I pulled my attention away from her and took in my surroundings once more.
Hundreds of students milled around with their families. Rich kids. Expensive clothes. Great. I’d seen all I needed to see. I bowed my head and followed David since he seemed to know the way.
“Hello, I’m David D’Angelou. I’m here to check-in my daughter, Bianca.”
The guy behind the table looked past David and gave me a smile.
“First year, huh?” He rifled through the folders in his box.
“What gave it away?”
He chuckled. “Bianca D’Angelou. Here we go. Big shoes to fill with that name, huh?”
“Hardly.” I snorted. “He’s not my real dad. If he hadn’t stuck his nose in my shit, you’d find me under Bianca Walker.”
“Bianca,” Mom scolded with a hiss.
“Don’t blame me. Blame him for playing pretend,” I shot back.
The guy behind the desk looked between us, practically cringing at the exchange. The look on David’s face suggested if we weren’t in public, he’d be throwing me to the ground again.
“Uh, well, here we go.” He found my file and handed it to me before having me sign my name on a piece of paper. “Your dorm room is going to be in Collins Hall. If you take Mason Trail just outside the main doors and go left, you’ll find it. It’s the brick building with the apple tree in the front of it.”
“Thanks. What’s your name?”
He wasn’t bad looking at all. Copper-colored hair, hazel eyes, a swimmer’s build. Dark-rimmed glasses. A little on the nerdy side, which appealed to me. Anything was worlds better than fucking Mikhail Ivanov.
His lips quirked up. “I’m Gavin Warwick.”
“Senior?”
He nodded. “I am. We’ll be classmates.”
I smiled brightly at him.
“Warwick? Was your father Darren Warwick?” David was quick to ruin our conversation.
Gavin turned his attention to him. “Yes, sir.”
“I knew Darren. What’s he doing these days?”
“My father’s in real estate now. He owns Warwick Divisions. Most of his stuff is centered internationally though.”
“Ah, good. Good.” David nodded thoughtfully. “Well, when you see your dad again, tell him David D’Angelou sends his greetings.”
“I’ll do that, sir.”
If there was one thing I already knew about Gavin, it was that he was sickeningly polite. If he only knew what a snake David really was, maybe he’d change his tune.
We left the welcome area and headed in the direction Gavin had indicated.
Thankfully, Mom kept David’s attention on her. I glanced around at all the students in their designer clothes with their expensive cell phones in hand. This place would be a nightmare. I knew it to my bones before I even started my first class.
But consider the nightmare at home if you go back.
I ground my teeth and held my head up. Yeah. Not going home, if I could even call it a home. As far as I was concerned, I hadn’t had a home since my dad had left. Not that this would be any better with me having to avoid Hail. I had to work out a plan to get away from him. There was no way I was going to marry the asshole.
“This is beautiful,” Mom said, stepping into my dorm room a few minutes later.