Page 39 of Wicked Savage Cruel
My head snaps up toward him. “Excuse me?”
He turns to Aaron. “Women often need help making themselves presentable. Don’t judge my daughter too harshly. She didn’t have the upbringing she should have. But a project can be rewarding. Alejandra here is our diamond in the rough.”
My cheeks are flaming. I can't believe he’s criticizing me right now. In front of Aaron.
Aaron laughs but I can hear the strain in his voice. “It’s one of the things I like about your daughter, sir. She isn’t like the girls I’ve grown up with. She’s comfortable in her own skin.”
Gerald looks like he’s just bitten into a lemon. “Hmm. Yes, well, she could still use some lessons in behaving like a proper young lady. Really, Alejandra. You look like you have a bird’s nest on top of your head.”
I force my hands to remain in my lap instead of adjusting the bun on my head. I don’t care what he thinks. He’s not anyone to me. A sperm donor who decided to show up too late in the game. I clench my jaw and tilt my chin up. “I didn’t realize I needed to impress my own father when I’m in my own …home.” I keep my tone even, but this isn’t my home. It’s a halfway house until I get to wherever it is I’ll be going after graduation.
“You need to be presentable at all times, even in your own home. You never know who may be stopping by. Just look at yourself. And you have a guest here, one you were well aware of before you came downstairs.” He shakes his head, his upper lip curling in disgust. “If I’d known about you sooner, we could have gotten a handle on this, but at the rate you’re going, you’re going to end up just like your mother.”
He may as well have just slapped me the way he spoke of her, as if being anything like my mother is an insult. It’s not. My mother was a proud, hard-working woman. She was compassionate and loving and she always,always, made time for me, despite working two jobs. Which is more than I can say for the man sitting in front of me. He missed out on seventeen years of my life, yet I can count the number of times I’ve seen him on one hand since moving to Sun Valley.
I’m not ashamed of my mother. I aspire to be like her.
I bite the inside of my cheek until the tangy bite of copper hits my taste buds. My anger rises and with it comes a crashing wave of emotion. Blinking rapidly to keep my vision clear, I push myself out of my seat. “You’ll have to excuse me. I forgot I have homework I need to catch up on.”
Gerald doesn’t even acknowledge my departure, too engrossed in whatever subject he’s moved onto with Aaron. I storm up to my bedroom, opening my laptop to send off another dozen resumes. I need a job. I won’t allow myself to be trapped here any longer than I have to be.
Twenty minutes later there’s a knock on my door. But before I can tell whoever it is to go away, it opens and Aaron steps inside. The chagrined look on his face is the only thing that keeps me from snapping at him.
He pads over toward me, claiming the seat beside me on the bed as I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling. He’s quiet for a moment before heaving a long-suffering sigh. “I’m sorry about that,” he says.
I keep my eyes pinned on the light fixture above me. A stupidly feminine bedroom chandelier with wrought-iron roses and dangling crystals. “Why? Are you worried I’ll end up like my dead mother too? Am I doomed to become a commoner?” I sneer.
He scrubs a hand over his face. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
I flick my gaze toward him. “Do I? You seemed pretty chummy with Gerald there.”
He sighs. “My dad works with yours. They golf together. He’s been to my house for holidays.” A shrug. “I’ve never been here before we went to Shadle Creek. I didn’t put two and two together until he opened the door or I would have said something. I… I don’t really know what else to say. Gerald is an ass. He shouldn’t have said what he did and”—another sigh—“I should have come to your defense. I’m sorry. That was a dick move.”
I push myself into a sitting position. He sounds genuine, but… “Then why didn’t you?”
Green eyes search mine, no doubt trying to understand what’s going on inside my head. “Because I’m an idiot. Our parents have certain expectations. I guess I just fell into the comfortable role of not wanting to rock the boat.”
I nod because, yeah, it sucks, but I get it.
“You hungry?” he suddenly asks just as my stomach rumbles. We both laugh.
“Yeah. You could say that. I was supposed to have dinner with my dad, but I think I’ll go back to avoiding him after today.”
He pushes to his feet and holds out a hand for me. “Come on, I know the perfect spot. A hole-in-the-wall diner with the best burgers in town.”
I hesitate. “Aaron I—”
“Allie,” he cuts me off. “I was an ass. I’m sorry. Not just for now but for earlier too. At school. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was being an asshole because I was jealous. It won’t happen again. I promise. Give me another shot at being your friend. I won’t fuck up this time.”
I worry my lower lip, indecision sweeping through me. Then again, it’s not like people were knocking down my front door begging to be my friend. “Alright. But can we not talk about my dad? Or the Devils. Or anything that will upset either one of us?”
He chuckles. “Deal.”
NINETEEN
Allie
Iride with Aaron to the Sun Valley Diner, a local twenty-four-hour restaurant on the edge of town. The bell above the door jingles, announcing our arrival, and one of the waitresses waves at Aaron with familiar recognition before returning her attention to her customer.
