I turn around. “What do you want to say? Huh?”
A dark cloud passes over his face. “Not here. I mean it.”
I laugh humorlessly. “I’m a pawn. That’s all I am to you.”
“Do not make a scene, Jacen,” he warns.
“Don’t worry.” I smile. “I’m good at pretending.”
I drag Nova over to a table as far away from my dad as I can get.
I pull out a chair for her before dropping down into the one beside her.
“Your dad is … intense,” she comments.
“He’s something else, that’s for sure.” A glass of water already sits at each seat and I grab the one to my right and drink it greedily. I’d prefer something alcoholic but I’m so parched that this is perfect. I tug at my too-tight collar. “I shouldn’t have brought you here,” I groan. “He’s … he’s …”
She places a reassuring hand on my knee. “I know a thing or two about controlling parents. I can handle it.”
“But you froze back there.”
She shakes her head. “It had nothing to do with your dad.”
“Then what is it?” I ask, tilting my head to the side as I appraise her.
She swallows thickly, her eyes doing another scan of the room. “I’ll tell you later.”
I press my lips together. Something tells me later might turn out to be never.
She changes the topic. “So, your dad’s a Senator, huh?”
“Yeah,” I sigh and lean back in my chair—if my dad sees he’ll scold me for that, but fuck it. “Hard to believe I grew up as a politician’s son, isn’t it?”
“Kind of.” She smiles. “You’re the complete opposite. The music, the tattoos, the bad boy vibe … I definitely wouldn’t have pegged you as a Senator’s son.”
“I think my dad’s career and his overall assholish personality is what steered me toward music and everything. I wanted to do something that would pi
ss him off and it turned out I loved it. He hates me working at the bar, which was why I took the job to begin with.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t figured out a way to get you fired,” she comments.
“You know,” I breathe, “that surprises me too. He has more important things to focus on now than where I work.” I shrug and tug at my collar. I swear it’s getting tighter by the second.
Music plays and people dance, chatter filling the area. Everyone goes on with their lives, oblivious to how bad some other people’s lives are. That’s something that’s always bothered me—how inherently selfish most people are that they don’t notice another person suffering. I swear, I could be drowning right in front of them and they wouldn’t even notice.
Nova glides her hand up my thigh and squeezes lightly. I look over at her. Soft curls frame her face where they’ve escaped from her up-do. I’ve only ever seen her with her hair down or in a messy bun, so it’s weird to see her looking so … elegant.
I cup her cheek and she sighs at my touch.
“Let’s dance,” I say.
Dancing is better than sitting at this table being miserable. Besides, I’d rather be occupied than have to talk to one of my dad’s friends, and it’s only a matter of time until one of them finds me.
Nova nods and takes my hand. I lead her out onto the dance floor. I feel my father’s shrewd eyes searing a hole into the back of my head. There are plenty of people dancing so Nova and I bleed easily into the crowed and the weight of his eyes falls from my body.
I place one hand on Nova’s waist and hold her other in mine. I guide her easily around the dance floor with a little smile on my face. Dancing with Nova just might make this night bearable.
“I know now why you had to have dance lessons.”