distant laughter wash over me. Inhaling, I smelled a hot dog or spiced meat nearby, and musical notes drifted on the air behind it all. When I caught a whiff of the clean scent of the guy next to me, my eyes popped open again.
It wasn’t like I should have a problem with Barrett keeping me away from the twins—I decided that more time with them wasn’t in my best interest.So why am I being snarky and letting him bug me?I swallowed. It was easier to be the person saying no than being told no, so maybe my frustration was simply because of his orders?
“Look …” I shook my head, as if I could clear out my wandering thoughts so easily. “I don’t know why I’m saying this, but I have to admit I agree with you. I shouldn’t be friends with your brothers, but probably not for the same reasons you have. Regardless, I don’t disagree with you because it’s true. I’ll leave them alone, and you can go back to the Hamptons. All you have to do is tell them to steer clear of me, because I’m not the one intentionally getting in their way.”
He tilted his head again, his expression curious. “You assume I think they shouldn’t hang out with you because you’re poor.”
That isn’t what he’s supposed to say. Still, I shrugged, refusing to cower just because he said the quiet part aloud. “Yes.”
“That’s just wrong. To start with, you’re making assumptions about me that aren’t based in fact. I suppose I did the same thing to you, if I’m being fair. Still, I promise, I’m not here to stop you from being friends with my brothers. I’m honestly curious, so I came to see why they fell so hard for you, both at once. When things like that happen to members of my family, we take note. Or at least some of us do.”
It felt like they were all constantly hedging vaguely about Phoenix without mentioning him. What did that mean and why?
“When Julian practically waxed poetic about you over text, Jeremy came to see what was up. I stayed behind, because Jeremy can handle Julian’s overenthusiastic nature and temper just fine, twin to twin, without my interference. It goes better that way.” He still stared ahead. “When Jeremy said that Julian hadn’t done you justice, it caught my eye. That’s how it works in my family, sometimes. We live unique lives, so we’re careful about who gets to see the real deal.”
My cheeks heated again.They said that much nice stuff about me?Why?I noticed his use of the phrasethe real deal… I used it myself in my stream. I knew what it meant. “So, it isn’t friendship, it’s us potentially dating that concerns you. Look, I can ease your mind there, there’s no chance of that. I’m leaving soon. I told them, but maybe you’ll understand what I mean better. I have no control over my life right now. I’m going to be sent away. Once I get control again someday, I intend to make a life for myself, one far away from the places I’ve been forced to exist. The important part is you don’t have to worry, because there won’tberomance. Okay?”
He grunted. “You want my takes? I like how you bluntly asked if it was because you were poor. That’s honesty. You werewrong, but it was hard to ask, and I appreciate the courage it took to say it. I’m amused because you still think you shouldn’t be their friend. I’m noticing you don’t talk much because you’re not afraid of silence, but you’re willing to speak out about tough things.”
I turned my gaze from the lake to stare at the hardness of his profile. Because of his sunglasses, I couldn’t see his brown eyes. I always thought it was stupid when a superhero wore a mask and no one recognized them. How could the creator of the series believe one small mask over the eyes could do all that? Despite my theory on visibility, glasses or no glasses, I couldn’t read his expression right then. He just seemed high cheek boned, hard, and gorgeous—not that I minded the view.
Instead of admittingthat, I asked, “So why don’t you want me to be their friend?”
A muscle ticked in one of those high cheekbones. “If I thought all they wanted from you was friendship, I would love it. I think you could be great for them. Everyone else kisses their rear ends, but it takes a particular woman to date a Lent. If they scare off easily, then they aren’t the one.”
My eyes rolled before I thought better of it, and I sputtered out, “Well, I mean, obviously no one would datebothof them. That would be … I don’t know … not done?” I shook my head, baffled that he would even suggest such a thing. “I’m leaving.”
