Page 101 of Hide and Keep

Maybe it was. I didn’t time her. All I could think about was how torturous it was to watch. For the last five months, I haven’t been able to forget a single thing about Crue and all it took was “two seconds” for him to forget my entire existence.

“Your fit last night lasted longer,” he accuses.

“Fit?” Scoffing a little too hard, my free hand goes to my hip as I cock it to one side. “I was practicing my reflexes. It’s not my fault your sensors were in the way.”

“Do you have any idea how immature you sound right now?”

Yes.

“We both know you were throwing a ball at the sensors to punish me for giving another girl attention.”

Not just attention. Praise. Affection. Crue clapped for her. He high-fived her. He held her close to him. He probably showered her with compliments. And he did it all with a smile on his face, not because he was being paid to, but because hewantedto.

I have never, ever felt such white-hot jealousy as I did last night. Not at my competitions when all of my teammates’ parents showed up and mine couldn’t be bothered to. Not when everyone else got to have birthday parties with friends but the only people to ever attend mine were on my father’s payroll. Not when I got asked to every school dance but was never allowed to even attend one. All of those things pale in comparison to seeing Crue admire Eighmey for those two fucking seconds.

“The part I can’t figure out is why do you even care who ‘the help’—”

“Excuse me. You are not ‘the help.’” I stroll toward him, one foot in front of the other until I’m only a few feet away. “You aremyhelp.Mybodyguard.Mine.”

“You dress me up like one of you.” Crue’s upper lip hitches as he gives me a once-over. “But don’t want me to act like it. If I even try, you’re quick to remind everyone, including me, of my station. So…what? Am I just a prop?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” With a disappointed shake of my head, I rasp, “You’remyprop.”

Those moss-green eyes darken but don’t blink.

I tear the hat off his head and toss it back down the hall, causing him to more than blink as he snarls, “Fucking brat. Why do you keep doing that?”

“Hats make you look common.”

“I am fucking common,” he practically spits before jerking back, his gaze above my head.

“Are you sure I’m the one reminding you of your station?”

“Pretty fucking sure.” His voice lacks any real heat, at least not toward me. He’s upset with himself for that little revelation.

I tug my sleeve down past my wrist, realizing I forgot to put on a bracelet. I could go back and get one, but then Crue might follow me and pick up his hat. I don’t want him wearing that hat anymore. I don’t want him wearing anything that obstructs his face. His scar is nothing to be ashamed of. Let people stare. They’re going to anyway. Humans will always look for flaws in other humans, no matter what lengths you go to hide them. The more you own your flaws, the less they can be weaponized against you.

“Then be common with your head held high. Munreauxs don’t look at the ground.” Whatever pulls his head out of the shadows and into the light.

Finally, he meets my eyes. “I’m not a Munreaux.”

“You represent one, and there’s nothing common about him.”

Before he can even try to retrieve his hat, I go down to the kitchen where my father and Chef Ryan are too busy talking to notice our arrival. The sight of my father engaging the chef in conversation makes me lose my appetite. It’s bad enough he lets him sleep in the house, now he’s being friendly with him, too.

My stomach threatens to forcibly eject those butterflies from earlier.

Dropping my dishes on the silver wave marble counter with a loudclangbrings their chat to a screeching halt. As usual, I skip the pleasantries and get right to the point, telling the chef, “We’ll take our breakfast to go.”

Chef Ryan rigidly twists to face me and gives a nod before scurrying to the other side of the island.

His eyes on the sea, my father says, “Join me for a moment, Never.”

“Sincerest apologies, Father…” I start heading for the door on the opposite side of the kitchen. “But I have an appointment this morning.”

“Sit. Down.”

Backtracking, I lower myself into my seat. When Crue tries to do the same on Father’s left though, he tells him, “Get the food and go wait outside. I want to have a private discussion with my daughter.”

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