Boy in Luv Read online

  Don’t go that far.

  “Right. Sam isn’t your boyfriend, he’s just a guy you see from time to time. What do you call that?” Dad’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on me.

  “Casual, Dad. I call it casual. I also call it a huge regret that I even mentioned him to you.” Dad had gone all background-check crazy the moment I’d mentioned I had a date last month. Sam and I weren’t exclusive, or labeled. We just happened to date every once in a while. He was the perfect distraction when I needed it the most.

  “Is she still seeing that construction worker?” Virginia bellowed.

  “Electrician,” I answered, not that it mattered. Anyone who worked with their hands didn’t count as a worthwhile human in Virginia’s book, unless they were using their hands to count money.

  “Oh, come on, Langley!” Virginia’s voice was shrill in the background. “Let me set you up with one of the guys from the club. You know, June Maxfield’s boy is graduating from Harvard this weekend, and he’ll be home for the summer.”

  “Henry Maxfield is an asshole. No, thank you,” I replied, then winced. Over the last nine months, I’d gotten better at speaking my mind...a little too good sometimes. Luckily, Dad just laughed, and I heard the distinct sound of a door shutting. “I like Sam just fine.”

  Sam was nice. Kind. Smart. Called when he said he would. Showed up when he said he would. Never pressured me to give more than I was willing. There was a whole list of qualities I liked about Sam. Plus, he was here. He wasn’t off fighting in a war halfway across the world he hadn’t even bothered to tell me about while I’d been busy falling in love with him.

  Not like some other guys I’d dated. Fake dated. Whatever the hell it had been. I was no longer hung up on Iker Alvarez. No longer losing sleep over him. No longer thinking about him every minute of every day…just every other minute.

  “I’m sure you like Sam. He must be a good guy if you’ve been out with him a few times now.” His tone sagged, and I pictured him flopping into his leather office chair. “I was just wondering if maybe you’d heard from—”

  “Do not finish that sentence,” I warned as I pulled up to a red light. “No, I haven’t heard. No, he hasn’t reached out. Just let it go, Dad. I sure as hell have.” Or so I tried to convince myself, time and time again. Some days, the lie was easier to buy than others.

  “Yeah, it definitely sounds like you have.” His sarcasm dripped about as thick as molasses.

  My hands clenched on the steering wheel as I shoved every single thought and memory of him as far from my consciousness as possible. Not going there. Not when I was finally healed and happy.

  “Sorry, honey,” Dad said softly, after another few seconds of silence.

  Someone honked behind me and I startled. Right, the light was green. Green meant go. Green did not mean lament about guys who never gave a shit about you.

  “It’s okay,” I told Dad as I turned into the parking lot in front of the office building I’d been staring at all year. “I just pulled in, so I’m going to head up for my interview.”

  “I still don’t understand why you won’t take an internship at Vaughn Holdings? I happen to know the owner would love to take you on.”

  Like a magnet, my attention hopped across the street to the taller building that housed Dad’s firm. It would have been so much easier to say yes to him. To slide into the position that had been earmarked for me since birth. Dad probably had a nameplate engraved with my name on it already and everything.

  It would have made him so happy if I accepted his offer.

  But somewhere in the last year, I’d stopped prioritizing everyone else’s happiness above my own. Not that selfishness was my goal, but not being a martyr any longer was now definitely up there, right behind breathing and eating.

  “Dad, you know I want to do this on my own,” I said gently.

  “But you don’t have to, Langley. I’m incredibly proud that you’re independent and driven. Really, I am. But you’re a Vaughn. Generations of Vaughns have sacrificed to get us where we are, to make sure you don’t have to start the ballgame taking a fastball.”

  “I’d hardly call my trust fund and upbringing taking a fastball. More like starting on third with a lead and the coach screaming at me to head for home.” Not like him—the one I refused to think about. He hadn’t even started the ballgame on the field. No, he’d clawed his way into the park and been forced to prove himself before anyone had even deemed him worthy of a bat.

  I hated that I’d admired him for it.

  Hated that he’d hijacked my train of thought yet again.

  “Fair point. I just hate knowing that I can make your life easier and you won’t let me. That’s pretty much a dad’s entire job, you know.”

  I glanced at the clock. Still fifteen minutes early.

  “A dad’s entire job is to raise a decent human being.” Which he had. Sure, I got jealous from time to time, and even petty, but I’d like to think I was on the okay side of the moral compass. “You know I love you for wanting to help me, but this is something I really need to do on my own.”

  He sighed. “Okay. I respect that. Tell Peter I said hello.”

  My stomach clenched. “Tell me you did not call Peter Overland and tell him that I’m interviewing!”

  “Of course not.” Dad scoffed. “But if you think he won’t put two and two together, then you’re sorely underestimating him. Now go take on the world, Tiger. I’ll see you at graduation tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be the one in black.” I spoke fluent sarcasm as well.

  “Love you.” He chuckled.

  Echoing the sentiment, I hung up and killed the engine. After I took a moment to straighten my blouse and skirt, I headed into the building with a lot more confidence than I was actually feeling.

  The lobby was quiet for a Friday afternoon, and my heels echoed on the marble as I walked toward the elevator.

  Wait. Was twelve minutes early too early? Would it say I was organized and ready? Or desperate and bored? Five minutes would be better.

  I sat in one of the arm chairs that faced a wishing fountain and debated throwing my entire trust fund in with the hopes I’d land this internship.

  That would have been a major disappointment to the two college students that trust fund was currently putting through school, so it probably wasn’t the best idea. Then again, as of tomorrow I was a graduate, and paying off the entirety of the balance on Gael’s tuition last week had been a no-brainer. I had money. He didn’t. It wasn’t like I couldn’t take the financial hit. Hell, I made that much in interest over a year’s time.

  At least his brother won’t have to gigolo himself out for his brother’s education ever again.

  I hadn’t done it for him, though. I’d made the call and dropped the cash because the kid was smart, ambitious, and deserved to start the ballgame at least on first base. Both of the kids I decided to help out did. All kids wanting to pursue higher education did.

  Hoping to soothe my nerves, I took out my phone and opened my Instagram, scrolling through my latest notifications. When I noticed one of my sorority sisters had liked an older picture on my feed, I clicked on the image out of force of habit to see what had caught her eye. Or rather, who…

  Iker Alvarez.

  So much for not thinking about him when I couldn’t bring myself to erase him totally from my life.

  My chest tightened as those deep brown eyes stared out at me from the picture he’d snapped the night I’d met him. Why didn’t I just delete the post and spare myself this scab-breaking open sensation of loss? For the same reason I kept that stupid, wonderful letter he’d left the morning hesnuck out on me. It wasn’t in a place of honor or anything. I shoved it into my glove box, between my owner’s manual and the map Dad insisted I carry even with the GPS, and had simply forgotten to throw it out.

  Liar.

  I cursed the sorority sister who’d liked the picture, but didn’t look away. I’d never been able to look away from Iker, which had b
een half of my freaking problem. The guy was gorgeous. The other half of my issue stemmed from the fact he was just as beautiful on the inside as he was out. With the exception that he’d left me naked and sleeping in a five-star resort while he snuck out, breaking my heart in the process. Yeah, that took the “pretty on the inside” factor down a notch.

  My thumb hovered over the option to delete the picture, but I couldn’t. Besides Camille’s wedding pictures—which I didn’t spend time fawning over—it was one of the only pieces of tangible evidence Iker even existed.

  Noting the time, I stood and sent up a quick prayer he still existed somewhere, that he hadn’t been yet another casualty in a war the news didn’t even bother covering anymore. Not that anyone would even think to tell me if something had happened to him. I was nothing to him, and I had to remind myself he was no longer allowed to be everything to me.

  The elevator ride was short, and I arrived at the reception desk for Overland Financial exactly six minutes early for my interview. I used those six minutes to mentally prepare, which was ten thousand times harder with Iker’s memory shoving every thought to the side and causing general chaos in my brain.

  By minute seven, I sat across from Peter Overland, my father’s local rival.

  By minute ten, we’d gone over my resume and fascination with hedge fund management.

  “So, tell me, Ms. Vaughn, why manage money?” he asked, peering over thin-framed glasses at me. His stare cut me to the quick, and I got the feeling he saw way more than applicants wanted him to. He had his pick of any polished, educated, smooth graduate whom he wanted. I could give him the canned, easy answer, and still have a shot at the internship.

  But if I’d wanted easy, I would be over at Vaughn Enterprises.

  “I like money,” I told him truthfully. “It has tremendous potential for good when grown and nurtured carefully.”

  “Potential for good?” He leaned back in his chair, taking my resume with him.

  “Yes, sir. I’ve learned over the last year that my income, when carefully tended, gives me the opportunity to invest in charity. To do more with it than spend it frivolously.”

  His silver brows puckered. “When tended. Why not simply give it all to charity? Wouldn’t you argue that has a greater benefit?”

  “Sure. Once. But by growing income, we can invest in good works consistently, without threatening future donations. In fact, I would argue that with precise and careful management, we can invest even more.” My body clamored to shift positions, but I refused to give away my nerves by fidgeting.

  “Interesting.”

  I had zero clue if he was being sarcastic or not.

  “So, Ms. Vaughn. Are you any relation to Corbin Vaughn?”

  “We share a few genes.” I kept my eyes on him, ignoring the instinct to glance through his corner office windows at Dad’s firm across the street.

  His eyebrows rose, but that was the only outward sign he’d even heard me. “Your GPA is impressive, but so is every other candidate who walks into this room. So, I’ll ask you the same question I asked them.”

  “Perfect.” Good thing my skirt was black, because I knew my sweaty palms would have left giant handprints on the material.

  “What’s the most daring investment you’ve made personally?” He leaned forward and placed my resume on the shiny expanse of mahogany desk separating us.

  Iker’s face came to mind. Well, at least this would distinguish me from the rest. Either he’d laugh, or he’d send me packing. “I paid a stranger to be my date to my sister’s wedding.”

  Mr. Overland’s eyes widened and sparked with what I hoped was interest.

  “It was a ten-thousand-dollar investment made for the singular purpose of shaking up my family and paying my stepsister back for being terrible to me. While the dividends weren’t seen financially, they were certainly felt in exactly the manner I’d anticipated while striking the deal.” It was a ten-thousand-dollar investment I’d never once regretted making. Even on the darkest, hardest days, when I was certain I’d never stop hurting, I still hadn’t regretted it.

  “And did you feel personally satisfied with the outcome of your investment?” A corner of his mouth lifted.

  “I can admit that it left me just as shaken as the rest of my family. But it also opened my eyes and brought me into an awareness of the world that I’m not sure I would have been able to attain with it. Without him.” Sure, the deal had been an investment, but I couldn’t keep calling Iker it.

  “Hmmmm.” Mr. Overland hummed softly, looking over my resume. Then he looked up at me and nodded once, making a decision I could only guess at. “Ms. Vaughn, I’m not going to offer you the hedge fund internship.”

  My heart plummeted eight stories and splattered on the pavement below. Raising my chin, I gave him a smile my mother would have been proud of. “I understand.”

  “Instead, I’m going to offer you a full-time position in our Central Texas office. We have an entire fund there dedicated to charitable giving that could use another team member. I think you might find that much more to your liking, and I’d personally like to see if you can use that precise and careful input you mentioned to help grow that fund, so we can do more of that consistent giving.” He smiled, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling.

  I sputtered and accepted the offer with thanks and zero hesitation. There was a lot of thanks, the reality of having to move to a new state where I didn’t know anyone not fully sinking in. It was all a happy blur from that moment on. This was an absolute dream come true! I’d be working in the field I loved, not just to make money for people who already had enough, but to better the lives of those who didn’t.

  I broke into foot-stomping giddy laughter when I reached my car, my offer letter firmly tucked away in my messenger bag. Holy crap, I was graduating college tomorrow and moving to Texas within the next month.

  Good thing I’d kept things casual with Sam. I knew how hard it was to be left behind by someone you were in love with. The last thing I needed was an emotional complication like that with my entire future on the line.

  Iker

  “You slept for almost two days straight, and you still look like crap.” I blinked up at Gael as he plopped a mug of coffee on the table in front of me.

  I rubbed my hands over my face and stifled a yawn. Everything in my body still felt heavy and lethargic. I had no idea what time it was, or even what day it was. My mind felt like it was wrapped up in clinging, inescapable webs woven out of remorse and regret. I shook my head back and forth, trying to dislodge some of the fog of doubt I was straining to see through.

  “I told you it took me a minute to get my footing after I get back.” I picked up the mug and sighed contentedly as the warmth seeped into my palms. “I bet you’re bored out of your mind. You came all this way to see me, and I’ve been no fun.”

  Gael snorted and leaned forward so he could brace his hands on the cheap countertop separating us. “I came to make sure you were okay, and to say thank you for fixing everything for me before school started last semester. I wanted you to see with your own eyes that I’m doing okay. I wanted to prove to you that you no longer have to put your neck on the line for every little thing.” His eyes shifted downward and I squinted as he shifted his weight nervously. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  I rubbed my eyes again and put down the coffee. Gael was always serious, but the expression on his face right now had a chill shooting up my spine. I knew I wasn’t going to like whatever it was he had to say next.

  “You won’t ever have to do anything sketchy to pay for my tuition again.” Gael lifted his head and blew out a breath. “All four years of my undergrad have been paid for. No more scrambling with financial aid and counting on grants and scholarships that might not come through. No worrying about the crushing weight of student debt when I’m done with school.”

  I felt my eyes pop wide and my heart started to pound erratically in my chest. “What? How? Who?” My
tongue tripped over the words and the chill spread throughout my body because I was pretty sure I knew the answer to the last question.

  “I went to the financial aid office to make sure I applied for every grant and special funding I could as soon as the semester started. I didn’t want to end up in the same boat as before. I didn’t want you worrying while you were deployed. The financial aid officer informed me that I was selected by a private donor to receive a full-ride scholarship. Only me and one other kid in the country were chosen for this special scholarship opportunity. The school wouldn’t give out any information on the donor, obviously, but I’m smart enough to put two and two together after hearing you talk about Langley.”

  Was it possible? Had Langley paid for my brother’s entire education, even after everything I’d done to her? No one could be that kind, that selfless…could they?

  Struck speechless, I stared at my brother in silence while my mind raced to catch up with and process this new information.

  Gael raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “I know you probably won’t like it, but I want to see her, and tell her thank you before I leave Colorado. I want to thank her for the opportunities I’m going to have, and for opening doors I doubt I’d be able to open on my own.” He sighed heavily. “I also want to thank her for taking such a huge responsibility off your plate. You have a chance to finally focus on yourself. You never would’ve stopped putting me first if she didn’t come into the picture. We owe her more than we can ever repay.”

  I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I put my palm on my chest and pushed against the spot where my heart was racing.

  “I… She’s not going to want to see me, Gael.” My voice cracked but I was still reeling from the bomb Gael dropped, so I couldn’t be embarrassed by it.

  “Yeah, maybe not. You pulled a super dick move on her, but don’t you want to apologize?” He walked around the counter and pulled out the barstool next to mine. “The number-one lesson I learned from watching you, is that doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Most of the time, doing the right thing hurts worse than the consequences from doing the wrong thing.