by Coralee June
“I was kind of shitty, wasn’t I?” Jess asked.
“A little? But it doesn’t really matter. Jack’s about to be here, and I have to move into a new apartment I’ve never seen, learn about a school I don’t want to go to, and deal with the trauma of a home invasion that happened yesterday. But hey. Thanks for giving me a stamp of approval that I never asked for.”
Jess rolled her eyes, like my speech was an inconvenience. “Are you done? Give me your phone,” she said while holding out her palm.
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to give you my number and we’re going to be friends. I might be a little eccentric and a hell of a lot overprotective of Hamilton, but it’s with good reason. You know, in the four years we’ve lived together, he’s never once brought someone home? He always fucks at hotels. He has some guy friends, but even they don’t come here.”
Holy whiplash, Batman.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tossed it to her, not caring if she saw the text from Jack. She typed a bit and then called herself so that she could have my number too.
“Jack’s here,” she said while handing me back my phone. “Do me a favor and tell him to get fucked for me.” She licked her middle finger and grinned playfully.
“I like Jack,” I answered.
“Sure you do. Everyone hates him eventually,” Jess replied ominously. “I’ll call you later. We’re going to hang out. I can see why Hamilton is nice to you.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t call me? Yeah?” I asked while throwing my duffel bag over my shoulder.
“Too late. I like you now. I’m going to wear you down,” Jess said before grabbing the TV remote and turning on the news. I made my way to the front door, with Little Mama hot on my heels.
I paused before opening the door so I could scratch behind her ears. “See you soon,” I promised the perfect pooch. She wagged her entire lower body in excitement.
“Morning! Do you want a tour of the campus?” was the first thing Jack asked when I settled in the cool leather passenger seat of his Aston Martin. When did Hamilton bring it back to the house? Jack’s tone was giddy as he gripped the steering wheel. Something about his demeanor made me think he was avoiding what had happened yesterday with Saint and our phone call about Hamilton.
“That would be great, Jack,” I replied.
“Perfect!”
I was still shaken from all the things that had happened yesterday and today. Saint showing up. Hamilton coming to the rescue. Jess interrogating me. It felt like an earthquake tearing apart my own existence. Shaky ground didn’t make for a good foundation, and it felt like my entire world was cracked right down the middle. I had nothing really to hold on to.
Four boxes. Four measly boxes lined the back of Jack Beauregard’s Aston Martin. My life summed up in flimsy cardboard stuffed with mementos from a life that now felt foreign to me. Thankfully, Jack had grabbed my belongings from the house and brought them here. I was glad I didn’t have to go back to his estate so soon. Even though I was anxious about this new phase of my life, I was glad I didn’t have to stay there any longer. Saint really freaked me out, and the more I could distance myself from that, the better. I just wanted to feel normal for a bit.
According to Jack, interior designers had already taken over and moved in brand new top-of-the-line furniture. Expertly tailored outfits for every occasion were also delivered two days ago. It felt like too much, but he assured me that he was happy to do it. “We have a lot of events coming up with my reelection. I want you to feel comfortable and have nice things to wear to them.”
Was what I already owned not enough?
I tossed him a polite smile while adjusting the freezing cold air vents off of me. It was only fifteen minutes away from Hamilton’s house, and Jack was all too happy to tell me every single detail he could recall about Greenwich University, his alma mater.
The opulent campus was timeless. The sprawling manicured lawns were filled with lounging students wearing preppy designer clothes, even though classes didn’t start for another two weeks. I immediately felt out of place at this private university, but Jack proudly boasted how he always felt at home when visiting.
“Over here is the new Beauregard Business Building,” he said while pointing at a statue of...holy shit...himself. The bronze statue was tall and imposing.
“Whoa,” I said.
“You like? I made sure they shaved some of my stomach off. Didn’t want to be eternally fat, you know?” He chuckled at his joke and turned down another street. I didn’t even want to think about how much money you had to donate to have a new building named after you and get a statue erected in your honor.
“My wife and I first met outside the chemistry building. She wore a plaid skirt and was clutching a mountain of textbooks to her chest. She dropped them all, and I helped her carry them to her dorm,” Jack recalled with a secret grin. “She made me work for a first date but oh, it was worth it. When she died, I had her favorite park bench here moved to the gardens at our summer home.”
“I bet you miss her.”
“Every day,” Jack replied.
I chewed on my lip, not sure what to say. Jack continued his tour, pointing out sentimental spots while groaning about changes to the campus. He was a traditionalist and made it obvious how much he hated the new buildings being built—aside from the one named after him, of course.
“So, you want a degree in social work, yes? What exactly do you want to do?” Jack asked.
“I want to be a child welfare specialist,” I replied while looking out the window.
“What made you want to do that?” he asked while turning down a side street toward a collection of apartment buildings.
I bounced my knee in the car, my fingers tingling as I tried to come up with my answer. “I guess you could say I was born wanting to be an advocate for children,” I whispered.
Jack nodded and let out an, “Ahh. Your mother.”
I snapped my head to the left to stare at him as he pulled into an unfamiliar parking lot. “What do you mean?”
“I, uh, I just mean I know about your mother. She was in an abusive situation, yes?” I knotted my fingers in my shirt, desperate to get out of the car. Jack must have seen something in my expression, because his eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, honey. It’s not my place.” I was fiercely protective of my mother, and Jack Beauregard just dropped that bomb as if he was talking about the weather.
“How do you know about that?” I asked.
Jack let out a sigh. “My team did a background check on your family when Joseph announced that they were dating. I didn’t mean to be intrusive. The report was very enlightening. I’m shocked your mother managed so much at such a young age.”
I scoffed. Didn’t mean to be intrusive? What the fuck? “And what exactly did your report tell you? Did you find out that my father was actually one of my grandmother’s boyfriends?”
Jack pulled over, then looked down at his lap. A white-hot anger burned through me. “You both are very tenacious. You’ve overcome so much. It’s honestly impressive how far you’ve come. I didn’t mean to overstep. I’m just protective of my son. You have to understand that. He’s wanting to get into politics, and he’s going to inherit a lot of money. I didn’t want any scandals. I mean, goodness, Joseph mistakenly got her pregnant. I understand why he wanted to do the right thing and marry her, but we had to be smart about it.”
I gaped at him. “So how did your people decide to spin it to the papers, hmm? Charity case or a redemption story?”
“Neither. I made sure your mother’s abuse was sealed in court records.”
“So, a shameful secret,” I said softly in disbelief.
Perhaps it was the intensity of the last few days, but I didn’t bother holding back. “Thanks for the tour, Jack. I can handle it from here.” I unbuckled my seatbelt with a huff of frustration.
“Vera, when you’ve been in the public eye for as long as I have, you learn that you have
to be careful. I’m just trying to protect my family. Joseph impulsively married your mother, and I wanted to know what we were up against. I’ve never intentionally tried to make you, or your mother, feel like outsiders. But you didn’t grow up in this world.”
I understood where he was coming from, but it still upset me. I couldn’t quite figure out if I was upset because he knew our dirty secret or because it hurt to think about. I blew out a noisy breath and angled my body away from Jack. “You just caught me off guard. You’re protective of your sons, right? Well, I’m protective of her. Mom wouldn’t want her new father-in-law talking about her trauma so flippantly. She could have been a statistic, but she overcame. She worked hard and protected me. The moment I was born, she got us out of her mother’s trailer. She dropped out of school, got her GED, and busted her ass to take care of me. She didn’t have to keep me, let alone take care of me, but she did. Please don’t let her know that you know. It’s bad enough she has to look me in the eye every day of her life and see him. She doesn’t need to see your pity, too.”
Jack sighed. “Most men in my position don’t allow their sons to marry for love. We do business arrangements. We set our kids up with someone who will make our fortune grow. Be glad I even allowed it—”
“Allowed?!” I shook my head in disgust. “You think you’re so much better than us. I thought you were so kind and welcoming. I had no idea you were looking down your nose at us this entire time.”
Jack didn’t falter. He had a true politician’s soul, because he kept to his views implicitly. “I own some of the largest corporations in the world. I’m the governor of one of the wealthiest states in the country. I’ve lived my life in the public eye. It’s unfair to expect you to seamlessly adapt to a world that molds infants into ruthless billionaires, but you should get used to this.”
“Used to what?”
“Every bit of your life will be picked apart from here on out. Your mother married into one of the most well-known families in the world. You see that black car following us? That’s my security detail. I’m in the newspaper daily. You’re under a microscope, now. I can control what the media knows, but this isn’t a fairy tale, Vera. This is your life. I won’t apologize for making sure your mother wouldn’t ruin the legacy I worked so hard to build. I don’t like uncontrollable variables. All I did was look into her past and make sure it wouldn’t come back to bite us in the ass. You should be thanking me for handling such a scandal. It’s hard to cover up something when there is living, breathing proof. If people knew what you were a product of—”
My heart clenched. My chest felt so tight that I clutched it. “How dare you!” He’d voiced an insecurity that had been plaguing me for years.
“You act like this is a bad thing!” Jack sounded exasperated. “The world is at your fingertips. Your mother could have never hoped to provide you with the sort of opportunities I have access to. She won’t have to work three jobs. You won’t have to bend over backward for a scholarship at a mediocre school. I don’t understand the problem. You’re just like Ha—”
Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek.
“Just like Hamilton?” I asked, finishing his statement for him. “The son you sent away?”
“He wanted to leave. I gave him an out. He asked for a normal life away from me, and I gave it to him. I can give you the same thing if you’d like. University in Europe. A job at one of my companies. This is a choice—a choice your mother made for the both of you when she got knocked up and trapped Joseph in a marriage. If I weren’t running on a platform that prioritizes family values, I wouldn’t have even considered it. I have too many corporations relying on the legislation I pass to let anyone ruin my chances for reelection. You can think I’m cruel, but it’s just business. I’m just giving you an opportunity to be a part of the family, Vera.”
I wasn’t sure this was a family I wanted to be a part of. I placed my hand on the door handle, desperate for space from Jack. “Vera,” he called after me as I exited his car. I kept walking. “Vera!” I put more distance between Jack and me, mulling over Jess’s words as I did.
“Everyone hates him eventually…”
6
Mom had called me six times in the last two days. I texted her, blaming poor cell service in my new apartment for not answering her call. She was very worried about me. News about Saint breaking into the Beauregard home and accosting me became public, and there was a lot of sympathy surrounding the entire ordeal. I went to the grocery store for some comfort food last night, and someone took photos of me buying ice cream and Coke. The gossip was nauseating. Some said I was eating my feelings. Naturally, there were comments about my weight. Some said I was too skinny. Some said I had gotten fat. There was also gossip that my late-night food run was a product of pregnancy cravings. Now that Mom and Joseph had announced her pregnancy, everyone was curious about our family. Apparently, there was a good portion of the population that believed Mom and I both got pregnant at the same time. They called it the Mother-Daughter Pregnancy Pact.
I hadn’t really paid attention to the gossip before, but ever since my talk with Jack, the universe kept throwing it in my face. People called us white trash. Every news organization painted my mother as a gold digger cashing in on an opportunity.
Luckily, Greenwich University was used to catering to the elite, so they had good security on campus. My apartment had guards around the clock, so I felt safe.
But I also felt trapped.
Mom was worried and wanted to hear my voice, but I was too twisted up inside. If she could hear or see me, she’d recognize the anger buried in my tone. I was still livid with Jack, and yet I couldn’t blame him, either. My brief brush with this Saint gave me a glimpse into their world. Jack was just trying to protect his legacy, but I was coping with the trauma of where I’d come from. I couldn’t figure out if he was conditioned to be heartless and treat the world through such a business-like lens or if he was just that blasé about how he conducted his family’s affairs. Either way, it left a really bad taste in my mouth. In my mind, Jack was my sweet, trustworthy grandfather. I really liked him. Was it all an act? And if it was an act, how did he become so good at pretending to care?
Jack just wanted to safeguard his reputation and wealth. I saw the signs. I knew that this rushed wedding and the rumors were true. I just hated that Mom’s new beginning was starting off on the wrong foot. She deserved better. It wasn’t her fault that her only daughter was a product of rape. And she shouldn’t have to hide what happened to her or be bullied for her upbringing. I knew that every single person in the Beauregards’ circle would look down their noses at us more than they already were if they knew the truth. In some ways, I was thankful that Jack managed to bury the story to protect Mom. I just hated that he even had to. And more than that, I hated how indifferent he was about the entire thing.
I was sitting on my oversized plush couch, flipping through help wanted ads online when yet another call came through, but this time it wasn’t my mother’s name on the caller ID.
I answered the video call, and Jess’s face appeared. “Hello there, stranger,” she said with a grin. “Hamilton and I are going out tonight, you want to come?” Behind her, Hamilton was shrugging out of a shirt. I couldn’t help but stare at the dips of his hard body and the tan skin that stretched over his large muscles. Holy shit. He looked far too beautiful for his own good. “I’m going to take your drool as a yes,” Jess teased, snapping me out of my staring. Hamilton turned his head over to us and then looked down at his abs, brushing his fingers along each muscle in a playfully teasing way. He knew exactly what he was doing—and I loved it.
Wait. No, I didn’t. Bad, Vera. Very, very bad.
“I’m not drooling,” I rushed out. “And where are we going? I’m not even sure I like you, remember?”
Hamilton chuckled and picked up a black shirt before putting it on. “Were you mean to my little rose petal, Jess?” he asked. Rose petal? Why did that make my cheeks feel
hot all of a sudden?
Jess’s eyes widened. “Yours, huh?” she asked before continuing. “And maybeeee,” she replied. “Come on, Petal. Let’s go. Don’t you want to meet people? You wanted to make friends, right?”
“Where are we going?” I asked, my mind still on the paparazzi that followed me to the grocery store. What if they found Hamilton and me together? It was normal, right? To spend time with my…uncle?
“My girlfriend’s band is playing at a local venue. She’s really good, and last time she had ten people show up. Tonight, we’re hoping for fifteen. Come on. We need all the help we can get.”
“What kind of band?” I asked.
“It’s kind of a crossover between polka and alternative screamo.”
My face twisted up in horror. “That sounds terrible.”
Hamilton tossed his head back and laughed. “That’s what I said!” he called out.
Jess picked up something and tossed it at his head. “Please! I’m trying to support my girl here, guys!”
I chewed on my lip before responding. “I’m not sure if I should. I had some paparazzi follow me to the grocery store, and I don’t want to give them any more ammunition…”
“I’ve been dodging journalists for years. You’re yesterday’s news, Petal,” Hamilton said, his voice a lazy drawl. “They won’t find you there. And if they do, I’ll do something scandalous so they’ll focus on me and not on you.”
“Are you sure? This is all new to me, and I just don’t want to—”
“It’ll be fine! Promise,” Hamilton assured me.
“Are you going to interrogate me more?” I asked Jess, brow arched.