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“I like spicy books,” I say after releasing my teeth’s hold on my inner cheek. “I’ve been busy with school, so I haven’t had as much time to read, but I’m hoping I can do more of it now.”
Brenda frowns, lifting her glass to her lips again to take a drink. “You didn’t finish school, did you?” she asks.
Shaking my head slowly, I try not to cry. I feel as though I’ve cried enough about this the past few weeks. I’ve come to terms with the fact that there will be no career for me, not in accounting.
There will be no fallback plan, not that it matters. I have a feeling that even if I had a fallback plan, if something happened between me and Coleman, I wouldn’t be alive to fall into anything because I would be dead.
“These men. I can’t deal with them sometimes,” Brenda says with a heavy sigh. “My Henry knows how important education is. I’ll have a talk with him if you want to finish, that is.”
Her sentiment is sweet, and maybe she could talk her husband into telling his son to let me finish college, which, to be honest, the whole thing seems really absurd. I shouldn’t have to ask anyone for anything, and yet, that’s exactly what’s happening here. I am very clearly in a man’s world, and not only that, one that follows a strict hierarchy.
Instead of answering her, I reach for my glass of wine and bring it to my lips, taking a long sip. It’s warm as it slides down my throat and fills my belly. After taking a second sip, I reach for a piece of cheese and take a bite, chewing slowly to avoid truly answering.
I like school, but the pressure and stress are a lot to take. I can’t deny that it would be nice to not have to worry about it and just do something else. Although, I’m not sure what exactly I would do. I’ve never been anything other than a student.
“You might be able to finish classes online?” Parker suggests.
She’s right. I probably could. As I chew on my bottom lip, my gaze flicks to my wineglass, then lifts back up to meet Parker’s. But when I feel Brenda’s gaze on the side of my face, I slowly shift my attention toward her.
“You don’t want to finish school, do you?” she asks. “But you’re so close.”
“I probably should finish,” I murmur.
Brenda opens her mouth to say something when her cell phone begins to ring. Her lips snap closed as she glances down at her device. I watch as her brows snap together, then she presses her lips into a straight line as she picks up her cell, slides her thumb across, and holds it up to her ear.
“Henry,” she says, though her voice almost sounds wary.
I shift my attention over to Parker. She turns to look at me, her brow raised in question before she leans toward me. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she whispers. “But I have a feeling it’s nothing good.”
“I agree,” I murmur.
I also have a feeling it has to do with my family, but I don’t tell her that. It’s just a feeling. I could be wrong.
But I highly doubt it at this point.
Greedy fucking bastards, they probably want something more. Having their debts erased was probably just not enough for them. I’ve always known they’re selfish, but I didn’t realize they would sell their own children for money in the bank. But they did sell me, and they’re prepping my sister to do it all over again.
Brenda sets her phone down on the table, the sound startling me from my thoughts. My gaze slides over to meet hers, and I notice that she’s staring right at me. I open my mouth to ask her what’s happened when she begins to speak.
“Gather your things, ladies. We have something highly unusual to do.”
“Brenda?” Parker asks on a whisper.
Brenda levels her with a gaze, but I know this has to do with me. This is my fault. This is my family’s shit leaking out. I should have run away from this marriage when I had the chance. I should have let my family get whatever they had coming to them. I should have never let the Hamiltons be part of them in any way.
Tears of frustration fill my eyes.
Whatever is going to come, I have to realize that my parents had it coming. Both of them. Even if that hurts. Coleman seems levelheaded. The entire family does. They are nothing like mine, so whatever they say or do, it won’t be unreasonable…
COLEMAN
I shouldn’t smileat the sight of Keen on his knees in front of me, in front of all of us. The director takes a step forward, his chin dipped as he stares down at Keen. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I tilt my head to the side as I watch him.
He is trying to be confident, but it’s clear he is full of shit and scared. He’s not supposed to show emotion, but clearly, my cousin does not have his fucking shit together. He’s already told us that it was him who wrote the notes.
“How did you know it was me?” my father asks. He doesn’t say what it is he’s referring to, but if Keen wrote the note, he should know.
Junior stands behind his brother, his hands placed one over the other in front of him as he looks straight ahead. He doesn’t look down at his brother. He doesn’t look anywhere. He’s expressionless, just the way he was taught to be.
