Page 25 of Forgive Me For I Have Sinned

"He's hot."

Yeah, he is and also dangerous with an insatiable cock that breaks hearts.

I smile blithely. "He's a sophomore at Kenyan. He just invited me and Adam to a party Friday night, you girls want to come?" They widen their eyes like I just told them they won front row tickets at a Taylor Swift concert.

"Adam knows him?"

"Of course, he does. Adam practically knows everyone. He's got the QB1 spot at Ohio State. All the girls are going crazy over him, not just me. If you guys are down and of course eighteen, you can come since you know Adam."

"You like him?" she asks, like I know something she doesn't. "You're gorgeous. How could you like a guy like Adam?"

I do and it has everything to do with the fact that he's a nice guy and hell would freeze over before I let this bitch fuck with him.

"What's not to like…umm––" I trail off, waiting for her to tell me her name.

"Jenny."

"Jenny," I repeat. "And you are?" I point to the girl who is secretly crushing on Adam.

"Lizzy," she says shyly. I watch as Jenny shoves her lightly and gives her a what the hell is wrong with you look. Bitch.

"I think Adam is hot and so do most of the college girls at Ohio and Kenyan. He works here because he doesn't want his mother to work extra-long shifts so that he can attend college."

It's true, but it's also because Adam's mother doesn't earn enough to cover his expenses.

"Really?" Jenny says surprised.

I write down my number so that Lizzy can call me and I can give her the address to Draven's party. I watch her enter it on her phone, before I move away, watching Adam wipe down the table, casting a nervous glance my way before I say, "Yeah, like I said, what's not to like, I can't believe some bitch had the balls to turn him down for his senior prom. Her loss."

CHAPTER 10

Veronica

"Are you sure, Mrs. Riodri…Riordan?"

Alaric's mother smiles after I butcher her name when I address her holding the outfit she bought me, after she asked me to stop by her house.

"Could you stop with the formality, Veronica? Claire is fine. Since you were in high school, I have told you to call me Claire."

I remember the first time I met her when Alicia promised to introduce me to Alaric because I had a huge crush on him and couldn't wait until I was old enough to introduce myself. I wanted a fair shot, and being underage wouldn't work in my favor. But I was stubborn and couldn't wait. I wanted to meet him, but I was more surprised to find a mother figure in Claire instead. Her son didn't notice me; I was invisible to him. But she always found a way to bring me dresses and clothes, claiming that she bought them when she was younger and never got a chance to wear them, but we both know that was a lie until she just started telling me she bought it for me. I always wondered why she was so nice to me. Maybe she heard what happened between me and her son but overlooked my behavior afterward. At one point, she thought I was into Reid, but we never had any chemistry and hardly spoke. And after Alaric and Alicia, it got worse. Like most people, he finally opened up with his total dislike for me, and it was open season.

But Claire was one of the few that didn't. Besides the hired staff at home, a few showed me kindness.

"I'm sorry, Claire."

She waves her hand demurely. "Nonsense. I want to know if you like it. I heard Draven is throwing a party and I want you to look your best. Graduation is looming, and I know…you don't have much time before––" She trails off, avoiding my gaze.

"Before I know who I'm marrying," I finish for her.

She presses her lips together, forming a thin line.

"It's okay, Claire. We all have to, right?"

She nods, but I don't miss how she won't look me in the eye, her focus on the short dress with a designer shoe bag attached to the hanger. Claire is one of those women that stays up to date on gossip. She knows practically everything that goes on at Kenyan most of the time.

"It's tomorrow at Thursday's meeting with the Order."

My chest squeezes tightly, knowing that by tomorrow, I will know where I'll be living and the monster who will be keeping me. I'm not a great catch in anyone's eyes or what the Order would consider an acceptable wife. In my case, they only care about an alliance between two families. My father doesn't care about the alliance; he cares only for one thing, power. The power to sway the vote in his favor because the Consortium is a threat to his existence. He needs more power by forming an alliance that favors his ideals.

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