DA

inner was a slow-

My job was to be invisible until a glass needed refilling or a plate needed clearing. It was dehumanizing, but I

funny. Charles was doing his part-nodding, smiling that fake, golden smile-but his eyes were dead. He hadn't gone to practice. His father had intercepted h

Mrs. Sterling hissed,

ver to refill Mr. Sterling's glass, he didn't even look at

ary for the greater good," Mr. Sterling said, his vo

ass shattered

bled across the white tablecloth, dripping onto the Senator

, blood beginning to seep from a cut on his palm where the crystal

lked out of the room, leaving a trail

Mr. Sterling barked, his face tu

eel the eyes of the elite on me-the "help" on her knees, cleaning up the mess of the "prince." But I wasn't

d. I didn't care about the rules. I didn't care about the contract. I ran toward the b

les was bare-knuckle punching a heavy bag, over and over. Each hit sounded like a whip crack. He wa

!" I yelled, ru

that sent the bag swinging wildly. "Go back to being the pe

!" I grabbed his shoulder

grabbed my waist, pinning me against the cool metal of the equipment rack. The air left

e. "He told me if I went to that game Friday, he'd revoke your father's pro

he world ti

way I looked at you at the gates." Charles's voice broke, a sound so raw it made my eyes sting. "He knows you're the

ng so hard it felt like it would crack my ribs. He wasn't the bully a

y fingers brushed over the bruise on his jaw. "Let him try t

. He leaned his forehead against mine, his breath shaking. "I can't let him hu

strength. "Play on Friday. Get the scholars

down at my lips, and I knew-I just knew-that if he kissed me, there was no going back. We wouldn't just b

t mine-a ghost of a touch, a question.

ble bully, Charles S

osed t

d been starving for something real in a world made of plastic. It tasted like salt and wine and rebellion. My ha

tter. The debt didn't matter. Sloane, t

lights in the g

e. Standing in the doorway was Sloane, her phone held up, th

. "I knew the nanny was 'easy,' but I didn't think she was 'get-t

ran before Cha

ite blouse. The reality of what we'd just done crashed down o

started, rea

ally setting in. "If you don't g

the middle of the gym, the taste of him still on my lips and t

re to save my father. Now, I had to figure out how to s