CHAPTER 4 WILLOW

I grew up in an orphanage. Poor. Never having enough and always depending on the goodwill of the state system. Because I believed I’d been dealt the short end

of the stick, I made sure to do everything the state expected of me.

I poured all my energy into school. Got straight As. Scored a college scholarship.

My life seemed to be going exactly as I wanted, unravelling on my own terms.

But then, everything changed when Cary Thompson showed up one day, DNA

test in hand.

***

“Willow,” he kisses both my cheeks, eyes brightening as he takes in my cocktail

dress. “You look lovely, honey.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, allowing him to lead me into the hall.

“So, how was the hockey game?” He picks two champagne flutes off a valet’s

tray and hands one over to me.

“It was fine. We won.” I take a huge sip. “Exactly how long do I have to be here

for, Dad?”

“Oh come on, honey. You only just got here, and now you’re talking about

leaving? Relax.” He chuckles. “Invites to events like this do not come easy.

Besides, there are a few people I would like to introduce you to.”

“I see,” I mumble, sounding unenthused. If Cary notices, he doesn’t comment on

it. He leads me forward, showing me off to the people he recognises in the

crowd. He makes a few introductions.

“Cary Thompson.” A middle-aged man approaches us. He’s wearing a charcoal

grey suit with a bow tie. He’s got jet black hair that’s slightly beginning to grey.

This man, he’s handsome in a rugged kind of way. There’s also something oddly

familiar about him.

“Spencer,” Cary shakes hands with him, grinning from ear to ear.

Spencer?

It suddenly clicks.

He’s Theo’s dad. My ex-boyfriend showed me a family photo over six months

ago, and he was the one in it.

I can’t believe he’s standing in front of me right now. How well does my dad know

him?

“Willow… allow me to introduce you to a good friend of mine. Spence, this is my

daughter, Willow Thompson.”

“Wow, Cary. She’s gorgeous.” Spencer extends his hand for a handshake, and it

takes everything in me to keep my composure. “How are you, Willow? I’ve heard

quite a bit about you from your old man. It’s nice to meet you in person finally.”

I bet he won’t be saying that if he knew how I’d just gotten in between his sons,

mere hours ago.

“Nice to meet you too.” I make myself smile.

“So, you attend California State? My sons go to school there too. Theo and

Aiden. You must have heard of them. They play hockey.”

Kill me now. “Yeah. Um, I’ve heard of them. They are the reasons we won

regionals today.”

Spencer’s beaming with pride. Cary mentions something about getting both

families together for lunch, sometime in the near future.

I hope not.

I’m already counting the minutes until I have to leave.

It isn’t until Cary is pulled away to converse with a crowd of stuffy, middle-aged

folks that I get a chance to make my escape.

“You’re leaving?” Terry escorts me out of the building, seeing me off to my

waiting Uber.

“Yeah. Sorry. I have something important I have to take care of on campus.” A

lie. But he doesn’t have to know that. “Tell my father I’ll link up with him for lunch

later in the week.”

“Alright, Miss Thompson. Have a good night.” He opens the Uber door for me. He

doesn’t leave until the car’s safely on the road.

On the ride back to campus, I call Violet.

“Hey. Sorry I had to leave in such a hurry. I had a family thing. I’m on my way

back now. Any chance we can meet up at Starbucks?”

“Sorry. I can’t. I’m at Gary’s.” Gary is her boyfriend. A nerd from engineering.

Definitely one of the cutest couples on campus. “So… what was up with that

stunt you pulled on the ice rink today?”

I knew this was coming. I groan.

“Ugh! I was jealous, okay? I saw that dick head making out with slutty Tessa and

all I could think of was a surefire way to hurt me.”

“Oh, he was hurt alright.” Violet chuckles. “It seemed like he was about to rip

Aiden to shreds before Tessa showed up to drag him away.” She laughs harder.

Her laugh’s infectious, and she’s got me on it.

“Everything is such a fucking mess,” I say in between laughs.

“Yeah, babe. Not to mention the fact that everyone is talking about it. I mean,

everyone. They are calling you a heartbreaker. Talking about how you’ve got

both brothers wrapped around your fingers.”

“That’s not true.” I snort. “I was just lucky Aiden didn’t push me off him.”

“Yeah. About that… any idea why he let you kiss him so publicly?”

“None.” I inhale a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have no idea what had

been going through his head while it’d been happening. One thing I do know is

that I owe him an apology.”

“You’re gonna apologise for kissing the school’s most notorious manwhore?” She

scoffs lightly. “Oh please. I’m sure he was honoured that you laid a free one on

him.”

I’m already at campus. Making the short walk to my sorority house. Campus is

abuzz tonight, with studies still up, celebrating the win at regionals. Fireworks

light the sky. Campus security is lenient with drunk students.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Vi. Say hi to Gary for me.” I’m almost at the house.

“Bye bitch.” She makes kissy sounds before she hangs up. I’m all smiles as I

cross the rose bush that separates the Alpha Phi house from the Delta house.

I round the corner, and a scream tears out of my lips at the sight of Aiden Cross

sitting on the porch steps.