Boyfriend Material (Hawthorne University, #2)(66)

“Oh, Eric. It’s not your fault and your brother wouldn’t want you to think that.”

“Let’s drop it, yeah?”

“No,” I insist, wanting to help. “You can’t live up to a ghost that your parents have on a pedestal.” He was doing drugs, so he wasn’t that perfect. I hold my tongue on that point. “You have to think about who you are and what you need.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it,” he says in an abrupt tone.

I flinch.

He groans. “Sorry, Julia. It’s just . . . being here is hard for me. It brings back some weird feelings.”

Oh, I can see why.





28





Eric





I throw an arm around her, itching to push the issue of Kurt behind us. “You’re starting to get cold. Want to go in?”

She nods. “They’re probably looking for you.”

We walk inside and grab more champagne from the bar. The room has thickened with people, the din of noise louder.

“Eric?” a voice says behind me.

I turn to find one of my father’s clients. “Michael McClure,” he says, shaking my hand. “I just wanted to say congrats on the acceptance to Hawthorne Law.”

I introduce Julia, and we exchange stilted small talk.

I’m talking about my last hockey game—it’s the only thing I know well—when I see Dr. and Mrs. Cavendish stroll into the entrance of the ballroom, dripping with arrogance as they hold their noses in the air. They speak to my parents, acknowledging them with a haughtiness that screams I’m richer than you.

I cringe as my dad fawns over them, getting them drinks and laughing loudly at their conversation.

I nearly spit out my champagne when Parker walks in behind them.

He’s never come to one of these parties, and he sure as hell isn’t welcome.

Wearing a smug expression, he throws back a glass of whiskey as he scans the area. He glares at me, then Julia. A livid expression flashes on his face. His throat moves.

Dude has it bad for her in a fucked up way.

He turns and says something to his father. They both glance at me. Then Julia.

She stiffens. “What is he doing here?”

I clasp her hand. “I can deal with him. This is my house. Don’t worry.”

“I haven’t seen him since the incident at the Kappa house.” Her brow furrows as she sucks in her lower lip. She’s a little scared of him and I hate it.

“Stay here.” I make my way toward Parker and he does the same, meeting me near the bar.

“What are you doing here?” I say quietly, but there’s no doubt of the menace in my tone.

“Parties are my thing. There are so many people. Important people. Do they know your little secrets, I wonder?”

“I don’t have any secrets,” I mutter.

I feel Julia sliding up next to me. She clings to my arm as her chest rises rapidly.

“Hey, Ju-Ju,” he croons. “Nice dress. You look fuckable.”

My hands clench. If we weren’t surrounded by my father’s colleagues, I’d take him by his collar and drag him to the door. “Don’t even look at her.”

“Don’t make a scene, Parker,” Julia says in a hushed voice.

“Never, Ju-Ju. I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.” He smirks at me. “I’ve done a lot more than look at her, Hansen. I’ve fucked her. And she’s not even that good. For a whore.”

Blood boils in my veins and I grit out my words. “Get out.”

“Calm down.” He motions to a passing waiter and takes a glass of champagne, his sip slow and easy. “I came here to deliver a message.”

I glare. “Then deliver it.”

“Not to you.” He rolls his eyes. “Where’s your father?”

My gaze thins. “What do you want with him?”

He rocks from his heels to his toes, his voice rising. “I heard the news that you got into law school. Congratulations.” He glances around as if to see if anyone is listening. “Damn, I love an audience.”

“If it wasn’t for them, I’d knock your teeth out,” I say.

He makes a tutting noise. “You’re getting red in the face, Hansen. People are starting to stare.”

They are. Eyes flit to us then bounce away.

“I had someone look up your application,” he calls loudly. “I can do that, you know. There are plenty of Kappas on the board of admissions at Hawthorne Law. Your application wasn’t very impressive. Dude, you’re stupid.”

Anger burns brighter. On my skin. In my bones.

He smirks. “Of course, the admissions committee was shocked to learn of your violent streak. Five Kappas have come forward and filed complaints against you for assault at our house. We caught it on tape. It shows you storming onto our property with fists flying, and when a few good Samaritans tried to break it up, you assaulted them as well.”

“Guess it didn’t show the part where it was ten of you on top of me, did it?”

He gives me a dark smile. “Your admission has been put on hold until it can be investigated. It’s possible it will be rescinded, and good luck getting another law school to even look your way. You’re going to be blackballed from every serious school in the US.”