Fair Game (The Rules #1)(97)

Jade’s jaw drops open. Her lips move as if she’s trying to say something but no sound comes out. I think my mother’s words just stole her ability to speak.

Me? I’m stunned. I can’t even f*cking move. Why the hell is she being so awful?

Oh, I know. Because she’s my mom. And she’s always been awful. I haven’t been around her for a long time so I sort of forgot.

“This is really none of your business,” I start but Mother cuts me off with a look.

“This is very much my business, considering you are my only son and heir to an absolute fortune. She may look sweet and demure in her cheap little white dress but I’ve seen girls like her before. She’s only with you because of your money.” Mother leans across the table, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. “She’s harboring all the signs of a gold digger.”

My blood is f*cking boiling. So no girl would really want to be with me, it’s only because of my money? No wonder I said almost that exact same thing earlier to Jade. I’ve been hearing it my entire life. “What did you just say?”

Mother rolls her eyes. “A gold digger. I’ve already told you numerous times, you need to be like your father. When we started dating, I knew how much he was worth, but I also knew how much I was worth. It was a match. A perfect match.” She sends the still silent Jade a withering stare. “This girl is obviously not a good financial match. Very middle class. Possibly even lower middle class.”

Her insulting words make me flinch and they’re not even directed at me. I’m tempted to tell Mother to shut the f*ck up but I hold it in. No need to make a scene at the restaurant. I don’t want to embarrass Jade.

“I could care less about any of that shit,” I tell her, my voice raising. “And Jade doesn’t care either. That you have the nerve to call you and dad a perfect match is f*cking laughable. You two despise each other.”

“Watch your language,” Dad threatens, surprising me that he even has something to say. He usually prefers to loom in the background, only interacting when good shit is going down.

And this is definitely not good shit.

“I’m not going to sit here and let you insult my girlfriend,” I continue. “You either apologize to her or we’re out of here.”

Mother lifts her chin and looks down her nose. That expression used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid but not anymore. She’s all bark and no bite. She always has been. It’s why I’ve gotten away with pretty much everything my entire life.

“Apologize to your mother for using such foul language,” Dad says but I ignore him.

“I refuse to apologize for stating the truth.” Mother lowers her voice. “This girl isn’t the one for you, Shepard. Can’t you see that?”

I turn to look at Jade, how her skin is so pale her freckles stand out, her eyes full of a multitude of emotions, none of them good. She’s mad, upset, disappointed, nervous…yet all I can see is that she is definitely the girl for me.

“I can’t.” Reaching out, I take Jade’s hand that’s lying in a fist on the table and clasp it in mine firmly. She lifts her gaze to mine and I offer her a reassuring smile. “I’m wondering why you can’t see that she is the girl for me,” I say, my eyes never leaving Jade’s.

“You can’t be serious,” Mother starts but I ignore her.

“Let’s go baby,” I whisper to Jade and she leaps to her feet so fast I’m surprised she didn’t knock her chair backwards.

Mother sputters in protest. Dad is yelling my name. The server is approaching our table, carrying a tray laden with our drinks and Jade and I push past him, though I offer him up an apologetic smile.

No way am I staying through a torturous meal while my mom slings insults at Jade. No f*cking way. I’m standing my ground. If I let her get away with this shit now, what will happen the next time I bring Jade around them? Mother will never let up.

And there will be a next time. I can guarantee it. I’ve been fighting it all week but tonight, right at this very moment, I know without a doubt that I’m falling. Falling in love with her.

So I’m taking care of what’s mine.

Jade.

I think I’m in a total state of shock.

I have no idea what happened back there at the restaurant but holy shit, it was weird. I felt like I was in a movie. One of those cheesy made for television movies that they show on Lifetime, with all the overblown drama and exaggerated bad guys—or mom, in this case. The way she looked at me, spoke to me, how she called me a freaking gold digger right there at the table, in front of Shep and his dad.

Unbelievable.

Shep defended me the entire time. He never caved. Not once. He was on my side and oh my God, it felt so good, knowing that he was defending me with an unwavering intensity I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed before.

It was awesome.

Though we haven’t spoken since we left the restaurant and that was five minutes ago. I think he’s still too mad. Not that I can blame him. I’m mortified over what happened too. His mom is a nightmare. He warned me but he didn’t offer up much detail as to how truly awful she was.

And she is definitely awful.

“Jade, I’m so f*cking sorry,” Shep finally says and I chance a glance at him, the way his long fingers are curled around the steering wheel, his knuckles white. His expression is grim, his mouth drawn thin and his jaw looking like it’s going to crack, it’s so tight.