Page 6 of Shattered Saint
My attention was brought back to Easton, who I almost forgot was standing there due to my irritation with Nash. My lips twitched in response to his comment. His sarcasm was more than welcomed. He raised his glass as if to toast us and brought it to his lips. Was it weird to be fascinated by the way he drank his water?
Fuck, I needed to get out more.
Since he'd already witnessed some of our drama, I felt somewhat comfortable letting him in on a little more. "Sometimes the level of scrutiny we are under is a lot. Well, our father's political career is a lot."
I had mixed feelings about complaining about the privilege I had, but talking to Nash and Easton felt as if I was turning a corner. I usually kept my feelings close to the chest, only confiding in my best friend, Iris, about them but the pressure on me tonight wasn't helping.
I turned away from Nash and Easton briefly when the chattering from the guests in my house grew louder. I saw my parents standing in a sea of people, talking, and I suspected that was the reason for the increase in volume. It was easy to see that they were living their best lives while I felt the exact opposite. At least I had a handsome guy in front of me to keep me distracted.
"While I haven’t had the same experience, I can understand what it could be like. I'm not a fan of these types of things either, but I made a deal with my parents to show up here tonight. Now I’m not regretting that decision."
Once again, Easton's words snapped me back to the conversation in front of me. Was he flirting with me? I was slightly impressed that he was doing it with my brother standing right here. When I turned around to face them again, Easton was looking at me once more. The look in his eyes told me that there should be no question in my mind about his intentions.
"No regrets, huh?” I needed to tread somewhat carefully because I didn’t want to make things awkward with Nash here. “That’s good, but what will they be giving you in exchange for this?"
"I haven't decided yet. Sometimes, I save my favors up for the right occasion."
His words shouldn't have had an effect on me, but the intensity from his gaze forced me to stop thinking for a second. I wondered if there was a double meaning behind his words and if they were referring to the gravitational pull between the two of us.
Nash let out a loud cough, stopping the moment Easton and I were having dead in its tracks. Then he said, "Mom and Dad are about to speak."
I turned and watched as my father helped my mother up onto the makeshift stage that had been created for them so that they could be the center of attention. I couldn't deny that my parents knew how to present the picture-perfect marriageon the surface. They were in sync with one another. Every move they made dripped with elegance, and their admiration for each other was evident. At least in public that appeared to be the case.
After her introduction by the emcee for the night, my mother adjusted the microphone at the clear podium and gave a warm smile. "Good evening and welcome to our home. I want to thank each and every one of you for coming here this evening."
As her remarks continued, I noticed that, in the process of the crowd gathering around the stage, Easton had positioned himself between Nash and me. He was standing close enough that I could swear I felt the warmth from his body. When his hand brushed against me, it set my skin on fire. I let my mind temporarily wander to what could be if he'd touched me with the intention of ruining me for anyone else.
I did my best to bring my attention back to my mother, and I was delighted to hear that she was wrapping up her speech.
"And now, I'm so happy to have the honor to introduce our mayor and my husband, Van Henson."
The applause was thunderous. If it hadn't been, I knew my father would have made a point of complaining about it later. My parents hugged one another before my mother stepped aside and let my father take his place behind the podium. His practiced smile was firmly in place, and he gave a small wave as the volume from everyone's cheers began to die down in anticipationof his remarks.
"Thank you, thank you," my father said as he scanned the crowd and bought some time before he launched into his speech for the night. "Thank you so much for coming to our home tonight. I'm so happy to be here with my beautiful wife, Elizabeth, and my lovely children, Nash and Bianca."
The applause picked up again and Nash gave a small wave, acknowledging it. I followed suit as Dad looked in the crowd and waved back at us. The guests standing near us cheered, and Easton joined in by clapping too. It took a moment before the crowd turned back to the main attraction.
My father waited a beat before he spoke again. "Family is the reason why I do this. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here in front of you. Without their support, none of this would exist."
I sighed loudly enough that it drew Easton's gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look over at me, but I ignored him. I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that I thought what my father was saying was bullshit. The way that Dad was able to speak with such conviction made me wish what he was saying was true instead of a bunch of lies. I hated that I longed for the man he presented to the world, instead of the one he only showed in private.
I did my best to focus on what he was saying in case someone was watching me to get my reaction. Anything to avoid being talked about was usually on the top of the list. I listened to my father's rehearsed lines and began saying the speech along with him in my head. I'd heard it enough times given how much he’d practiced it, sometimes using my mom, Nash, and me as his audience.
"Let's raise a toast," my father concluded, "to family and a beautiful, positive future for Brentson!"
The guests followed my father's lead and raised their glasses too. I turned to look at Nash, who'd also raised his water, and then my gaze moved to Easton. Everyone else faded into the background as my eyes connected with his. We exchanged a small nod, as if we were having our own private toast, and I brought my cup to my lips.I was back to wanting alcohol, but this water would have to do.We took a sip together, and I couldn't help but bask in this appearing to be our own private moment in this sea of people.Was this real or was I making it into something that it wasn't?
I broke our connection by turning toward my brother and I asked, "Do you mind holding this while I go to the bathroom?"
"Sure."
I handed the water off and walked away from Nash and Easton. I got stopped by a few people on my way, but at least it happened before I went into the bathroom. When I exited, no one stopped me on the way back to Nash and Easton, but it was obvious to me that something had changed while I was gone.
When I was a few feet from them, based on the way both their arms were crossed, it looked as if they were having a tense conversation. Nash looked over at me, forcing their discussion to come to a halt.
"I'm sure Mom and Dad will be over here soon, so I'm going to head out. If they ask where I am…"
"I'll tell them that I have no idea,” I said.
