Page 6 of Regrets
He ignores my question and shoots me his own as I pour cereal into my bowl. “Are you even going to bother to go to class today?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know. What’s the point?” I hate college, the boring classes, the large lecture halls full of pretentious professors all believing they know the meaning of life.
“Grades? A degree? Not failing out of college and wasting my parent’s money?”
Asshole. He loves to twist the knife and punish me every chance he gets. He finishes his cereal and rinses the bowl out in the sink. “I’m not failing. We only have two weeks of school left, and I’m sitting at a solid C average.”
“Whoa, go for the gold, P.” Linc’s words, as always, drip with sarcasm.
“And you’re doing much better?”
He shrugs and walks to the fridge, grabbing the milk and holding it out for me. “You’re smarter. You should be an A student.”
It’s not really a compliment, more like a fact. Linc doesn’t humor anyone for any reason, not even the poor, dumb girls he uses to get laid. He goes the abusive, self-deprecating route, and my god, do they fall for it. “What’s the point?”
I ask it again, knowing he has no answer. Neither of us do because life is pointless, and we both know I’m only here for his mother, who I adore and have since Linc and Colt brought me home for dinner when I was only nine.
I had nothing to lose back then, living in foster care, surrounded by tons of other kids and no real parents. I probably shouldn’t have gone with them, but Colt’s kind eyes pulled me in and held me in a trance I couldn’t break.
Colt was so pure and good. He was everything I wanted to be, even at nine years old, but knew I wasn’t.
I take the milk from him, and he shakes his head, clearly done with me this morning. “I’m going to go take a shower. Be ready when I get out if you want a ride to campus.”
I need to get a car so I don’t have to rely on him for rides. His parents would happily buy me a car and have, in fact, offered many times. But they’ve done enough.
“Fine.”
He leaves, and I watch the muscles of his back flex as he walks away, the simple tattoo on his right shoulder blade taunting me.
I squeeze my eyes tightly, trying to forget and make the pain swelling inside my chest go away.
I take a deep breath and go back to my breakfast.
We all would have been so much better off if I’d have said no that day and hadn’t ever fallen heart-first for Colt Sterling.
4
PENELOPE
SEVEN YEARS AGO
“Here, come this way.” I follow Colt as we rush quickly up the stairs in his family’s massive, million dollar home.
It’s a house I know well now. I have no idea what made him bring me home three years ago, but the Sterlings have somehow become my new family, in a sense anyway.
I’m technically still in the foster care system, but I spend a lot more time in the Sterling home. It’s cozy and warm, vastly different from the horrors I’ve grown up in.
His mother, Nora, is beautiful and kind. I thought for sure she would send me right back home when we showed up, but she welcomed me with open arms. She even took me home that night instead of letting the boys’ driver take me. Their father, yeah . . . Mr. Sterling isn’t warm, not even close. He’s preoccupied with work and wanting everything to be perfect, yet somehow their home as a whole is a warm and inviting place.
“Here.” Colt opens a door in the hallway upstairs, and I peer into the linen closet.
“Are you serious?” I nearly laugh, covering my mouth so we aren’t heard.
“Yes. Come on, Pea. We don’t have time.”
I roll my eyes and sigh but ultimately do what he asks because I would follow Colt anywhere. We dive into the closet as he closes the door behind us, pulling me to his body in the cramped closet.
“You have to stop mouthing off to Linc if you’re this afraid of him,” I tease, my voice a whisper in the dark.