“HEY.”
I looked up from my ereader and the angsty, heart-wrenching romance I was reading. The hero and heroine’s problems were a nice escape from my own.
And Hayley was intruding upon that escape.
She smiled tentatively and stepped farther into my bedroom. “I just thought I’d check on you. You were quiet at dinner. Everything okay?”
There was a part of me that was stunned she’d noticed. Hayley was kind of wrapped up in her engagement party and wedding planning. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, it sounds like it.”
I stared sullenly at her. “Even if I’m not fine, when have I ever come to you?”
Hurt flickered over her features. “You used to come to me.”
“Yeah, before I was eight and you abandoned me.”
She sucked in a breath at the attack and I quashed the flicker of guilt. “Right.” Hayley stumbled back a little. “I’ll leave you alone, then.”
My fingers bit into my ereader as she slipped out of my room.
I wondered if she was going to cry.
For some stupid reason my own eyes started to sting at the thought.
With blurry vision I looked back down at my ebook and forced reality out.
* * *
If I were honest, what I really wanted to do was wallow in self-pity for...well, forever. However, despite the awful day I’d had, I managed to get some sleep that night and things looked...not different, but I could focus again on what was important.
I was a little reassured by the fact that although I’d made myself vulnerable to Finn, he wasn’t going to share my sob story with anyone else. So there was that.
And then there were my social plans.
Was I really going to throw them out of the window because a boy had hurt my feelings? A boy who wasn’t even a romantic interest? I wasn’t like those girls I’d always kind of felt sorry for—you know, the ones that couldn’t make a decision based purely on what they wanted, but on what they thought the boy they liked wanted.
Plus, I was the master at masking my true feelings.
I could do that around Finn.
I could pretend I wasn’t hurt. Like his rejection meant nothing to me.
“You seem better this morning. Your appetite is back,” Hayley noted as we sat at breakfast with Eloise. As per usual Theo had already left for the office. After our first few weeks of settling in, Theo had gone back to what I gathered was his normal routine of working long hours. He was never there for breakfast and he was only home for dinner a couple of days out of the week—mostly the weekend. I wondered how Hayley felt about how much he worked. I wondered if she cared or if it was an easy compromise in order to obtain the life she’d always wanted.
I glanced at Eloise to see if she was paying attention. She was staring at her breakfast as she ate, but I could tell by the tilt of her head that she was listening.
“There was nothing wrong with me last night,” I said.
Hayley smiled weakly at my impatient tone. “Okay.”
“I’m done,” I said to Eloise. “Are you done?”
She looked over at me. “In a minute.”
“While I remember, I need you girls to write out your guest list for the engagement party. Invitations had already gone out when I realized I didn’t give you both a chance to invite some friends.”
Eloise nodded. “I’ll get the list to you by the end of today.”
Hayley smiled gratefully and then looked at me.
I grimaced. “Her list is my list. Or did you forget my friends live three thousand miles away?”
Her dark eyes dimmed at my caustic response.
Not wanting to see the hurt there, I swept out of the house and slid into the car Gil had waiting for us. He seemed to sense my mood and sat in silence with me while we waited for Eloise.
A few minutes later Gil got out of the car to open the door for her and she climbed in beside me. We were quiet as we waited for Gil to return to the driver’s seat. As he pulled the car out of the driveway, Eloise said, “You were a little harsh to Hayley, don’t you think?”
I flushed inwardly with guilt.
Outwardly I shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Eloise seemed amused.
“What?”
She stared at me a moment and then shrugged before looking away. “Sometimes I forget you weren’t born here. You’re a natural.”
“I’ve had my game face perfected since long before arriving in Massachusetts.”
“I noticed.” She shot me a look and we shared an unhappy smile.
Not for the first time I wondered if there was more to her sadness than her mother’s death. And if so...what?
“You like Hayley, don’t you?” I found myself asking.
Eloise seemed surprised by the question. “Does it matter?”
“Kind of. We’re supposed to be becoming a family.”
“Okay. Yes, I like Hayley. She doesn’t seem all that complicated. She takes people as they are. I’ve never heard her pass judgment on anyone or bitch about them. That’s refreshing.”
I laughed. “Refreshing. Right.”
We were silent for a moment.
“India, she’s your mom. Just be grateful she’s here, okay?”
Guilt and anger mixed together and clogged in a giant lump in my throat so I couldn’t respond. I was pissed at Hayley and I didn’t want to stop being pissed at Hayley. I had a right to be pissed at her. That didn’t mean there wasn’t a part of me that felt bad, that didn’t feel like I was taking the fact that I had Hayley for granted when I lived with a girl who’d lost her mom in such a way that there was no hope of getting her back.
* * *
School that day was interesting to say the least. If I could have willed it to, I would have made my heart rate stay steady the moment I saw Finn. Unfortunately, the heart has a mind of its own, and as soon as we saw one another in the hall, mine started banging and thumping in my chest like a panicked nerd who’d been stuffed into her locker by the most popular kid in school.
Finn’s eyes seared into me, soulful, almost tortured.
Then as Eloise drew us nearer, he seemed to remember himself and all that I’d seen in his expression disappeared like smoke in the wind.
“Hi,” Eloise said, touching his chest briefly as we stopped in the hall.
“Hey.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and gave her a small, intimate smile she returned. His eyes flickered to me and he mumbled a “Hey” before turning his attention back to her. “Are we seeing each other tomorrow?”
Eloise nodded. “It’s Paul’s birthday party tomorrow, remember.”
I did. Paul, our copy editor, had invited me last week. His mother was Diana DuPont Worthington, heir to DuPont Diamonds, one of the most long-standing giants in the mining and selling of diamonds.
In other words, Paul’s family was a big freaking deal and anyone who was anyone would be attending his party.
“Right,” Finn said. “Is everyone going?”
Was it just me or did that everyone actually mean “India”?
I felt my hurt turn to anger and that was a good thing. I was better at handling anger than hurt. “I’m going to catch you guys later,” I said in a voice that sounded so normal I was proud of myself. “I have to get to class.”
Eloise bid me goodbye but I got nothing from Finn. For whatever reason, despite my confession, he’d decided not only were we not friends, we weren’t even acquaintances. He was still going to treat me as if I didn’t exist and that pretty much made him a shitty person. I’d told him things that I hadn’t told another soul. I was more vulnerable to him than anyone else, except Hayley.
And he was acting like the world’s biggest dipshit.
That helped me get through the day because I didn’t want a dipshit for a confidant.
* * *
If I’d been blown away by Theo’s home and Finn’s house, I was overwhelmed by Paul Worthington’s family’s sprawling mansion. It was exorbitant in its grandeur. I couldn’t imagine living in a place like it.
We’d taken Eloise’s car, and she was more than happy to let me drive, which was a nice bonus. The Worthingtons lived in Weston so it was only a five-minute trip to his home, but I got the impression Eloise felt it was important that we turn up in a Jaguar rather than a cab—or heaven forbid walk there.
I followed Eloise through the party, wearing a short stretch-knit blue dress by Balmain. It had long sleeves, a round neck and a jacquard pattern in darker blue lace down the bodice and sleeves. I wore it with Michael Kors open-toed black suede booties. I’d never worn a more expensive outfit in my life. But looking around at everyone else I knew it was the right choice. Everyone was dressed to party wearing designer.
Eloise led us into the billiard room (yes, billiard room!) where our crew had congregated. I braced myself, about to follow Eloise as she moved toward her boyfriend, when a strong arm hooked around my waist and stopped me in my tracks. I was jerked back into a hard body, one that I pushed against as I twisted around to see who had captured me.
Jasper.
Great.
I pushed against him again and he eased his hold but didn’t let me go. “You look hot, India.” He grinned. “Appropriate, considering your namesake.”
I rolled my eyes and tugged out of his grasp. He scowled in disappointment.
“Hey, where you going?” he said, grabbing my wrist when I turned to leave.
Touchy-feely asshole. I scowled and pulled my hand away from him. “You know, if you want to talk to me, try doing it without touching me.”
His eyes turned frosty so quickly I shivered, and he leaned in to purr viciously, “Awfully stuck up for a poor bitch.”
I reeled back. “Showing your true colors there, Jasper.”
And just like that the ice was gone and he was grinning at me beseechingly. “Come on, I don’t want to be enemies. I want to be friends. Very good friends.”
“You know what? You should just stick to being good friends with your right hand.”
His friends who had been eavesdropping burst out laughing and Jasper’s face darkened with anger.
I whirled away from him before the creep could get any creepier and I smacked right into Gabe’s strong chest. He lightly grabbed my arms to steady me. “You okay?” His eyes narrowed behind me and he looked uncharacteristically pissed off.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
He searched my eyes and whatever he saw made him smile. “Okay, warrior girl.” He grabbed my hand and started leading me over to Finn and Eloise. “Be friends with your right hand. You crack me up, Maxwell.”
I chuckled, feeling relieved to be with a friend and away from Jasper. I hadn’t gotten the best vibe off the senior before tonight, but now I sensed something aggressive in him. I didn’t know if it was alcohol, or if it was my turn to be paranoid, but I did know I wanted to shake off my feeling of unease.
That wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to do when I found myself standing next to Finn. I did my best to keep enough distance between us so we wouldn’t touch. As my eyes swept over everyone they locked with one of the seniors on Finn’s crew. He was the second tallest guy on the crew next to Finn, but more built, with big wide shoulders. His light red hair was cut close to his head and he had piercing blue eyes. Good-looking with sharp, angular features that were a contradiction to the smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose, the guy was this very nice mix of cute and hot.
And he was smiling at me.
I smiled back.
He moved forward, close to the middle of the group, and held out a large hand. “Patrick Donaghue.”
“India Maxwell.” I shook his hand.
“You haven’t met?” Eloise said, brow furrowed. “Apologies. India, Patrick’s father is the other senior partner in Daddy’s law firm—Donaghue & Fairweather.”
“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” He smiled. “I saw you at the race but you disappeared before Finn could introduce us. I’ve seen you around school, too. I kept meaning to come over and introduce myself. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
I grinned at his obvious flirtation, glad for the distraction from the brooding boy beside me.
“Okay.” Gabe puffed up his chest comically and stepped between us. He gestured to Patrick as he turned to me. “You’re not going to fall for this guy’s so-called Irish charm, right?”
Patrick laughed as I made a face that suggested I was considering it.
Gabe clutched his chest dramatically. “Baby, you’re killing me here!”
“And you’re killing me here.” Finn nudged him out of the way. “I’m bored.” He took Eloise’s hand and led her away, Bryce and Joshua following in their wake.
Taking it in stride, Gabe shrugged. “Drinks?” he asked me and Charlotte.
I was so busy “ignoring” Finn’s departure that it took me a moment to understand his question. “Uh, sure. Soda. I’m driving.”
Charlotte glanced between us. “Um...beer.”
Gabe frowned at her. “A beer?”
“Yes,” she said primly.
“Okay. Be back in a second.”
He moved out of the way and I was almost a little disappointed to see Patrick and his teammate that I hadn’t been introduced to had been diverted by Katherine Kelter and a pretty blonde I recognized from Eloise’s play.
Sighing, I turned away to look around the room, attempting to pretend I wasn’t wondering where Finn had taken Eloise.
“I’m sorry about Finn,” Charlotte said, her expression sympathetic.
Confused and alarmed, I was a little sharper in my response than I meant to be. “What do you mean?”
She winced. “Well, it’s obvious that he’s not thawing toward you. But I don’t think it’s personal if that helps.”
“It’s not?”
“No, I think...well... I think he’s keeping his distance deliberately to reassure Eloise.”
My heart was pounding. Did quiet, sheep-like Charlotte see more than I’d given her credit for? “I don’t understand.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Thanks?”
Charlotte laughed. “Most girls would be threatened by you. I know Bryce is.” She smiled as if she found the notion of my upsetting Bryce amusing. “Finn’s just really loyal to Elle, and I think he’s just reassuring her that no matter how pretty you are he still thinks she’s the most beautiful girl at school.”
“But she is,” I said, wondering why I felt so glum about that.
“I don’t know. Guys seem to really like you.” She gestured behind her and I found Patrick staring over at me while Katherine chattered away to him.
“And Gabe is half in love with you.” Charlotte laughed again, but it sounded somehow hollow.
“Gabe? No, he’s just teasing. You know he flirts with every girl he meets.” I searched her face, wondering at the melancholy I saw in her eyes. Realization hit me. “Oh my God, Charlotte, do you like Gabe?”
“Shh.” She glanced around her frantically to make sure no one had heard me. “Of course not.”
Liar! “Oh, you so do.”
“India,” she whined at my teasing.
I laughed. “Look, I won’t tell anyone. But you should know that I do not like Gabe. Not like that. He’s just a friend. Always will be. And he’s only flirting with me for fun. If it were serious he’d have asked me out by now.”
“True,” she mused. “His parents probably wouldn’t let him date you.”
My face prickled hotly. “Oh?”
“A lot of the families here are from old money. They tend to want their sons to date a girl from a powerful and wealthy family. Both Gabe’s parents are from wealthy families. His grandfather is the guy who co-created the first computer software program or something and now Gabe’s dad is a CEO for a security company. As for his mom, she’s like the daughter of El Salvador’s biggest chocolate producer, and now she runs her own elite matchmaking business. They’re not like Finn or Eloise’s family. They can’t claim to be blue bloods. But they sure can claim wealth and power and they have no intention of going backward. You haven’t got the right status, and parents around here want their kids to date other kids from a similar background. Until Theo and Hayley have been married for a while, they won’t see you in that light, if ever.”
I masked my hurt with indifference. “I’m not interested in dating, anyway. But you should ask Gabe out.”
“I couldn’t.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t see me that way.”
“Then make him. You’re gorgeous. He’d be an idiot not to see that. Maybe he thinks there’s no way you’d be interested. If I remember correctly, you did shudder with horror when I suggested you two were a couple.”
She bit her lip. “I didn’t want him to know I have a crush on him. I’ve liked him since the beginning of sophomore year. I was dating Matt Schneider over that summer and then he was a total ass to me when we got back to school. He publicly dumped me and then got really mean. He made me cry, it was so embarrassing. Gabe was really there for me, though. He talked to me for a long time and basically said that if I stood up for myself nothing bad was going to happen. He promised me. And I believed him. He said I just had to be brave.”
She smiled dreamily and pressed a finger to her cheek. “And then he kissed me right here and hugged me. He told me I was too good for Matt.” Charlotte suddenly looked glum. “I stood up to Matt because of Gabe. In that moment he helped me find the courage to be brave. I’ve liked him ever since but he flirts with almost every girl but me. Bryce made this crack once about how I’d have to be the last girl on earth before Gabe would ever see me as anything but a ‘little sister’ type and that stuck with me, you know. So now I pretend that the thought of dating Gabe disgusts me. A defense mechanism.”
“Mixed signals. Not good. And Bryce could not be more wrong.”
“How do I fix it then? Do you think I should?”
“Yes. Gabe would be ridiculous not to want to date you. Start slowly. Be a little flirty with him. I’ve seen you flirt. You can do it.”
“Yeah? He won’t laugh?”
“Never. I promise.”
Charlotte heaved a sigh and then smiled at me. “I know Finn is being a jerk and Bryce is Bryce...but you should know I’m glad you’re here. I like having you as a friend. It looks like Eloise’s coming around, too.”
Although I knew Charlotte would stop talking to me in a heartbeat if Eloise asked her to, I also knew that despite her weaknesses, she was a sweet girl.
A few minutes later Gabe returned with our drinks.
“A beer,” he said, handing it to Charlotte. “Although I don’t think you’ll like it.”
Her eyes flew to mine and I gave her a pointed “go for it” look. She cleared her throat. “I like beer.”
“You do?” He took a swig of his own.
“Yeah.”
And two beers later Charlotte apparently found some Dutch courage. Gabe and I were in the middle of discussing a movie we’d all seen that week when Charlotte suddenly stepped into his personal space, silencing us.
She gave him a flirtatious smile. “You know, Gabe, there’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
His eyes grew round at her husky tone and I could tell he was trying to work out if she was messing with him. “Like what?”
She smirked mischievously and shrugged. “Stuff. I bet there’s stuff I don’t know about you.”
Gabe stared at her as if he didn’t know quite what to make of her. “Uh...”
Charlotte tapped his chest playfully. “A little flustered there?”
“Uh...”
“It’s just me, silly.” She rolled her eyes and then gripped his bicep as she sidestepped him. “Ooh, have you been working out?”
“Uh...”
“Very nice.” She made this humming noise in the back of her throat and then let go of him. “I’m getting another beer.”
“My biceps?” He turned to me, shocked, as Charlotte walked away. “What?”
I shrugged, grinning.
“Was she...?” His expression darkened. “Did she just...? Okay. She’s had too many beers.”
Laughing, I watched as he pushed through the partygoers, shouting Charlotte’s name.
As for me, I couldn’t wait to see how that played out over the coming weeks.
* * *
Having gotten used to being ignored by Finn, I was surprised on Monday in Modern European History when he leaned in to speak to me.
I turned to stare at him, my heart rate picking up at his nearness. I felt like a freaking metal detector around him.
Beep, beep, beep, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!
Finn was brooding as usual. “You need to watch yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“With Jasper,” he said impatiently. “Apparently you said something to piss him off at Paul’s party. You don’t piss Oliphant off, and you definitely don’t do it in front of all his friends. You especially don’t.”
“What does me ‘especially’ mean?”
“You know what it means. To him you’re a nobody, but a nobody he wants to use, and he’s an arrogant, entitled asshole so he thinks he has the right to. Whatever you said...” He shook his head in annoyance. “Are you trying to cause trouble for yourself?”
I looked down at my desk, feeling like a scolded child. “He was being a dick.”
“I don’t like the way he’s looking at you,” he muttered. “Just...watch your back.”
I peeked up at him and saw he was staring straight ahead again, disinterest on his face.
I gave a huff of bitter laughter. “I know how to watch my back, Finn. I’m the only one that ever has.”
He jerked like I’d hit him and his mask of disinterest slipped. Guilt replaced it. I felt that look right down to my soul.
“Okay, let’s talk the French and the British problem!” Franklin called out cheerily as he entered the room, and just like that the moment was broken.