Page 67 of The Wallflower

Yeah, who needs a degree to knock heads around and threaten rich asshole's mistresses to keep them from talking.

His tone turns sharper. “But what I really want to know is why the fuck you saw that girl again? The white trash bitch I told you to stay away from? That is not protecting the family name.

"Maybe you want me to pull you out. Maybe that’s what you want? Do you want me to pull you out of school and put you to work in the basement here? I can lock you up in the dungeons and let you rot. You're my heir, and you will fucking act like it, or I will make you!"

The last part is shouted, and I hold the phone away from my ear and focus on my breathing so I don't snap back at him. It will only make him yell and argue more, making this conversation even longer than either of us wants it to be.

"I’m not doing anything wrong. Is there something you need me to do? Can we just get to that part?"

This time, he doesn't warn me about my tone. Instead, he explodes, his voice becoming a scream on the other end. While he's ranting and cursing, I climb out of bed and grab a T-shirt off the floor. It’s the one I wore last night while I lay in bed with Maybel. I take a second to smell the scent of her sweet perfume, still clinging to the fabric. I put it on my desk and then find aclean T-shirt to pull on while I waffle the phone between my ears, still not even listening.

There's no point when he goes off like this anyway, not until he finishes cursing and finally explains what the fuck he wants from me. I hold the phone between my shoulder and my ear while I pull on a pair of black sweatpants. It would be easier to put it on speaker, but somehow, he always knows when I do that to tune him out.

When he finally finishes ranting, I wait for the inevitable curt hang-up. It happens with a soft click, and I shove the phone into my pocket. Another great morning with dear old dad.

The house is quiet as I leave my bedroom. The boys are all probably still sleeping. I stop short in the kitchen when I spot Sebastian standing shirtless against the far countertop, a mug in his hands.

I spot the freshly brewed coffee in the pot and walk around the island, grabbing my own cup from the cabinet.

"That was an interesting show you put on last night? Feeling a little...possessive?"

I shrug and make sure to keep my voice level and calm. There’s a snake among us, and I’m going to figure out who it fucking is. "No, that was a punishment, earned and delivered. You know more than anyone how important it is to keep someone in line."

He smiles wistfully. "That’s the best part."

I roll my eyes and sip my coffee, but he doesn't drop it.

"You're done with your punishment now, your infatuation. I don't want..." He pauses as if he knows what he was about to say will piss me off. "I want you whole and healthy."

Yeah, definitelynotwhat he was going to say.

So I'll be the one with the balls in this conversation, then. "Are you spying on me for my father?"

His eyes go wide, and he blinks like he’s shocked that I would ever consider such a thing. "What? No. You know I would never do that."

"You seem super interested in my relationship with Bel, so what else am I to assume? Because I know you aren't stupid enough to try to take her away from me."

There's a tense moment as we stare at each other over our coffee cups.

"I'm not spying on you. Andno, I don't have any intention with your little bookworm. But do you hear yourself? You just said relationship. Is that really what you're calling it now? You know if your father finds out it's more than just a quick fuck, he'll make you regret it. I don't want anything to happen to you, and especially not because of some fucking girl."

I consider his words. Of all my friends, Sebastian and Aries have been with me the longest. All of them belong to the same world I do, the same world my father does, but Sebastian and Aries are the only ones who truly know what my father is capable of. They’ve seen me in some of my darkest moments with him. They picked me up and wiped away my tears after he beat me the first time. I take my mug and cut across the kitchen to grab a jacket off the hook by the door.

"You don't need to worry about it. She means nothing to me."

He glares after me, and I hear him as I walk out the back door of the house. "If she means nothing, why the fuck did you feel the need to punish her, then?"

It takes a few minutes to walk down the long drive to the main campus, then cut across the courtyards to the library. It's the only place I know I'll always find her.

Sebastian's words continue to ring in my ears. He's right. If she meant nothing to me, I'd just drop her, not punish her. I’d have no need to mark her, and ensure everyone knows who she belongs to. I sip my coffee as I walk. Usually, I bring a travel mug with me, but I feared what I'd do if I stayed in the kitchen with Sebastian. No doubt we'd have progressed to an argument or worse. The inside of the library is quiet. It's still early. I’m honestly surprised to find her here, especially after last night's events, but she’s determined when it comes to her studies. She's in her usual spot; a freshman from the baseball team, I think maybe, sits beside her studying his math textbook.

I stop by her cubicle, and they both look up at me. I point at the kid. "You...go."

To his credit, he doesn't ask questions. He simply gathers his belongings and leaves, just like that.

It pays to be king.

I sit and slouch into the chair he vacates, and she gapes at me with her mouth open. "What the hell, Drew? I'm working here."