Page 32 of For Wrath and Redemption
“You mean Ponyboy?”
She groans again. “That’s another thing. Why do they have such stupid names? Who names their kid Sodapop? It’s dumb.”
My lips twitch, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from smiling. I don’t want to laugh at Brynn. She hates struggling with schoolwork, and English is her worst subject. It’s been the hardest transition for her when she moved to online learning when the tour started. I can empathize. I used to be the same way. I refused to fail at anything until the anxiety became too much, and I stopped caring. I don’t want that to happen to her.
“You’re right. The names are weird.” I tap her computer, then open the paperback to her bookmark. “Pull up the assignment. We’ll knock it out together.”
“Oh. Hello.”
Brynn and I both look up from her laptop screen. Claire is standing in the doorway wearing another of her professional pencil skirts, and I take my glasses off so I can look her over. Straight hair. Light makeup. Confused, scrunched little nose. The sexiest, most deceptive kind of trouble.
“I’m Claire. What’s your name?”
Claire walks to the couch, and Brynn grins up at her. “I’m Brynn. I’m with Savannah.”
“You can call her Boss, Davis. She’s Levi’s daughter.” Claire flicks her eyes to me and nods before turning her warm smile back on Brynn.
“Nice to meet you, Boss.” When Brynn giggles, Claire’s smile grows, and she darts her eyes between me and the kid. “What are you guys doing?”
“Jonah is helping me with an English assignment.”
“He is?” The way her eyebrows rise with surprise has a smirk curving my lips.
“Thought I was illiterate?”
“No.” When Claire smirks back, my heart picks up pace. “Legacy or not, you wouldn’t have gotten into Yale if you couldn’t read.”
“Yale?” Brynn’s jaw drops, and she whips around to face me. “You went to Yale?”
“For less than a semester,” I answer honestly, without breaking eye contact with Claire. “Couldn’t do Yale and Heartless, so I chose Heartless.”
Brynn hums. “Makes sense.”
There’s a lot more to it than that. From the look on Claire’s face, she can tell, but the answer satisfies Brynn, so I change the subject.
“Actually, Davis, I haven’t ordered room service yet. Could you do that? Breakfast. Eggs and bacon. Some scones. And coffee. Black.”
“Of course, Mr. Hendrix.” Claire’s answer is flat, no doubt unamused by my ordering her around, but when she turns to Brynn, she’s nothing but sunshine and kindness. I roll my eyes. “Would you like something too, Boss?”
“No, thank you.”
Claire pulls out her phone to order, and I go back to discussingThe Outsiderswith Brynnlee. The whole time, I can feel Claire watching me. It makes my skin prickle with unease, and suddenly, I don’t want her tosee this part of me. I don’t even know why. I just keep replaying her words from last night.
Without the rock star façade to hide behind, you’re everything you hate.
Fuck her for being right.
Fuck her for seeing me so clearly yet getting it so fuckingwrong, too.
I keep my eyes off Claire and on Brynn’s computer. I talk her through symbolism and character development. We discuss the importance of the sunsets. We hammer out an outline for her book report. We finish up just as the food comes, and when Brynn stands to leave, I can tell she feels more confident in her understanding of the book.
“Still hate it?” I ask, hooking my glasses onto my shirt collar and standing.
Brynn shrugs. “Nah, I guess not.”
“Maybe we could watch the movie,” Claire chimes in, and Brynn gasps.
“There’s a movie?” Brynn turns accusatory eyes on me. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a movie?”
