27. Tru
CHAPTER 27
TRU
T hen
I loved him, and while he hadn’t said it back, I saw it in his eyes and in the way he looked at me. I shook the dark thoughts away and looked at myself in the mirror. It was the last party of the Hamptons season before everyone went back to the city, and I started college.
It was everything.
And it finally felt like things were falling into place. Even Sandra was being nice, which was weird on one end; on the other, I really didn’t know her well enough to gauge any reaction except that time on the beach she’d suddenly been falling all over herself to help me.
It was nice.
Really nice.
I still had my guard up, but it was good to have her involved in things, nobody usually cared about my day, and while her husband was always reading on his phone, she at least acknowledged I was present at breakfast.
My hopes weren’t up, but my pessimism had started to dissipate. I never realized how dark things had truly gotten until I was given a few sips of water from the river of common human decency and drank like I’d been thirsty for years.
I stared at myself in the mirror. I was wearing cute white linen pants and a white crop top. My tan had really come in, so I didn’t feel the need to put on a ton of makeup, just some gloss and mascara. Again, it was the last party. I had nobody to impress.
Plus, I had Vaughan.
Well, he and Sam, one of my old foster brothers who was visiting. He was one of the only friends I had and was driving through the area. We’d grown up in the system together, and he was like a brother to me. Even though people always thought we were together because he was so good-looking, it would be weird not to be attracted to him.
I wasn’t.
He was family.
I stretched my arms over my head, then grabbed my phone and shot a quick text to Vaughan to let him know I’d meet him at his house. Apparently, his family always hosted the end-of-the-year party, which made sense. They had one of the biggest houses on the beachfront. Also, knowing his dad, they liked to show off. They wanted to be the first and the last.
Poor Vaughan. I couldn’t even imagine the sort of pressure he was under all the time.
I quickly walked out of the house and down to the beach. It was maybe a one-minute walk to the stairs that led up to his house. The white sand had come up a bit against all the houses and the stairs, but that was normal for high tide.
I tripped about halfway through my journey, then was suddenly pushed in the back. I tumbled face-first into the sand and quickly jerked out of it so I didn’t suffocate. It was everywhere, down my shirt, in my eyebrows, attached to my lip gloss. “What the hell?”
The girl, one I didn’t recognize, was dressed in a tight black tube top-looking dress and holding her heels with red bottoms in one hand. “Sorry, I tripped. Also, you should be used to being on the ground, right? Begging for crumbs?”
I was used to insults, so I just shook my head and tried to get up when she kicked me down again. “Wait for me to pass. It’s how they train dogs, you know. They force the dogs to wait for the owners to walk in first and then you’re allowed. The same goes for eating, drinking. You’ll fit right in if you follow the rules.” She bypassed me and started walking up the stairs. “Oh hey Vaughan, you up for our regular end-of-the-year party one-night stand? I’m not wearing any underwear!”
I just stared.
I had nothing.
He smiled down at her.
He hadn’t seen me yet.
I crawled closer to the stairs. “Not tonight, Phoebe.”
Of course her name was Phoebe.
“Vaughannnnnnnn.” Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. “It’s tradition. Like Christmas, don’t turn me down. You know our dads are working on the deal that will put us even more on the map. Let’s go have some dirty sex, a dirty martini, then walk out and show them how perfect we’ll be when we’re married.”
“We’re not even engaged.”
“I know, but you know it’s going to happen. It’s business.”
My throat dropped to my toes.
“Sorry,” he said again. “Seriously, get off me. Go find someone else to celebrate with. I’m waiting for someone.”
Me. It was me.
I quickly dusted myself off and stood at the bottom of the stairs.
His face lit up.
For me.
Not her.
I looked around him and gave her the finger.
She just threw her perfect blond head back and looked up at the sky. “You’re his plaything? He picks one every summer. Sorry I dirtied her up, Vaughan. Call me when you’re ready for some golden pussy, not one dried with sand.” She kept walking like she wasn’t the most evil and offensive person on the planet.
“Ignore her.” Vaughan pulled me into his arms and dusted the sand from my face. “Even covered in half the beach, you look stunning.”
“Do you really pick a girl very year?”
“I used to.” He shrugged. “But it was a one-time thing. I don’t do girlfriends.”
“Oh.” Tears welled in my eyes.
He laughed and hugged me tight, resting his chin on my head. “I should have phrased that differently. I’ve never done girlfriends—until you. So no, you aren’t my pick for the night. You’re my pick for as long as you’ll have me—hopefully, that means forever.”
“Don’t make me cry. The sand will stick.”
He gripped my hand tighter. “Let it stick. Oh also, if I see you holding hands with a guy other than me one more time, I’m going to end up in prison.”
“Another guy?”
“Last night. On the deck. Wasn’t stalking.”
I burst out laughing. “That was my foster brother!”
“Thank God.”
I nuzzled myself in Vaughan's arms. “He’s literally the only friend I have. Be nice, okay?”
“As long as he knows you’re mine.”
“Who’s yours?” Sam was already inside. Wait. He was already inside? Wasn’t he waiting for me to text him?
I was so confused until Phoebe walked up to him and looped her arm within his. “So glad we all finally met. Vaughan, this is my boyfriend, Sam. We’re in an open relationship, which I’m sure means so many exciting things for you tonight, right, Tru? It is Tru, right?”
“Sam? What are you doing?”
His face momentarily paled. “What I had to.”
Phoebe smashed her face against his in a painful-looking kiss, then pulled back. “See, Tru? He understands the order of things.” She turned to Sam. “Kneel.”
And he did.
He slowly went to his knees while she patted him on the head.
I was going to vomit.
That woman.
These people.
I ran away from Vaughan and from what I thought I knew of Sam. I ran down the hall until blackness took over my line of vision and went into the first room I could find.
Only to see Sandra on her knees.
In front of Vaughan’s father.