All I've Never Wanted(32)

Unfortunately, the small movement on my part only seemed to make him angrier.

“Excuse me?” he ground out, his voice low and dangerous.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Parker repeated, not seeming to share any of my personal terror at all. He kept his arms around my shoulders. “Sorry, Rome, guess I beat you to the punch this time.”

I blanched. “Are you crazy?” I hissed so that only Parker could hear me. “Now is not the time to bait him.”

“Calm down, sweetheart, it’ll be fine. Unless you would rather be his girlfriend instead…”

I just glared at him in response.

Parker smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

I was so caught up in silently cursing every Scion, as well as the stupid person who’d invented the word Scion, that I didn’t notice Roman approaching until he forcefully yanked Parker’s arm away from me.

“You didn’t beat to me to anything,” Roman snarled, his violet eyes a near-black. “You two aren’t really dating.”

I shot Parker a panicked look. Was Roman psychic?

“Of course we are.” Parker did a very good job of looking surprised. “What makes you think we aren’t?”

Roman’s eyes narrowed. “You guys don’t even know each other!”

“Au contraire, I just had dinner at her house yesterday,” Parker replied calmly. “I also met her family. They’re quite lovely, I must say. Now, since you are one of my best friends, I would appreciate it if you gave us your blessing and support—“

"Bullshit! You guys have never even talked before!"

"Not that you know of," Parker corrected calmly. "Your game's slipping a bit, Rome."

"Parker, you're my friend, but you need to shut the hell up!"

Parker stepped forward and placed his hands on Roman's chest to push him back from me. "Listen, Rome, I know you're mad, but--"

And that was when Roman hauled back his fist and punched Parker in the jaw.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, running over to Parker's side. "Oh my god, Parker, are you okay?"

He winced, rubbing his jaw. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

I turned to Roman, my own hands balling up into fists. "What is wrong with you? You can't go around punching people like that! And you wonder why I'm with Parker and not you? He's a great boyfriend--"

“Oh, now I get it.” Roman glared at me. “Guess you already found someone to give you the jewels and clothes, huh? You work fast, I’ll give you that.”

I’ve never been so insulted in my entire life. “Excuse me, but I’m dating Parker because he’s a genuinely good person,” I declared, straightening up and staring Roman straight in the face. “Which is more than I can say for someone else in this room.”

“Genuinely good person?” Roman snorted. “You’re talking about the biggest player in town! He’s been with every girl in Valesca!”

“Thanks.” Parker sounded touched. He didn't seem to be all that upset that one of his best friends had just punched him in the face.

Roman and I both ignored him.

“Although, now that I think about it, that probably means you’ve been with him too.” His lips twisted. “It makes so much sense now.”

I couldn’t help but gasp. Was he accusing me of being a slut?


“Shut up!” I shouted, nearly blind with rage as all my previous anger came flooding back. “God, you’re such a dick!” I threw the necklace I’d taken off as hard as I could at his chest and impulsively stomped on his foot—in my three-inch heels.

To my immense pleasure, Roman let out a yelp of pain.

“And just so you know—“ I pulled the torture devices they called Jimmy Choos off my feet and threw them at him too. “—even if he was a homeless pauper and looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I would still pick him over a soulless jerk like you!”

Not satisfied with just impaling his foot, I also slapped him across the face for the second time in a week before running out.

For some reason, I could feel tears prickling the backs of my eyes, blurring my vision. It shouldn’t have upset me that he thought I was promiscuous, but it did.

I didn’t like him, and I didn’t care what he thought per se, but I was so sick of people making judgments about me before they even got to know me.

Oh, I’m a scholarship kid? That must mean I’m poor and pathetic or a gold-digger.

Oh, I’m part Asian? I must be super-good at math and science. (Well, I am good at them, but I’m much better at English and the social sciences).

Oh, I happen to think Parker Remington is actually a good person? That must mean I’m a slut who’s already slept with him.

Fighting back a sob, I ran blindly down the hallway. I didn’t even know where I was going—I just knew I had to get as far away from Roman Fiori as possible.

* * *

Adriana stormed up the stairs of the Fiori mansion, the sound of her stilettos echoing like gunshots in the massive halls. She pushed open the doors to Roman’s room with unnecessary force.

He looked up from the video game he was playing with surprise.

“God, Adri, could you be any louder?” he asked, sounding annoyed. “I’m—“