My throat closes up as the person swaggers previous me, leering at my breasts when he attracts shut, making the hair on the again of my neck arise. A second later, he goes out the again door which exits onto a extra personal finish of the road and I’m left gaping at my father.

I anticipate him to make sense of the whole lot I’ve simply heard. As an alternative he kilos a fist on the desk and shouts, “What the hell are you doing house?”

“I…slept in,” I sputter. “Is that basically what we must be speaking about?”

His jaw ticks. “You assume I want to clarify myself to you?”

Simmons and I don’t have a detailed relationship. In any respect. He’s extra like a mentor. However that has by no means struck me as odd. My father is an individual I’ve to make proud in return for this simple life he’s offered. That’s the unstated understanding. My mom lives her personal life, “discovering herself” with a brand new technique yearly. Far too busy for me. It’s the identical for all of my pals. They don’t have popcorn film nights with their dad and mom or matching Christmas pajamas. It’s all very formal. Strict. We lead very separate lives and so long as I’m doing what’s anticipated of me, there’s no trigger for dialog.

“No, you don’t have to clarify,” I say quietly. “However…I want you’d.”

For lengthy moments, he sits there obvious previous me. “Perhaps it is a good lesson. You are taking shortcuts, individuals discover out and use them towards you. My final improvement bumped into some snags and I purchased a method out. Now I’ve no alternative however to make use of Tennison’s shell firm, Grace. Or I may very well be introduced up on costs.” His higher lip curls. “Then who would pay for Harvard, hmm?”

A pointy object digs into my chest. I’ve caught my father in a weak second and now he’s lashing out. It’s commonplace. He’s by no means been a sort particular person. He expects perfection. Calls for it. Something much less turns him imply. “I haven’t gotten into Harvard but.”

“Oh no?” He pounces throughout that. “Effectively what are you doing to ensure you do? At this very second, daughter, what are you doing? Are you volunteering? Doing further credit score on your AP lessons? Or are you simply fucking standing there questioning me, the one who put this ten-million-dollar roof over your head?”

“I’m not questioning you,” I murmur, making an attempt to carry my floor. “I simply need you to watch out.”

“Me? You simply made your self a witness, you brainless youngster.” He laughs bitterly, then begins gathering the paperwork with hasty actions. “Goddammit, Grace. Why didn’t you simply keep upstairs?”

Is he proper? Did I put myself in peril by by chance revealing my presence?

Is the knowledge I’ve now so essential that telling anybody may get me…killed?

“Effectively I see you’ve realized the severity of the scenario,” my father snaps. “You’ll spend the day upstairs engaged on purposes. Writing essays. I wish to see copies of the whole lot you’ve finished by tonight. Then we’re going to dinner on the membership. I’m assembly with some associates and also you’ll be in your finest conduct. Make me look good, since you look like incapable of anything. Don’t even take into consideration leaving your room till then.”

Till my father banishes me to my room for the day, I don’t understand how a lot I used to be trying ahead to seeing North. Whether or not or not I’d acknowledged it to myself, my plan was to dress and hope he calls, so we may make plans. I wish to kiss him once more so badly, my lips are already tingling. And now…after the dialog I overheard, there’s a layer of ice on my pores and skin and solely his arms round me goes to make it higher. How loopy is that after solely figuring out him one night time? It’s only a truth, although. There’s something…magical about North. About me and North collectively. It could’t be denied or defined.

My father dismisses me with a wave and I shortly retrieve espresso and a muffin from the kitchen, bringing each as much as my room. I eat and guzzle espresso whereas reluctantly firing up my laptop computer, pulling up an utility for considered one of my fall-back colleges. I work on it for a number of hours, then determine to take a bathe. I’m midway by undressing when a textual content message comes by on my cellphone. It’s most likely considered one of my pals, however I test anyway, my whole physique flaming after I see the textual content is from North.

You free to speak, Gracie?

My nipples flip into tight pebbles over these 5 digital phrases. I can hear them in his tough accent. Can hear that adoring method he says my identify. With my coronary heart ticking madly, my fingers are unusually clumsy after I reply.

Sure.

The cellphone rings actually one second later.

I reply out of breath, although I’m sitting on my mattress. “Hello.”

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