Chapter 16
chapter sixteen
Green lighting and me spread out on the bed. Alec’s dramatic entrance. His hand as it traces its way up my thigh. A flash to black and then?—
"Miss Winters," Professor Hargrove's voice slices through my reverie like a scalpel, clinical and precise. My heart thuds against my ribcage, cheeks warming with the sudden spotlight on me. "Care to share what's so captivating outside that window?"
The classroom snaps back into focus—no longer am I scheming mine and Alec’s next video, but rows of heads swivel towards me, some smirking, others indifferent. Crap. Compartmentalization is a bitch when your daydreams are about the rich boy who's become your unexpected co-conspirator in making the internet pant.
"Sorry, Professor," I mumble, forcing my eyes down to my notes, a scrambled mess of theories and terms. "I was just pondering the socioeconomic implications of the topic."
"Is that so?" His skepticism hangs heavy in the air. "Well, perhaps you'd like to enlighten us on the Keynesian perspective of fiscal policy?"
"Of course." I straighten, clearing my throat. "Keynes argues for increased government expenditures and lower taxes to stimulate demand and pull the global economy out of depression. He emphasizes the importance of aggregate demand in driving economic performance."
"Very well, Miss Winters." He nods, apparently appeased, though the arch of his brow suggests he's onto my game. "Let's hope your focus can remain within these walls for the remainder of the class."
"Understood," I say, a tinge of defiance sharpening my tone. But inside, my pulse still races, betraying the thrill of being caught between the mundane world of academia and the electric current of desire that seems to hum beneath my skin whenever I think of Alec and our activities in front of a camera. It's reckless and foolish letting the thoughts take me over here, but damn it makes me feel alive.
When class is over, the last of the students trickle out of the lecture hall, their chatter a white noise backdrop to once again drifting thoughts. I shove my notebook into my backpack, the edges frayed and ink-stained—much like my pride after being spotlighted by the professor.
"Miss Winters?" A gravelly voice cuts through the din.
I glance up, confronted by a tall figure cloaked in a tailored suit that screams money. The kind of suit that has no business being in my line of vision. His eyes, a steely gray, are unreadable, but there's an edge to his posture that sets off alarms in my head.
"Can I help you?" My tone is guarded, hackles rising as I sling my backpack over my shoulder. I don't know this man from Adam, but something tells me he's not here to chat about the weather.
"Mr. Vanderholt would like to have a word with you," he states, and it's not a request. It's an order, dressed up in polite phrasing.
"Which Mr. Vanderholt?" I ask, even though I know damn well Alec wound never send an oaf like this after me.
"William," the man clarifies, and a cold shiver races down my spine. What could Alec's father possibly want with me?
"Look, I have another class, I can’t just?—"
"Miss Winters." His interruption is firm, brooking no argument. "Mr. Vanderholt doesn’t like waiting. This way."
My whole body feels cold. I swallow once, but nothing wants to go down. So, with stiff legs, I step forward. I realize it now. With these kinds of people, I don’t really have a choice here.
We exit down the hallway before he leads me outside, where the mid-day sun is blindingly bright, though it does nothing to warm the chill that's taken up residence in my bones. We stop beside a sleek black car. The back door opens, and there he is—Alec's father, exuding authority and expectation from the leather cocoon of his chauffeured vehicle.
"Get in, Salem," he commands, and it's all clipped tones and sharp edges.
"Or what?" I try to fire back, but it comes out more nervous sounding than I’d hope. "You'll have me kidnapped?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," he says, a wolf's smile on his lips. "But we do need to talk."
"About?"
"Your future. And my son's."
Shit. Shit. As much as I’d like to tell this asshole what he can go do to himself, I’m all clammy and overwhelmed. Without a word, I slip into the empty seat beside him. The door shuts behind me with a finality that echoes in the tense silence, sealing me inside with a man whose motives are as clear as mud, but undoubtedly laced with trouble.
“You’re very smart, Salem,” William says, not wasting any time with bullshit. “When that very touching video of my son claiming you as his girlfriend was sent to me, I looked you up.”
My stomach turns over at that. I feel… violated.
“Top of your class every year, right next to my own son,” he says, casting those icy eyes on me. “I struggled to find a GPA higher in the school.”
“But,” I fill in for him, the anticipation eating at me.
“But my son has a duty to fill,” William says flatly. He’s looking over my worn-out jeans, my scuffed shoes. “The merging of the Vanderholt and Harding families has long been in the making. My son and Victoria Harding have been primed for each other most of their lives. You may be impressive in what you have overcome, Salem. But you are a distraction.”
Every word that comes out of this man’s mouth gives me the ick. Every judgmental, posturing word he speaks makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.
“You’re not God, Mr. Vanderholt,” I say, using every ounce of control I have not to lose my shit right now. “You don’t get to dictate Alec’s life just because you’re powerful and control his inheritance.”
William smiles at me, something condescending and cold. “Are you trying to tell me you would still be interested in my son if he were penniless?”
I scoff immediately. “The money is the least appealing thing about your son to me, Mr. Vanderholt. He is so much more than it.”
He studies me for several long moments, and I think I’ve actually surprised him. He didn’t expect my answer. And that speaks volumes about him.
I remember what Alec told me about his father turning into a robot after his mother died. And I see it now. This is a man who has erased all emotion from his capabilities. He is logic, planning, cunning.
“I need my son to get back on track with Victoria Harding,” he continues, ignoring my answer. “And that cannot happen with you in the picture, Miss Winters. You will end things with Alec.”
I can’t help the disgust that downturns my entire face. I shake my head. “You realize that even me breaking up with him wouldn’t make him run into her arms, right?”
“Alec knows what is expected of him,” William says confidently. “He will eventually return to his duty.”
Wow. No wonder Alec hates his father so damn much.
“Why would I do what you’re asking?” I question. I hold my chin high, refusing to back down from this wealthy bully. “I care about Alec. He cares about me. So why would I ever do what you’re asking?”
A new level of coldness comes into William’s eyes. “Because if you do not, I will tank Alec’s little side project and it will fall flat to the ground before it can truly lift off.”
Fuck.
Alec’s app. The thing he’s worked so hard for. The thing that’s supposed to allow him to break free of his father’s thumb. The one that’s gaining rapid momentum.
Does William really have the ability to ruin it all?
As I look into the man’s eyes, I think he does.
His darkness promises he does.
“And not only that, but the Harding family owns one of the largest banks on this coast,” William says, and he actually smiles just a little, his dubiousness shining through. “I understand your mother recently remarried. Do you know who owns the mortgage on her new home? Did you know she and her new husband have paid their mortgage two weeks late this last month? Did you know how easy it is to repossess a home once payments are late?”
That does it.
My entire body goes cold.
Mom has worked so damn hard her whole life to finally own her own home, and with Danny, she’s finally gotten it.
“There are consequences to our actions, Miss Winters,” William warns. “We must always weigh the cost. Is the risk worth the reward? My son will tire of you at some point, Salem. He always does. And he is used to a certain… caliber of woman. You have certainly made a valiant effort academically, but when it comes to matter of class and society…” he shakes his head. “You are far, far out of your depth, my dear. So why not save a heartache? Why not save his project? Why not save your mother’s home?”
His eyes darken with each statement.
I feel frozen as a statue.
“Alec must end up with Victoria,” William says, his words resolved. “End things with him within twenty-four hours. Or watch everyone suffer the consequences.”
He reaches across me and pushes my door open.
I can hardly breathe. Emotions bite the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. This asshole doesn’t get to see me cry.
“Have a good day, Miss Winters,” William dismisses me. “I know you’ll make the best decision for everyone.”
My movements are jerky and numb as I slide out of the car and climb to my feet. I’ve barely stepped away from the car before it pulls away from the curb, the door snapping closed at my heels.
The words hang in the air like smog, choking and impossible to escape. He drives off, leaving me standing there, alone with the weight of his ultimatum crushing me. A thousand scenarios play out in my head, each ending worse than the last. Break up with Alec and save our futures, or stay with him and watch our worlds crumble around us?
"Damn it," I whisper to myself, rubbing my arms as if I could wipe away the invisible fingerprints left by his coercion. How can feelings like this feel so right and yet be so damn complicated?
My heart is a jackhammer, pounding against my chest, echoing the turmoil that's twisting my guts. I can't lose Alec. But I can't let Mom lose her house either. I can’t let William shred everything Alec has worked so hard for.
"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, the word sharp and brittle. A breeze picks up, sending a shiver down my spine as I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold together the pieces of me that feel like they're about to shatter.
What the hell am I going to do?