Page 10 of Shattered Saint
"You're right about that, Son."
Although I couldn't see his face, I could hear the smile in his voice. First and foremost, my father wanted to make money, but if he was able to invest in other people's dreamsandmake money, that made it even sweeter.
My parents’ expectations weighed heavily on my shoulders, something that never seemed to get better. It was a steady weight that was almost painful, and I constantly walked through life with it. I’d become used to it to a degree. The only way to relieve the pressure would be to make a decision and face the fallout no matter what.
Instead of facing that issue right now, I turned to look out of the car window and watched as Brentson passed by us in a blur.I couldn't help but wonder if my father would have the same enthusiasm if I didn't want to go into the family business.
But none of those thoughts shifted my attention away from Bianca, the forbidden fruit that I couldn’t have.
BIANCA
A FEW MONTHS LATER
"Nash, you're supposed to be meeting me at your apartment right now. That was what we decided on." I didn't bother to hide the irritation in my voice.
"I know, I know." The guilt was evident in his voice. "Something came up and I won't be back until late tonight."
That struck me as odd because, as of a few hours ago, our plan was a go. I’d held up my end of the deal and was currently being driven to Nash’s place. "Why didn't you mention this before I went on the campus tour?"
This was the weekend that was supposed to give me a taste of what it would be like to be a college student at Brentson University. It started today with us being given a tour of campus, attending a couple of classes, and partaking in several activities.While it had been a long day, I was excited to be here.
Technically, I was supposed to stay on campus, but Dad had pulled a few strings, allowing me to stay with Nash for the weekend. It wasn’t done for my benefit though. He just wanted to make sure that nothing I might do this weekend got out to the press. I was shocked he didn't go as far as to have hired a bodyguard.
"Don't you have a football game tomorrow? Getting home late is probably not ideal if you're playing tomorrow."
"Since when did you decide to take over the role of mom? Because our mother, in many ways, refused to be one."
"Damn. That was harsh, Nash.”
I heard his sigh through the phone and could sense him shrugging. "You know I'm telling the truth."
He was, but it wasn't something I wanted to get into while a stranger was driving me to my next destination. "So, how am I supposed to get into your apartment?"
"Fuck, I should have given you a key," Nash said but it sounded as if he was muttering it to himself. "I talked to the front desk and told them to expect you, so they should have no issue letting you up."
I sighed. "Okay, but this is so shitty. You know that right?"
"I owe you one."
"This is becoming a running theme with you."
"I know and I promise I'll make it up to you. How was today by the way?"
Nash usually kept his word so I had no doubts that he would now, and he'd been through a lot over the last couple of months. With Raven disappearing without a trace soon after their graduation, I could only imagine the emotions he was feeling so I tried to be more understanding. That didn't mean I wasn't disappointed in this change in events though. "It was great, but I’m exhausted. I should be at your place in a few minutes."
Nash chuckled. "Okay. I'll let you go. If you have any issues getting into my apartment, call me back. I should be able to answer my phone for the next hour or so."
"Um, that’s not strange or anything. Do I even want to know?"
"I couldn't tell you even if you did. I'll see you soon."
"Okay, bye."
I hung up the phone and released a long breath. I appreciated my driver for not trying to start a conversation with me because I didn't want to be chatty right now. I was regretting not driving to Brentson myself. Instead, I turned my attention back to the scenery outside of the car window. Although I got to experience it every year, I swore that I fell more in love with fall in Brentson each year.
October in Brentson meant that the late afternoon light streamed in through the leaves that had turned a variety of colors. While some were still on the trees, many had fallen to the ground. Being a high school senior meant that my schedule was extremely busy, and Nash was a freshman in college, so his wasn’t any better. It didn’t allow much time to enjoy the change of seasons.
It wasn't much different from having Nash home. His schedule his senior year had been so busy that I rarely saw him. This weekend, I was supposed to be joining him on campus, giving us an opportunity to hang out together. Hopefully, we could after the football game tomorrow.
