Rich Kid Prep: Book 1 Page 7

  She grins. “Way hotter. Like, wow. Logan couldn’t compete. Girls always chose Ellis over him.”

  “And Dastian?”

  She furrows her brows. “Uh, I don’t know. Dastian isn’t really my type. He’s too broody for me.”

  Right.

  I’m the only one obsessed with Dastian Graham.

  “Plus, he’s dating Missy. They’ve been together off and on again since freshman year. No respectable girl ever gets a crush on him,” she says. “Girls just date him for fun when he’s broken up with Missy.”

  Well, that’s awkward.

  I clear my throat. “Right, of course. I didn’t think about that.”

  “But it’s probably weird for us to talk about your brother like that,” she says, her cheeks still pink.

  “Nah. I didn’t know him. I was just curious.” It was kind of cute to see Lily’s reaction. She must’ve really had a crush on him.

  “We did a biology project together last year.” She takes a drink of her coffee that looks more like a milkshake with the whipped cream on top. “He was the first person that didn’t ditch me with all the work. It wasn’t his best subject, he tried. I respect that.”

  “Well, we had that in common,” I say.

  “What?” she asks.

  “Biology isn’t my best subject either.”

  She giggles. “It’s okay, I’ll help you.”

  I’ll probably need it.

  A shadow passes by our table, so I look up and see Dastian walk by. Our eyes lock for a long moment and my heart stops.

  Why is he so ridiculously handsome? And why am I apparently the only girl at this school who has noticed? Even his own girlfriend doesn’t seem into him, yet I can’t stop thinking about him.

  He keeps walking by and finally we break eye contact. I can breathe once he’s passed.

  Lily doesn’t notice the exchange at all. She’s doing something on her phone, bouncing in her seat. I’ve never seen her so hyper, then again, it’s the first time I’ve seen her drinking so much coffee and sugar. I’m glad she’s distracted because I don’t want her to know the truth about Dastian.

  I’m hopelessly in love with a guy who has a girlfriend. What is wrong with me?

  Okay, maybe it’s not love. It’s just attraction. An attraction that is definitely reciprocated.

  Missy, I remind myself.

  But then I think about what she said as she was leaving...

  Wasn’t she going to meet Dastian? She said she was late. Which makes me think she was lying about meeting Dastian. A peek over my shoulder confirms that Dastian is sitting in a booth with Blaine and Will. That means Missy was definitely lying.

  But who is she meeting if not Dastian? And why would she want to hide it from me? Is she cheating on him? Part of me wants to protect him, but it’s really none of my business. I can’t get involved in their relationship, it’ll only make me crazy.

  I take a deep breath, reminding myself that this is why I agreed to hang out with Logan today. I need to stop obsessing over Dastian. He and I are never going to happen.

  After coffee with Lily, I head back to my dorm for a couple of minutes. I want a couple of minutes to myself before I go out with Logan today.

  I am freaking out, questioning if I should even go.

  I’ve been warned to stay away from Logan.

  Plus, there is the whole me having feelings for Dastian thing. Which isn’t fair to Logan. Or Missy.

  I should go. Even if it’s only to get my mind off of Dastian.

  When Logan sends me a text, telling me he’s waiting outside Graham Dorms, my decision is made.

  I’m going.

  I have to stop thinking about Dastian.

  I have to move on.

  Logan is standing beside a black sports car. The moment he spots me walking toward him, his entire face lights up.

  That doesn’t look like the face of a guy who wants to play me. It looks like a guy who is genuinely nice.

  Maybe Logan was telling me the truth when he said he’s looking for the one. Most likely, I’m not going to be his one, but I don’t think he’s going to break my heart on purpose. He’s a good guy. Perhaps a little misguided, but genuine. At least, I think so.

  “Wow, Hensley. You look beautiful.” He squeezes me to his side, giving me a hug.

  I hug him back. “Thank you.”

  “We’re going to have fun today.” He opens the passenger side door for me. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  “I am.” Though, with the way my stomach is in knots, I’m not sure I’ll be eating a whole lot. I’m much too nervous for that.

  I put on my seatbelt as he walks around the car. As he gets in, he shoots me a blinding smile that causes my heart to race.

  “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, pulling the car away from the dorms.

  “Uh, I plead the fifth,” I say.

  He chuckles, reaching a hand across the center console. He grabs onto my hand with his and brings it up to his mouth, gently kissing my knuckles.

  “Don’t be nervous. I already like you, Hensley.”

  He already likes me?

  His words should not cause my heart to race.

  “Why?” It’s a valid question. “You don’t even know me, so how can you like me?”

  He smirks. “That is why I like you. Because if I told any other girl that, she’d think I was hitting on her.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “I see now why you break hearts. You can’t just say that to a girl, especially if she’s got a crush on you.”

  He furrows his brows. “Huh. I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “So why have you never had a girlfriend?” I ask as he drives toward the gates of the school.

  “I don’t know.” He looks between me and the road. “I guess I’ve never liked a girl enough to take that step. I like being single. I see how Drew is with Braelynn or even Dastian with Missy. Those guys are miserable. I want something meaningful, like my parents have.”

  “Your parents are still together?”

  He nods.

  That’s rare. In fact, I don’t know many people our age who have parents who are still together.

  “You’re going to love my parents,” he says, sounding oddly excited.

  “Slow down, Romeo. We just met. Let’s get to know each other before we start talking about meeting one another’s parents,” I tease.

  “Uh… well, that’s the thing…” he shifts his hands on the steering wheel.

  I turn to him, wondering why he’s suddenly acting nervous. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m taking you to meet my parents.”

  It takes a good ten seconds for his words to sink in. The second they do, my heart won’t stop racing.

  “What?” I can’t breathe. I try to take a deep breath, but oxygen refuses to enter my lungs. “Logan Griffin, please tell me you’re joking right now.

  But he stays quiet.

  Breathe.

  In my nose.

  Out my mouth.

  “It’s okay,” Logan assures me. “My parents will love you, trust me.”

  “Do you always take girls home to meet your parents when you first meet them?” I ask.

  He rubs a hand at the back of his neck. “Actually, I’ve never brought a girl home to meet them.”

  That’s even worse.

  His parents are going to think we’re dating.

  “They know we’re just friends, right?” I ask.

  “I didn’t exactly tell them you were coming,” he admits. “But trust me. It’ll be okay.”

  Why did I think today was going to be fun again? I swear I am going to murder him for this.

  Chapter Six

  Not today.

  My heart is racing and my palms are sweaty.

  Is Logan Griffin seriously about to introduce me to his parents? What the heck? Isn’t this the same guy who everybody told me was a player? Players don’t introduce girls to their parents.

  Logan’s house isn’t
quite as luxurious as Henry Lockwood’s mansion, but it’s still very gorgeous. We have to drive through a secured gate to even enter their property, and we drive up a long, winding driveway to get to their house.

  “Why do you live at school if you’re this close?” I ask.

  “It’s just easier to stay on campus,” he answers. “I go home all the time.”

  “But isn’t that expensive?” I imagine boarding at the school isn’t cheap. I don’t know exactly how much, but considering how grand the school is and how few students there are, I’m thinking my high school is more expensive than a college education for most people.

  He shrugs. “I don’t know.”

  Right.

  Of course he doesn’t know.

  “You’re really rich.” Which, of course, I knew. But knowing and seeing feel different somehow.

  He snorts. “My parents are poor compared to your dad.”

  I roll my eyes at that.

  His parents are in no way poor. Henry Lockwood is just really wealthy. More wealthy than I care to think about.

  Logan’s house is just as grand as the property it sits on. Surrounded by hills, lush green grass, and heavy wooded trees, there sets a gorgeous three story home. The driveway ends in a circle with a large fountain in the middle. The house itself seems to never end. I count at least four chimneys, and a six car garage attached. The house makes a large L-shape, and I wonder how you could live here and not get lost. Other than the one night I spent at Henry’s mansion, I’ve never seen a home this big, not even close.

  “What do your parents do?” My eyes are wide as I look ahead.

  “Uh, my dad created some crazy spy technology the government uses. They bought it from him for a lot of money. He still does different tech stuff, I’m not allowed to know anything about it,” he explains. “And my mom comes from money too.”

  Right.

  This isn’t the kind of money somebody acquires. This is the kind of money that has been in a family for generations.

  “I’m poor,” I tell him. “Your parents are going to hate me.”

  He laughs. “Hensley, you’re not poor.”

  Right.

  I suppose I’m not poor anymore.

  I still feel poor.

  Will they be able to tell I used to be poor?

  Before I can think too much about it, Logan gets out of his car, walking around to open the door for me. I am completely breathless as he grabs my hand and begins to tug me toward the front door.

  I’ve never in my life felt like such a phony or a fraud as I do right now. Not just because I’m meeting his parents despite the fact that we’ve just met one another while I also have a crush on another guy, but also because I don’t belong here. I’m just Hensley. A poor kid from the city who’s mom works way too hard just to get by. Won’t his parents see right through me?

  Logan doesn’t knock on the door, though I don’t know why I expected him to. He lives here. But I feel strange just walking right inside. He tugs me along too quickly for me to get a good view of the foyer, and he pulls me toward the right.

  The house is different than I expected inside. I’m not sure exactly what I thought, but I didn’t think it would be so open. Maybe because the house is an older one, I expected it to be more closed off and dark. Instead, everything is so white and clean.

  We walk through a living room where I suspect nobody ever sits. It’s too perfect looking for that, and there is no TV. I don’t imagine anybody ever hangs out there. He tugs me through another hallway, through an informal dining room, and then out a set of patio doors on the back where I see a blonde woman sitting at an outdoor table. A guy with gray hair stands at a large grill. He opens the top, flipping over whatever is inside. A younger girl comes running up the steps from the pool area.

  “Logan!” She screams.

  He lets go of my hand just in time for her to jump into his arms.

  And now everybody is looking our way.

  The girl pulls back, looking at me. “Oooh, Logan’s got a girlfriend.”

  Ah, this girl has got to be his little sister.

  My cheeks grow warm at the attention.

  “Only if I play my cards right.” Logan winks at me. “This is my little sister, Lucy. Lucy, this is Hensley, the girl I hope to convince to be my girlfriend.”

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his comment, not wanting to make a bad first impression with his family. “Hey, Lucy.”

  Logan puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me toward the table where who I assume are his mom and dad are now standing.

  “Hey, Mom.” Logan kisses the blonde woman on the cheek, then hugs the gray haired man. “Hey, Dad.”

  “Who is your friend?” His mom asks, not even bothering to be subtle.

  “This is Hensley. She goes to my school.” He grins widely as he introduces me.

  His dad sticks out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Hensley.”

  “You too, Mr. Griffin.” I shake his hand.

  “It’s Paul,” he says. “Do you like burgers?”

  I laugh. “Who doesn’t?”

  Paul smiles. “I like you already.”

  “Hensley, do I know your parents?” Mrs. Griffin asks.

  “Uh,” I look at Logan, then back at her. “I’m not sure. I mean, you definitely don’t know my mom, but maybe my dad.”

  “Lockwood, Mom,” Logan says, then motions for me to sit down. “And I like her, so please don’t scare her away.”

  She looks at me, a smile forming on her face. “Ah, your dad is Henry. That’s lovely. I’m Diana. Please, call me that, not Mrs. Griffin.”

  I nod. “Of course. Nice to meet you, Diana.”

  It feels weird to be calling adults by their names. My mom taught me better than that. But since they insisted, it would be rude not to.

  Logan pulls out a seat for me. His mom smiles at him, like she’s proud she raised him right. I wasn’t expecting the chivalry.

  Is it possible that maybe people at Lockwood Academy are wrong about Logan Griffin? Because what I’ve seen so far of him is completely different than what everybody has told me. He’s a really nice guy. Maybe he was telling me the truth when he said he’s just looking for the one. Maybe it’s possible he’s a hopeless romantic, waiting for a girl to sweep him off his feet. The thought frightens me because I can’t be that girl for him, but I will be his friend.

  My life is too complicated to even think about a future with anybody. Less than three weeks ago, I was at my mother’s funeral. Between paternity tests, lawyers, and getting a new last name, the last thing on my mind is getting a boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that I literally kissed Dastian Graham last night.

  “You are very pretty, Hensley,” Diana says, pouring me a glass of tea. “I bet you hear that a lot.”

  “Only recently,” I mumble under my breath. I take a sip of the tea, surprised to find it sweet.

  My mom raised me in New York City, where I was born, but she was from Louisiana. I don’t meet many people who drink their tea sweet, especially not this sweet.

  “My mom is from Georgia,” Logan says, answering my unasked question.

  “I’m sorry,” Diana says. “I hope you like your tea sweet. I should’ve asked.”

  “My mom is from Louisiana,” I tell her. “So I like my tea really sweet.”

  She grins. “Good.”

  Logan hasn’t stopped smiling since we got here. It’s weird to see him like this. I can tell he’s excited to be with his family. It’s so strange to me that he wanted to invite me today, but I’m glad he did. I feel like I’m seeing a side of Logan that nobody else gets to see.

  “Hensley, why are you here with my brother?” Lucy grabs the pitcher and pours her own glass. “Is he going to be your boyfriend?”

  Lucy is young, probably about thirteen or fourteen. Judging by the fact that she doesn’t attend Lockwood Academy, I’d say she must still be in the eighth grade.

  Logan grabs my hand under the t
able. “Hensley is just a friend, Luce.”

  Lucy looks between us, pursing her lips. “I don’t know if I believe you.”

  Before Lucy or Diana can ask any more questions, Paul brings a big plate of burgers to the table and we all start grabbing food.

  It feels surreal that I’m sitting at a table with Logan and his parents. Not just his parents, but his little sister too.

  Lucy is adorable. She looks like a girl version of Logan—blonde hair, big blue eyes, and the biggest smile. I imagine she will be a heartbreaker when she gets older too.

  “Are you sure you’re not his girlfriend?” Lucy asks, turning her attention to me as I squirt ketchup on my burger.

  My cheeks grow warm. “We’re friends, I promise.”

  She nods, but from her raised eyebrow I can see that she clearly doesn’t believe me.

  “Lucy is twelve,” Logan tells me. “But she has the maturity of somebody half her age. She’s the baby.”

  Lucy puts her hands on her hips. “I’m turning thirteen in a couple of months.”

  I grin at their bickering.

  I’ve never had a sibling before. Well... just Ellis, who I didn’t get the chance to know. But I always imagined it would be fun to grow up with a brother or sister.

  “Did you two meet on campus?” Diana asks, changing the subject.

  Thank God. I don’t think I could handle Logan’s little sister’s interrogation. Especially not if she just keeps asking if I’m Logan’s girlfriend. That’s the last thing I want his parents to think during our first meeting.

  “Yeah.” I grin, turning to Logan. “He saved me from falling on my face.”

  Logan smile. “Oh, yeah. I did, didn’t I.” He looks at his mom. “She was sneaking out after curfew and it was clear she’s never done that before.”

  My jaw drops open.

  He wasn’t supposed to tell her about the sneaking out part.

  Paul chuckles. “Eleven o’clock curfew on the weekend is early. Don’t worry, dear. We’re not going to scold you for being a teenager.”

  I swallow hard.

  When I survive this lunch, I swear I am going to murder Logan.

  “Since then, I’ve been trying to convince Hensley to date me.” Logan slips his arm onto the back of my chair.

  I narrow my eyes at me and he just grins slyly at me.