Battling Beckett Page 5

  “I don’t care about your relationship with Vivian, Dad.”

  “And that is evident the way you treat her and Greer.”

  He sat straight up in his chair. “I have never disrespected Vivian.”

  “But you haven’t been welcoming either.”

  “Why the hell should I? You’re marrying her, not me.” Okay, he wasn’t so calm anymore. In his defense, it was his dad who had taught him to be wary of women and now there were two living with them.

  “Sit back and listen to me carefully, Beckett.” David was sitting at the edge of his chair, with his face a thundercloud of warning.

  Beckett sat back and smoothed out his face, but it didn’t matter what his dad said. Years of preaching from David about how manipulative women were, couldn’t be erased with one conversation. His mom and dad had never been married, but David had provided for the mother of his son. When her spending got out of control David cut her off. Once the money was gone his mom hadn’t stuck around.

  “When I proposed to Vivian, I wanted her and Greer to move in with us right away.”

  Well, David had gotten his way. They moved in two weeks after Vivian said yes. This wasn’t news.

  “Vivian said she wanted to wait until Greer graduated high school and went to college before we got married and moved in together.”

  Hmm, that was interesting, his ears perked up.

  “I convinced Vivian to move in by telling her if Greer went to Oak High the chances of her getting a scholarship to college were greatly improved. Do you know who is paying for Greer’s tuition, Beckett?”

  That didn’t take a genius to figure out—his dad—but he kept his mouth clamped shut.

  “Vivian.”

  “What?” the disbelieving question flew out of his mouth.

  David smiled and nodded. “Vivian. It’s the only way she would agree. Greer is her child, not mine, and she said it wasn’t right for me to pay. Haven’t you wondered why she is still working?”

  For show. To put up a good front. He didn’t say any of that out loud. Just let his dad continue.

  “Vivian had conditions for moving in.” David shook his head. Obviously still surprised at what had transpired. “She paid Vivian’s tuition. She also insisted I get rid of the cook. Since she’s not paying rent, she insisted the least she could do was make us our meals. And I could count on one hand the number of times you have been here to appreciate it.”

  Well, fuck. He squished the urge to fidget in his chair like a guilty child. He held his dad’s stare and held his silence.

  “Then I tried to convince her Greer didn’t need to work at the coffee shop and of course I didn’t win that argument either.”

  David ran an exasperated hand through his hair. Not many people could win an argument with his dad, but it seemed Vivian did it time and time again. Beckett wasn’t sure to admire her for it or to be more worried that she was able to do it.

  “I’m telling you because I think in your own way you are looking out for me, but I don’t need you to.”

  David drew another breath and continued.

  “Vivian asked me one night when I was going to draw up a prenuptial agreement because she had some conditions for that as well.”

  A smirk formed on Beckett’s face. Yep, here it is.

  David raised a brow at him and got a smirk of his own. “She wanted it to state that for every year she didn’t have a job outside of the home I would pay her the average annual salary for an executive assistant.”

  Okay, that seemed reasonable. “What else?”

  “That’s it.” Was David’s smug answer.

  Beckett was confused. “That’s it? What about the house? Your firm? The investments? The cars?”

  “I brought that up too. She said it belonged to you.”

  He was stunned. David started talking again and he was listening, but barely.

  “It was my hard work that made it all possible, and it was your legacy. Not hers.”

  There was a lengthy silence. They were both processing.

  “Do you know how much I make a year, Beckett?”

  “No.”

  “Between what I inherited, investments, and being a partner in the firm, it is in the billions. Vivian earns $50,000 dollars a year and the tuition at Oak High is $45,000 a year. The only thing she has gained from this arrangement is a nicer place to live and a pain-in-the-ass, soon-to-be stepson.”

  He didn’t think he had been a pain in the ass, but he knew it was wise to just keep his mouth shut.

  “I was mad and disappointed with your lackluster attitude and I told her I would talk to you. You know what she said?”

  “No.” And he didn’t think he wanted to know.

  “She said, ‘David, Greer and I have invaded his life. Give him some time. If you say something it will only make him mad at you. I don’t want to cause a rift between you and your son.’ But hear me now Beckett, if you don’t start at least making an effort with Vivian and Greer your free ride will be over. You will no longer have a black AmEx card. You will not have a truck, and you will need to get a job and pay for anything you want.”

  Beckett gave a nod. He couldn’t do anything else after hearing all his dad had said.

  “You will give Greer a ride and you will act like the man I taught you to be. I went to Oak High Beckett. I know you are top dog and can use your influence to make sure Greer has at least a pleasant senior year of high school. That girl has lost close proximity to all of her friends, her home, has no car and is stuck here with us. She has not uttered one word of complaint and I would bet my last dollar she has not texted you or asked you for help once.”

  Damming silence. Beckett dropped his eyes.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “Yeah, you are.” And all Beckett could think of was her look of devastation as he purposefully drove the one friend she had invited over away. Fuck, if his dad found out about that he doubted he would even have a place to live.

  “I’ll do better, Dad.” And he meant it. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t still be cautious, but he could be less of an asshole.

  A look of profound relief crossed is dad’s face. “And you’ll be home for supper tomorrow night?”

  “As long as football practice is over, yes.”

  His dad nodded and then the conversation turned to how the team was looking and their upcoming schedule.

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  The knock at her door brought Greer’s head up from her book. She was wrapped up in a couple of blankets settled in against a mound of pillows on her white, four-poster bed. Since her mom was the only person who came to her room she didn’t hesitate and yelled over to the door. “Come in.”

  When Beckett came through the door she sat up and the blankets fell to her waist. She stared in shocked silence as Beckett wandered closer with his eyes taking her room in. He looked like a bull in a china shop.

  Everything in here was girly and over the top and Beckett’s hard body and magnetism only magnified it. Every Pottery Barn catalog she had obsessed over growing up was in this room, and she loved it.

  The walls were blush pink and all of the furniture was white. The artwork was black and white with parts of the picture highlighted in pink. Pink wasn’t her color, but the king-sized high bed was from her little girl fantasies.

  There was a white leather headboard and the white canopy was draped with a white curtain trimmed in pink. The down-filled comforter was pink and red paisley with pillows to match. If she and her mom ever had to leave, she would fight to keep this bed.

  Beckett’s eyes landed on Greer. She braced herself, expecting his taunts. Instead, his eyes drifted lower and the electricity started humming around them. Beckett’s hands tightened on his hips and she felt her breasts swell and her nipples pucker begging for something more.

  The yellow tank top she was wearing didn’t conceal anything, but she was frozen under his searching, heated eyes. It was all she could do to try and regulate her breathin
g with her heart beating a million beats per minute.

  A group of motorcycles roaring down the street broke the alternate dimension Greer and Beckett had been sucked into. Beckett’s blazing eyes snapped up to meet hers and she inhaled sharply. With his next blink, his usual indifference was back in place. Her heart stabbed a protest in her chest and suddenly she felt exposed.

  Slowly she leaned back and sunk against the pillows, bringing her blanket up. Beckett watched her steadily and then snapped out.

  “Be at the back door, ready to leave at 7:30.” He barely got done with his declaration before he turned and walked out the door.

  Now that the air was freed up in the room, Greer took in a shuttering breath and contemplated what that was all about. A few deep breaths returned the oxygen to her brain and she knew David had talked to Beckett about seeing her at the bus stop.

  Her gut twisted in dread, knowing Beckett was pissed at her. He barely tolerated her presence now. What was life going to be like now that she was once again forced on him?

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  Chapter 8

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  At 6:00 am Greer threw the covers down and gave up on sleeping. All night, unpleasant scenarios ran through her head on what would happen on the way to school. It ranged from derisive looks and comments from Beckett on the way to school and in school. Her semi-conscious mind burned with humiliation at being on the receiving end of Beckett’s barbs in the middle of the Dining Hall.

  Instead of torturing herself further she got up and got ready. Since she had extra time, she tried out the new make-up applications Jenn had taught her. After watching a couple of the YouTube videos she’d saved, she accomplished the ‘natural look’.

  At 7:25 she stopped watching the clock. It was time to leave or get left behind. She headed to the kitchen and was relieved Beckett wasn’t waiting for her. An irritated Beckett, okay, a more than normal irritated Beckett, would not be a good way to start the drive.

  Her stomach was in too many knots to eat, so she grabbed a granola bar, stuffed it in her backpack and sat at the breakfast bar to wait.

  As soon as she heard his familiar, steady tread she hopped up and white-knuckled her backpack. Beckett halted in the entryway. Whatever he saw, made his eyebrows snap together.

  “Fuck.”

  After the grumbled expletive, he walked past her to the garage door. She scrambled after him with her thoughts whirling. Did he not expect that she would be there? Was he upset she was actually here waiting for him? It was too late to catch the bus, so she tried to make herself invisible as the climbed up on the riser and slid into the truck.

  This was bad. They had gone down a couple of blocks and Greer didn’t think he could have a tighter hold on the steering wheel. His face was a thundercloud, and she could feel his anger jumping off of him and hitting her. They had roared down the road for a couple of miles before she broke.

  “Beckett, I can get myself to school.”

  No response. She took a deep breath and tried again, with a voice that wasn’t shaking.

  “I’m sorry if you got into trouble. I didn’t tell David and I won’t tell him or my mom if you don’t want to give me a ride.”

  She would just have to be sneakier about waiting at the bus stop. Maybe she could wait behind the trees by the bench.

  “Be ready at 7:30. I won’t wait if you are not ready.”

  Beckett growled the answer to the windshield. It did nothing to ease the tension, so she put in her earbuds, shut her eyes, and did her best to tune out the storm brewing in the truck.

  When she opened her eyes to see where they were, Greer yanked her earbuds out and sat up straight. They were under the canopy of trees leading to the school.

  “What are you doing?” She heard the panic in her own voice and was surprised when Beckett actually turned his head to look at her. Of course, he didn’t say anything he just turned back to driving.

  She was tired of being ignored. “Beckett! Why didn’t you drop me off? I thought we weren’t supposed to know each other.” She was confused and angry. He was changing the rules and not telling her. It was like he wanted to make her life as unpleasant as possible.

  “I don’t want my ass reamed again, so I’m taking you to school.”

  She was not going to feel guilty. “Just drop me off here.”

  With every second that passed which he neither answered nor stopped, the pressure rose in her chest. Just as she was ready to explode, he answered.

  “Relax, Greer. I know what I’m doing.”

  His mocking answer didn’t help, and she blew. “Well, explain it to me! I’m trying my damnedest to play by your stupid rules and you are changing them without telling me the new ones!”

  She took a breath and glued her eyes to his profile waiting for him to answer. He calmly searched for a spot and pulled in. Just when Greer was going to literally scream at him, Beckett finally turned to her.

  “If I drop you off somewhere else, someone will eventually see. Then they will gossip about what you are doing in my truck and why I dropped you off at a corner. Eventually, someone will figure out that we know each other, so we are just going to out ourselves.”

  Greer’s head was whirling. “So, now it is okay to know you?”

  He had parked, in the middle of the lot. Her body was already fidgeting with all of the eyes fixating on them. But she wasn’t budging until they finished this conversation. She was not going into the land of the vultures until she understood what was going on.

  Beckett whipped off his aviators and pinned her with his eyes. “We know each other, but we are not friends, Greer. Don’t expect me to be your fucking brother. Got it?”

  Greer flinched at his vehemence. David was making him take her to school, but he couldn’t make Beckett like her. For once she had no problem holding his gaze, she didn’t need his friendship. “Got it.”

  She reached for the handle sure their conversation was over. Only to be frozen in place with his demand.

  “Give me your phone.”

  She kept her hand on the handle and turned her head to him. “Why?”

  “I’m putting my number in it.”

  “Why?”

  “So when Dad checks, it’s there.”

  Ahh, covering his bases. “I already have it.”

  His eyebrows snapped together.

  “David gave it to me one night after school started.”

  For some reason, that piece of information seemed to flummox him. She used his surprise to open the door and escape.

  “Wait.”

  Greer kept the door open but turned back and looked at him with an expectant expression. Beckett probed her face, and she ignored the flutters in her stomach curious what he was looking for. After several charged seconds he gruffly told her,

  “Text me so I have yours.”

  She nodded slowly at the odd request and slid down to the ground. This time he didn’t stop her. As soon as she cleared the hood of the truck it felt like there were hundreds of red laser dots on her. Greer stuck her earbuds back in and tried to ignore the rabid stares as she got closer to the building.

  This was worse than the first day of school. The first day, the stares were curious, and then dismissive. Now, she felt like there was a target on her back. She could actually see the gossip follow her. The usual groups were gathered together and as she walked, she saw them glance down at their phones and then whip their heads up to study her.

  When Greer finally reached her locker a group of cheerleaders abruptly stopped their conversation and she could feel their narrowed eyes cutting up her back. Thankfully, her uncoordinated fingers got the combination dialed correctly after only two attempts. She quickly ditched her coat and grabbed what she needed to stuff into her backpack.

  As soon as she shut the door one of the Malibu Barbie cheerleaders was right in front of her face. Greer swallowed her startled yelp and wearily said, “Hello
.”

  “I’m Brittany.”

  The flat tone was more of a declaration than an introduction. Greer’s eyes darted to Brittany’s posse all listening intently. One of the girl’s eyes was narrowed in a warning and her lips were pursed in disgust. Her body felt the need to step back from the hate emanating from her, but at her back was against a locker. There was no escape.

  Greer’s attention was wrenched back to Brittany who didn’t waste any more time on niceties.

  “How do you know Beckett?”

  Her stomach twisted and her heart raced. She didn’t know how to answer. Whatever she said would get back to Beckett, but there would be no escaping this confrontation.

  Looking Brittany in the eye she prayed her voice would not shake, like everything else inside of her.

  “I don’t really know him. He was just nice enough to give me a ride.”

  Greer took a step to the side and felt her body whoosh with thankfulness when no one stopped her. “I have to get to first period. It was nice to meet you.”

  The judgmental stares and sneers followed her the whole way to class. By the time she got there she was a bundle of nerves and already exhausted. School hadn’t even officially started and she wasn’t sure how long she could keep up the indifferent façade.

  The longer she sat and waited for class to start the more she fumed. What the hell was wrong with Beckett? Why couldn’t he have just dropped her off where he had before?

  When her phone vibrated in her back pocket, she dug it out and smiled. It was from Pepper and Greer could hear her incredulous voice in her head as she read. ‘Beckett?! U talk lunch!’

  Throughout their short two-week friendship, Greer knew Pepper was the queen of gossip. It was Pepper who had filled her in on the hierarchy of the school. She knew she was in for a grilling, but it wouldn’t be laced with cattiness.

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