17. Saint
Chapter seventeen
Saint
5 minutes earlier…
“ T hanks, Marge.”
I grab my juicy burger, stomach growling in anticipation. After the day I've had, this mountain of meat and cheese is exactly what I need. It’s a delicious calorie-laden masterpiece. I’m about to dig in when my eyes snag on the Ice Princess across from me. She sits rigid, eying her food like it might bite her before she bites it.
I see the flash of disgust she quickly tries to mask. Clearly our dining choice isn’t up to her standards.
I bristle, irritation flaring. Little rich girl, too good for a humble burger joint. She probably demands silver platters and beluga caviar at home. The thought of her looking down that dainty nose makes me see red.
"Is there a fucking problem?" I demand.
She stammers a non-answer, but I know she considers this place beneath her. Just like she considers me beneath her. That superior attitude grates on me. She isn't better just because Daddy has money.
Dre reaches around my cousin with a mischievous little smirk on his face. I watch as the shit snatches a fry off the Ice Princess's plate and offers it to her like he's going to feed her or some shit. Like she's a goddess deserving of servants who wait on her hand and foot.
"She's just shy," he smiles at me.
Her face scrunches like she's never seen anything quite so disgusting. I watch as she recoils like he’s threatening her with a dead rat. That’s the last straw.
My fists hit the table, making her jump. "Eat the fucking burger, Princess. Now."
I can see the look on my cousin's face. She thinks I'm being an asshole. Maybe I am being harsh, but her attitude pisses me off. She needs to be knocked down a peg or two. Learn she doesn't get to judge what we give her. If I want to take her to a roadside dump, she will damn well eat the slop with a smile.
This little bitch needs to learn her place. And it isn't at the top of the hierarchy. Being adopted into a rich, powerful family doesn't make her better than anyone else.
I see the spark of defiance in her eyes before she snatches up the burger. My lips twitch. Maybe the Ice Princess has some fire in her after all. But if she thinks this proves anything, she’s dead wrong.
I watch her take a bite and return my attention to my own food, satisfied she’s learned her place for the moment. Then I feel Chess stiffen beside me. When I look up, the princess is green. Literally green.
She’s up and sprinting for the bathroom before I can even blink. What the hell? I watch her flee, anger shifting to confusion. Had she really gotten that sick from one bite?
For the first time, it occurs to me there might be more going on than a spoiled girl's uppity attitude. But I quickly shake it off. She’s still just a pampered little princess to me. One burger won't kill her.
"What the actual fuck is wrong with you, Rhett?" Gen snaps at me.
"With me?"
"Yes, with you. I don't know what your problem is, but that girl does not deserve to be treated that way. Have you ever seen that girl eat? Really eat? My guess is she has an eating disorder. Maybe it's social anxiety. Maybe she's a vegan. Either way it's not your place to fucking judge and force her to eat something she doesn't want."
With that, she storms off to follow the princess to the bathroom.
"That was too far, Saint," Chess tells me as I shove him out of the booth and go to check on the girls.
When I get to the bathroom, the princess is hugging the dingy porcelain emptying her stomach contents. Gen is holding her hair and rubbing her back, soothing her with quiet words I can't hear.
I don't know what to do here. I don't have anything to offer, so I slip away and return to the table where the boys have had the princess's burger taken away and her water refilled.
"You think she's right?" Dre asks as he digs into his own meal.
I breathe deeply, my mind swirling with questions and doubts. Gen's words had struck a nerve. Could I have been wrong about the Ice Princess all along?
"I don't know, maybe," I mumble.
When she returns to the table and immediately takes a sip of her water, I ignore her. I eat my food and avoid looking at her completely.
When Gen suggests we take her home, I double down on my bullshit. But, we're here for a reason and it isn't to get to know the Ice Princess. It's to get answers and torture that piece of shit she's "dating."
Maybe I am going about this the wrong way.