Broken Princess (Van der Borne University Book 2) Page 10

  “I’m afraid I won’t be any help, then. I don’t read Italian.”

  “No, but you’re a journalist, are you not?,” she asks snapping the clam shaped case closed, and puts it back in my hand. “You’re a resourceful young woman, and I figured perhaps you could look into its origins for me. Either way, the item is yours.”

  I rub my fingers over the back of the cool metal. “It’s gorgeous. Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “This mystery might be easier to uncover than the other one I’m working on.”

  “What might that be, dear?”

  “When we were going through dad’s things, I found a picture of a house I’ve never seen before. My mother says she doesn’t recognize it either. It was shoved in the back of an old photo album that we used to go through all the time.”

  “And what’s so strange about that? I often come across things I don’t remember purchasing or collecting. Especially when I let them sit for a long time and never use them.”

  “You don’t understand. My family, we’re sticklers for labeling pictures, and this one wasn’t. It’s old. Like really old. There are two words written on it that I thought was a location but there’s no date and nothing else to identify it.”

  “Two words?”

  “Camelot Court which doesn’t make sense. When I tried looking it up on the internet, all I came up with is the legend of King Arthur.” I shake my head, still upset that I’ve come up empty-handed. “I don’t think my dad was a fan of Arthurian legend. So, like I said, strange.”

  She moves her pawn, then says, “Tell me a little more about your father. What was he like?”

  Most people want to hear about Penn and what he did. She’s the first person who’s ever asked about my dad and what our lives were like before we met the step-disaster.

  I tell her about some of my happiest memories growing up, and share that our family is scattered around the country and that my dad moved around a lot as a kid.

  “In fact,” I say, moving my bishop. “He used to talk about an aunt that lived in one of these towns, and he always promised to bring us here for a visit. I think that’s why mom moved us here after things ended with Penn. She wanted to take us somewhere that had a connection to dad.”

  “But the move isn’t what you imagined it would be?”

  “No, because first off, all he said was Kingsley and as you know there’s about ten towns in a hundred-mile radius that start with that name. I’m not even sure which one of these cities he was talking about,” I say with a shrug. “Though, I guess I can rule out this one. He definitely never spent time here.”

  “Is that right?”

  “My dad was all about helping others. There’s no way in hell his favorite aunt was one of the beautiful people. They literally have money and greed where their hearts should be.” I grimace, realizing I’ve just insulted the woman who's paying for me to go to school. “No offense.”

  “None taken. I agree with your assessment.”

  “Pepper, I want you to know, I don’t think of you as one of them.”

  “You should Jordanna, because I am. The difference is, I recognize the deep-rooted problems festering under the surface of our privilege and entitlement, and I want to do something about it. Legacy and tradition are important, but I think it’s passed time to stop doing things a certain way just because that’s how ‘it’s always been done’.”

  Pointing to the board she says, “Now stop stalling and make your move so I can beat you again.”

  It’s not bragging, she beats me every time. Then she has me explain why I made the moves I did, before telling me why she made the moves she did. Each time she compares it to real life and each game, I get a little better.

  When it’s time for me to leave, she has the Roff, the butler, bring me a book. “That book documents some of the best opening moves in the history of chess. I think it’ll help you.”

  Today, she stands, walking me to the front door, and watches as I slip the compact into my purse. I’m already formulating ideas on where to start my research. “I promise I’ll take good care of this.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  “Jordanna… Jordanna!”

  “Huh?”

  “Damn, girl, I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes. What are you reading?”

  “This article on specialty craftsman and jewelry companies from the late eighteen hundreds. Can you imagine a place that did full blown melting and smiting? I’m talking old world sword and guild shit? In fact, this company here,” I point to the screen. “Descended from a family line who were swords makers and blacksmiths.” Clicking another link, I say, “I had no idea this town was founded on such a rich history. I thought all the families hit it big in oil or the gold rush or something and then moved here and stole somebody’s land.”

  “So did I.” Kassidy says, plopping down on the bed. “Move over.” She pulls the laptop from my hand and clicks through the article. “What got you on this tangent?”

  “It’s a research project on a family heirloom.”

  “Since when do you have family heirlooms?”

  No one knows about Pepper, and I’m going to keep it that way, since I’m not entirely sure if spending a lot of time with the person offsetting my scholarship is a conflict of interest. “Since we finally started going through some of my dad’s things we had in storage.”

  She moves her finger over the track pad a few more times before passing my laptop back. I’m done researching for now. Having her here kind of broke me out of my groove. I close the lid, placing it on my bed, and lie back against my pillows. “You said you were calling my name. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. Never mind.”

  “Come on, roomie. Spill it.”

  “I was thinking of inviting some friends over, but I changed my mind.”

  “Because of me? Kassidy, you don’t have to distance yourself from your friends in solidarity. Or stop entertaining here. This is your room too.”

  “I know. I just wanna make sure you’re cool with it. Some of them are the same people from last semester.”

  “Lemme guess, they’re BP sympathizers.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Call your buddies and have fun,” I say jumping off the bed. “Besides, I’m heading out, anyway.”

  “You are? Where are you going?”

  “To the Monday Night Marauder Party.”

  “How do you even know about that?”

  “Dixon mentioned it in class, and Noel’s posting about it on his Prospectus wall.”

  She climbs off the bed shaking her head. “And you’re going?”

  “Uh, yeah. So you’ll have the whole dorm to yourself. Just stay out of my room and off my bed.”

  “As if I would ever do anything on this pristine white comforter.”

  “You’d fold it up and put in a corner first?”

  “Exactly.”

  I blow her a kiss as she leaves the room, and grab my towel off the back of my closet door, heading towards the shower to get ready for the evening.

  Twelve

  Jordanna

  I’ve made two laps around the living room of the frat house and still no sign of Dixon or Noel. When I get to the kitchen, I spot Sterling leaning against the wall with a beer in his hand. Finally, a familiar face. I’m here looking for leverage on Logan and his friends, but I feel like a sitting duck without Kassidy here supporting me.

  “Hey stranger,” Sterling says, pushing away from the wall.

  “Sterling, hi. Have you seen Noel?”

  He shakes his head and slips his arm across my shoulder. “I’m sure that joker’s around her somewhere. Let me get you something to suck on until you find him.”

  “I’d love a drink. Thanks,” I say ignoring the innuendo.

  “All right, all right. I know. You’re still one of the cutest girls I’ve seen when you get all flustered and blush.”

  “Do I look flustered to you?”

&n
bsp; He steps closer, tipping my head up to the light, turning my face this way and that. “No. You look cool as an icicle.” He smiles, nodding approvingly. “Good. You’ll need that to get you through around here.”

  It’s almost ominous the way he says it. “Are you referring to the party or life on campus?”

  “Maybe a little bit of both.” His eyes darken as he squeezes my hand. “Listen, I think you-”

  One of his frat brothers walks over to us. “Sterling, my man, you’ve got to check out what Hailey is doing in the dining room. Did you know…”

  Sterling tips his chin at me as he’s dragged away. The rest of the description of Hailey’s antics fades away as they get closer to the door.

  I’m on my own, again. With my drink in hand, I drift through the rest of the house, still searching for Noel and Dixon. When I pull out my phone to check the time, I see I have an unread message form Dixon.

  * * *

  Study group still going. Big test. Gonna miss the party. Have fun - D.

  * * *

  There’s nothing from Noel, so I think it’s safe to assume he’s already here or on his way.

  A pair of hands pop in front of my eyes, blocking my vision. “Guess who.” A voice sing-songs behind me.

  “Santa? Black Power Ranger? Uh, Winnie the Pooh?”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Will steps in front of me with a smile on his face. “I have to tell you, I didn’t expect to see you here, on a school night.”

  “I didn’t have anything better to do, so I thought I’d give it the old college try. Pun intended.”

  “Cute. Real cute. So where’s your roommate?,” he asks looking over my shoulder.

  “Kass is back at the dorms. I’m flying solo tonight.”

  “Not anymore, you’re not. I’m your new wingman.”

  I don’t bother trying to hide the grimace on my face.

  “What’s that look for?”

  “Will, you haven’t spoken to me since last semester.”

  “Because I haven’t seen you since last semester, when you started dating Logan, and ditched me as your friend.”

  “That’s not what happened. I just got really busy with my art project and at the end of the semester...”

  His hand lands on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “Kidding. I know things were crazy at the end there. But, you’re not with him anymore and we can get back to hanging out at parties and stuff again.”

  Considering his words, I say, “Yeah, it would be good to do that.”

  He takes my hand, leading me to the dancing area. “Good, we can start now.”

  * * *

  I’m on my third beer when things get a little woozy. I tell Will to give me a second, as I head off to find a bottle of water and a bathroom to splash some water on my face. The downstairs bathroom is occupied, so I go upstairs, taking a moment, enjoying the quiet.

  When I step into the hall, Will is standing against the wall, just outside the door. “You good?”

  “Yeah, just needed a minute away from the noise.”

  Taking my hand, he leads me down the hall. “Come on, I know exactly where we can go to get some peace and quiet.”

  “In this place? I doubt it.”

  “This room is the best room in the frat house.” He pulls me into what looks like a business center, with a large flat screen television on the wall. “The older frat members use this as their personal hang out away from the initiates.”

  “And how do you know all this?”

  “My brother pledged this fraternity when he went here. I know a lot.”

  “But you didn’t pledge?”

  “Nah. Too busy making my own reputation to get stuck in the shadow of his.”

  “I think it’s good to form your own path.”

  Will steps closer, and says, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you downstairs, but I think you look really pretty tonight.”

  “Thanks.” Moving towards the door, I say, “Well, if this is a super secret meeting space, I think we should respect the frat’s rules and head back downstairs.”

  He closes the door, stepping further into the room. “It’ll be fine. You needed a break and we’re alone up here. We can stay as long as we want. If anyone has anything to say about it, they can deal with me. I’m your wingman, right?”

  “That’s really sweet, but I’m actually ready to head back now. Noel invited me and I haven’t spent any time with him yet. I should probably find him and do that.”

  He steps in front of me, blocking the door. “Noel? I don’t think he’s here.”

  “I should still check.”

  “Come on, Jordanna. What’s your hurry?” He asks, tugging on my arm.

  “Nothing, I’m just ready to go downstairs.”

  “I think you know I like you, right?”

  “Mm. I liked hanging with you too, we’ve had fun together.”

  “Fun? Hang?”

  Something about the way he’s looking at me when he says it, nags at me. His eyes darken as they rake over me and a sliver of dread runs down my spine as I remember Logan’s warning about Will. I got to step around him, infusing some cheer in my voice when I say, “Thanks for the tour, I’m heading back.”

  He pulls me away from the door, pushing my back against the wall. “Not yet,” he says, skimming his hand over my shoulder.

  “Will, what are you doing?” I ask, pushing against his chest when he leans in to kiss my cheek. “Stop.”

  “Come on, is that what you really want? I see the way you look at me. The way you’ve always looked at me, but you were with Logan and I thought you were off limits.” His lips press against my jaw, the rancid smell of beer on his breath makes my stomach roll. “Now that shit is over. If I would’ve known he was just playing you, I would’ve made my move months ago.” His hand grips my hip as he presses against me, his fingers toying with the hem of my skirt.

  “I said stop.”

  He chuckles. “I know you don’t mean it. I know what Logan likes. The power exchange. The struggle. That must mean you like it too.”

  He thinks this is foreplay, and I’m pretending not to like it? Shit. I push and claw at him, catching his face with my nails and pulling down.

  His voice loses all semblance of pleasantry. “You dirty whore, you’re gonna pay for that.” He lifts me higher, my feet dangle off the floor.

  Unzipping his pants, he shoves his leg between my thighs and I windmill my hands against him, trying to break his hold. There are voices in the room next to us and out in the hall. “What are you gonna do, huh? Fuck me right here with people on the other side of the door?”

  “That’s right, you filthy slut. I am.”

  This is VDU, where hookups at these parties are common. They’ll probably think the noise is just someone having a good time but I bang my hand against the door anyway, yelling for him to stop, trying to get someone’s attention.

  The door opens, and the light flicks on, momentarily blinding Will. He’s surprised by the intrusion, and I seize the opportunity to get away. I’m halfway down the steps before he reaches the hall.

  Logan

  Jordy’s running down the stairs, pushing past the people standing around, like her feet are on fire. I look up and spot Will on the top landing, looking down at her. He steps back into the shadows when he sees me.

  “Jordy!” I call out, shouldering through the crowd to catch up with her. “Jordy, wait! God dammit, wait!” She stops when she gets outside, folding her arms across her chest. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes bounce around, looking everywhere but at me. Where the hell is her coat? My vision tunnels when I see the top of her dress. It’s falling off her shoulder, rent at the seam. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t tell me nothing. I saw you running down the steps, and your clothes are torn.” As calmly as I can, I ask, “Did Will do something to you?”

  “Why do you care? You’re the king of this school and you set the tone for what everyone thin
ks is acceptable behavior with me. Starting with what you did last semester and ending with the way you treat me now. I heard the stories, Logan. Once you’re done having fun with your girls, they become free agents. So what do you care if someone else is ready to take their turn?”

  I shrug out of my jacket, slipping it over her shoulders. “I told you nobody touches you, but me.”

  “Pick a lane, Logan. You say you don’t want me, but in the next breath you say no one else can have me. You posted pictures of me, for god’s sake. Eventually someone was gonna wanna see what all the fuss is about. Will was just trying to show me how much he likes me, like you did last semester.” She sneers.

  “I guess things just got a little out of hand. You know how that is, right, Logan? When things get a little, rough? Because Will says that’s your thing.”

  “Don’t compare him to me. Whatever crap Will was saying or doing, was probably his way of convincing himself he wasn’t forcing you. But you know damn well, that everything we did was consensual.”

  “How much consent could I give? Did I really make an informed choice, when you were manipulating me from the beginning?”

  “That’s true. I manipulated the situation, so we’d spend time together, and pressed you to let your guard down around me. But that doesn’t change how badly I wanted you. Or the fact that you wanted me.” I reach out a hand, lifting a lock of hair from her shoulder. “It doesn’t change how much I still want you.”

  She steps away from my touch. “Oh yeah? And if I believe that I’m every bit the fool the school thinks I am.”

  She pulls my jacket from her shoulders, throwing it at me. “I can’t stand to look at you, Logan. You ruined everything, and until this very moment I pretended I was unaffected by what happened. I was gonna try to be the bigger person and bury everything I feel, but I can’t. I hate you, for what you did.”