it
protects
you somehow?” He looked down the hallway toward the living room, his voice suddenly flat. “It isn’t just yourself you have to think of, you know.”
Keegan felt his fingernails dig into his thighs. “I’m not helping out at any goddamn fundraiser!” he shouted, pushing out of his chair and heading toward the back door.
“You don’t have a choice,” said his father as Keegan burstthrough the door and slammed it behind him, the glass rattling in its frame.
His feet pounding down the steps, Keegan was barely conscious of the thick clouds that had gathered overhead. He was aware of only one thing—his father’s parting comment echoing in his head.
Evan Fraser had been wrong about of lot of things during the past few months, but he was right about that. Choice was a luxury none of them had. Not anymore.
His hands making useless fists, Keegan stood in the backyard and raised his face to the sky, feeling the first drops of rain. In moments, the wind began to pick up and the rain increased, the drops falling faster, stinging his cheeks, forcing him to shut his eyes. But he welcomed them, longed for them to douse his rage and wash away the grief that lived inside him like an unborn twin.
CHAPTER 19
W illa couldn’t help smirking as she saw him pass through the entrance of the community college her father had booked for the fundraiser. Walking with his head down, he was obviously uncomfortable wearing what was likely his father’s suit, the dark blue anchoring him among the brightly dressed early birds waiting inside the door out of the rain. She watched as he spoke to Ed Benjamin, one of the dealership’s salespeople her father had put in charge of collecting tickets, then saw Ed nod and wave him through. It was that moment she was enjoying now—the look on the new guy’s face as he turned to see her waiting for him, the moment like the final seconds of a MasterCard commercial. Priceless.
She hadn’t known whether to laugh or cringe when her dad had told her about the guy’s father phoning to say he couldn’t make it but his son wanted to help out. “Volunteer” is how he’d put it but, judging from the guy’s body language now, she could fill in the blanks—the guy’s dad had found out how he’d been treating the boss’s daughter and this was his way of making amends.
Reaching her, the new guy offered a mumbled “Hi,” like he had to swallow a bottle cap to say it.
“Hi,” she returned, still smirking. She had no intention of making any of this easier for him.
His face reddening, he looked around, obviously grasping for something more to say. “You’ve got quite a lineup already, even with the rain.”
“There’s always a great turnout for Casino Night,” she said. There was an awkward beat of silence. Then another.
He dragged a hand through his hair, which fell immediately into his eyes again. “I, uh … I hear all this is your dad’s idea.”
“Yes, it is.” She let the silence continue to unspool around them.
His eyes wandered around the space again and then, after a long moment, returned to her. He cleared his throat. “You look nice.”
“Thanks,” she said, wondering how much that compliment had cost him. But she appreciated it nonetheless—she’d shopped for days before deciding on the designer dress she wore this evening, a low-cut, off-the-shoulder sheath whose emerald colour contrasted dramatically with her blond hair. “What you see is pretty much what you get, right?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, about that,” he said. “I, uh, I’d like to, uh …”
“Yes?” she asked.
He glanced away, his body visibly tightening. Then, “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday.”
“For saying
what
exactly? That I’m unbelievable or that I’m not the centre of the universe?”
He turned to her again. In place of the grimace was something less wounded. Almost cocky. “Everything’s easy for you, isn’t it? Even this.”
“If it makes you feel any
protects
you somehow?” He looked down the hallway toward the living room, his voice suddenly flat. “It isn’t just yourself you have to think of, you know.”
Keegan felt his fingernails dig into his thighs. “I’m not helping out at any goddamn fundraiser!” he shouted, pushing out of his chair and heading toward the back door.
“You don’t have a choice,” said his father as Keegan burstthrough the door and slammed it behind him, the glass rattling in its frame.
His feet pounding down the steps, Keegan was barely conscious of the thick clouds that had gathered overhead. He was aware of only one thing—his father’s parting comment echoing in his head.
Evan Fraser had been wrong about of lot of things during the past few months, but he was right about that. Choice was a luxury none of them had. Not anymore.
His hands making useless fists, Keegan stood in the backyard and raised his face to the sky, feeling the first drops of rain. In moments, the wind began to pick up and the rain increased, the drops falling faster, stinging his cheeks, forcing him to shut his eyes. But he welcomed them, longed for them to douse his rage and wash away the grief that lived inside him like an unborn twin.
CHAPTER 19
W illa couldn’t help smirking as she saw him pass through the entrance of the community college her father had booked for the fundraiser. Walking with his head down, he was obviously uncomfortable wearing what was likely his father’s suit, the dark blue anchoring him among the brightly dressed early birds waiting inside the door out of the rain. She watched as he spoke to Ed Benjamin, one of the dealership’s salespeople her father had put in charge of collecting tickets, then saw Ed nod and wave him through. It was that moment she was enjoying now—the look on the new guy’s face as he turned to see her waiting for him, the moment like the final seconds of a MasterCard commercial. Priceless.
She hadn’t known whether to laugh or cringe when her dad had told her about the guy’s father phoning to say he couldn’t make it but his son wanted to help out. “Volunteer” is how he’d put it but, judging from the guy’s body language now, she could fill in the blanks—the guy’s dad had found out how he’d been treating the boss’s daughter and this was his way of making amends.
Reaching her, the new guy offered a mumbled “Hi,” like he had to swallow a bottle cap to say it.
“Hi,” she returned, still smirking. She had no intention of making any of this easier for him.
His face reddening, he looked around, obviously grasping for something more to say. “You’ve got quite a lineup already, even with the rain.”
“There’s always a great turnout for Casino Night,” she said. There was an awkward beat of silence. Then another.
He dragged a hand through his hair, which fell immediately into his eyes again. “I, uh … I hear all this is your dad’s idea.”
“Yes, it is.” She let the silence continue to unspool around them.
His eyes wandered around the space again and then, after a long moment, returned to her. He cleared his throat. “You look nice.”
“Thanks,” she said, wondering how much that compliment had cost him. But she appreciated it nonetheless—she’d shopped for days before deciding on the designer dress she wore this evening, a low-cut, off-the-shoulder sheath whose emerald colour contrasted dramatically with her blond hair. “What you see is pretty much what you get, right?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, about that,” he said. “I, uh, I’d like to, uh …”
“Yes?” she asked.
He glanced away, his body visibly tightening. Then, “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday.”
“For saying
what
exactly? That I’m unbelievable or that I’m not the centre of the universe?”
He turned to her again. In place of the grimace was something less wounded. Almost cocky. “Everything’s easy for you, isn’t it? Even this.”
“If it makes you feel any
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