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I had to admit, that hurt—not because it was true, but because it implied the opposite of everything Tara had told me. I wasn’t sure who was lying, but I hoped it wasn’t her.
“Anyway,” she continued, turning to Elliot, “I know what you need. Your dad’s broke, and he needs what I can give. Or, more specifically, what my cousin’s family can give.”
I widened my eyes at that. Her cousin’s family.
She was talking about Tommy.
“My parents are well off,” she went on. “I’m not going to pretend they aren’t. But the British side of my family, well …” She smirked. “Let’s just say they got my cousin, Tommy, into one of the best schools across the pond. And he’s dumb as shit.”
It all made sense.
The fact that Pierre was doing Tommy’s homework for a price—and he was able to pay it. And Tara … I had been telling her everything these past few weeks. She knew that I was involved with the three boys, and that Elliot’s family was down in luck. Now that she was in cahoots with Vivian, she must’ve talked. That’s how Vivian found out about Elliot’s situation.
“So, what, you cousin’s parents are just going to hand over their life’s savings?” Elliot snorted. “I don’t know you. Or your cousin. So, I don’t know how the fuck you know about me and my family, but if you’re gonna know anything, it’s this—we’re not accepting your money.”
“Why not?” Vivian pushed. “Who else is presenting you with options?”
That shut him up.
I could imagine myself in his shoes—having the reputation of money, but having none, and being asked if I wanted it all back. All he had to do in return was play along to her stupid plan.
There had to be a bigger catch.
“Ell,” I muttered, turning my head toward him. “Let’s talk about this later.”
“My family’s in a lot of debt,” he said, ignoring my request. For once, he actually sounded like he was dripping with desperation. Actual mental agony. “It’s gonna take a lot more than a few thousand dollars.”
“How about a few million?” Vivian said. “And then a few more?”
Elliot shook his head, and chucked a bit as he leaned back against the back of the seat. “I … I don’t know what to say. How’s that possible?”
“My uncle’s a very successful swing trader,” she said with a shrug. “Invests in all sorts of businesses. Tech, banks, green energy … even restaurant conglomerates.”
Leo shot Elliot a hard look, but Elliot’s gaze was focused on Vivian, as if her eyes were gold coins themselves.
“So, you’re saying your uncle is willing to hand over millions of dollars as long as I attend these meetings and pretend I’m addicted to coke?” Elliot said slowly, more out of fear of bursting out laughing than anything else. His expression was glowing for the first time in hours since I had seen him. “That’s all?”
“Come on, Ell,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. I wanted him to face me, but he didn’t budge. “Don’t be stupid. Let’s think about this.”
“Hell yeah, I’m gonna think about it.”
“Here’s the only thing,” Vivian said, holding up a hand as if to calm Elliot down. “I need all three of you to join in—not one, not two. And I need help with my school work,” she added. I rolled my eyes. By help, she meant forgery. “Otherwise, your boyfriend here gets nothing. And I’m sure it would benefit both of you to have his family get their money back.”
With that, Vivian shimmied out of the booth and stood over our table. Smoothing out her barely-there top, she said, “Think about it. I need to know by tomorrow.”
She whirled around and glided back over to her table, where Eric still waited for her, his arms spread out over the back of the seat. They exchanged a few words before Vivian pulled Eric by the arm out of the booth. With one last look over her shoulder, she gave me another smirk, and they left.
I turned back to my empty plate with a sick feeling in my stomach.
“I think I’m gonna puke,” I said, wiping some ketchup off the corner of my lip. Didn’t even realize how messy I had been. It was the stress.
I reached for my phone to see the time, but it didn’t matter. We had been here long enough. I just wanted to go home, even if that meant leaving the boys to finish their food alone.
“Kat?”
I felt Leo’s hand on mine as he reached over to hold onto me. I looked up at him, and his slight smile melted my heart, restored some sort of calm. For years, he had been the master at convincing anyone of anything, all with a calculated smirk and bright eyes. He was good at playing games—but he also had a different side to him. The side that cared about me.
He didn’t have to say anymore. He was there for me, on my side, understood my apprehension.
