Sinners & Saints (Sinners & Saints #1)

by Ballinger, Chelsea

  20

  HUGO

  “Hugo!” August yells at me as I come downstairs. “Rabbit’s dad is alive!”

  “Who the fuck is rabbit?” I ask, but he continues running back downstairs.

  Someone hops right next to me and of course it is Juliet. Or should I say Rabbit.

  She smiles at me and folds her arms across her chest. “My dad’s okay.”

  “I heard. Congratulations.”

  “Congratulations on not being a one parent child?” She gives a crooked grin. “You are so not good at giving compliments or just anything remotely human.”

  “Don’t push it. I’ve already crossed my boundaries.”

  “Yes,” she softly says to me. “You have.”

  She leans up unexpectedly and gently presses her lips against mine. I don’t know what to do with myself when she does this. She steps back and so do I. Our eyes lock and she looks at me like I’m amazing or something and I’m not. I can’t even be arrogant about it. I start walking away.

  “If I had to go back to London… would you have missed me?”

  I stop, but I don’t turn around. I do unfortunately answer… in my own way.

  “We always miss the ones we hate the most.”

  She hooks her arm through mine and smiles up at me. “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes, Juliet, I would deeply and madly miss you like crazy.’”

  She pulls me along with her and we head downstairs to the living room where Poppy, Cody, Jordana, and August are.

  “Hey Hugo,” Cody says. “You ready to go?”

  “Go where?” I ask, confused.

  “Remember?” He gives me a look. “That thing you were going to help me with?”

  “Oh,” I snap my fingers. “The waitress you want to fuck.”

  “What?!” The girls freak in unison.

  “That’s not true!” Cody defends himself.

  “So, you don’t want to shag her?” Juliet mischievously asks with her arms still hooked into mine and I find it both cute and comforting.

  “No, well…” Cody rolls his eyes. “Yeah, but not so graphic as the way Hugo puts it.”

  “You are such a virgin,” I say.

  “She works at the Le Amor,” Cody informs us.

  “So that’s why you always pick that restaurant when your parents visit,” Jordana says.

  “I just need Hugo’s help in approaching her.”

  “Awwww,” Poppy melts.

  “Well, shall we make it a field trip?” Juliet suggests.

  “Hell yeah, I have to witness this.” Jordana stands up along with Poppy.

  “No, no way,” Cody protests, but clearly he’s no match for the women of this house. Tell you the truth, I don’t know if I am anymore.

  SCARLETT

  I can’t help it sometimes. I loathe the pretty and pure things. I feel the need to defile them and if it is done right, the pure will create itself into beauty. Pure as in Patrick’s sister, Rebecca. To add, nothing will satisfy me more than to get revenge on Patrick’s mother by not only marrying her son but also destroying her sweet girl who is far from innocent. Besides, Hugo hurt my feelings and when my feelings are hurt something must be destroyed.

  “Hey, Rebecca,” I speak politely while she lies on her bed, focusing on her phone.

  “What do you want?” she rudely asks, still staring at her phone.

  “I just wanted to know if you would like some things from my closet. Things I don’t have a need for anymore.”

  “Hammy downs?” She looks at me. How dare I offer sloppy seconds of fashion. What I’ve learned though is when it comes to fashion and men, sloppy seconds is forgivable. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I guess personal tailored Zac Posen, Coco Chanel, Gucci, and Dior wouldn’t interest you. Your mother really never lets you wear certain things anyway. She wants more of a Jaqueline Kennedy fashion ideal for her daughter than a Marilyn.” Monroe is a trend for girls from pop art to the signature white dress. Every young girl would choose to be Marilyn if they had to pick. “She views them as improper for a sweet girl like you.”

  She sits up and sets her phone down for the first time since I met her. I leave and hear her feet following me. I lead the way to my room and walk in closet. Sitting on the white cushion stool, I watch as her mouth drops in awe at the last year outfits I grew tired of. I only ever wear something twice.

  “Oh my God.” She pulls out a green halter top. Gucci, summer line. “Mom would freak if I wore this.”

  Of course she would. A woman like that is too conservative and the problem with being too strict and conservative as a parent is that there is a higher chance of your kid being really stupid and letting me manipulate them. Some parents unfortunately focus too much on making their children scholars that they miss out on avoiding turning them into people with common sense on life.

  “That’s why we don’t tell our mothers everything,” I say to her amused.

  “Not me.” She rolls her eyes. “My mother has to know everything. My brothers were so happy when they finally moved out and I can’t wait.” She looks at me and her eyes are no longer looking at me with disapproval, more like she needs someone to talk to. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother—she’s a good mom. She can just be a bit too… overbearing, controlling. It’s like she doesn’t think I can think for myself sometimes.”

  I nod my head in understanding. “Rebecca, I know you aren’t fond of me because of your mother’s disapproval, but I can relate to you when it comes to mothers. I like to think that you and I could be great friends. Maybe even sisters. I always wanted a sister.” I make sure not to use the word little. A girl like her is tired of being treated like a little kid. Truth is… I never wanted a little sister. Why would I want to share the attention?

  “Mom just wants what is best for Patrick and…” She looks at me with warning and sympathy. “Your reputation is not of her standards.”

  “I know. I rebelled in my teen years because I was just tired of everyone telling me what to do and how to do it. I wanted to just be a kid, have fun. Obviously, you can understand that, right?”

  She shrugs and crosses her arms over her chest.

  “Rebecca, you don’t have to be alone with your feelings and I would never take Patrick away from you. I know how close you are. I only want to be there for you like he’s there for the both of us.”

  She studies me for a moment. Trying to see if she should take candy from a stranger. And like clockwork, her smile strikes with trust and adoration for me.

  CODY

  The girls just had to come. At least August didn’t come, not because of how he is, of course. It’s because he likes to tease me and one way he does that is by calling me a virgin out loud. We pick a bigger table but still sit at her section. Juliet and Jordana sit next to me while Poppy and Hugo sit across. I’ve come to notice a shift in Satan. He likes Juliet—that is obvious. Why she likes him? The hell if I know, but maybe he’s not as bad as I thought. I’ve always seen Hugo as a sadistic ass, but maybe Juliet being here has changed more than we expected.

  “Is that her?” Juliet asks me and I follow her gaze to Anika who is smiling at customers, taking their orders. Her smile is as magnetic as usual.

  “She’s gorgeous,” Jordana comments while Juliet nods in agreement.

  “Yeah she is,” I agree.

  “So what’s your angle here?” Hugo asks me. Am I missing something here?

  “I thought that was your job to help me figure that out.”

  “What I don’t get is why you’re so scared,” Juliet says.

  “I don’t know,” I shrug. “I just kind of overthink things. I look at the bigger picture.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, for instance, my parents will never approve.”

  “Why?” Poppy asks before answering it herself. “Oh… it’s because she’s black, isn’t it?”

  “What the hell, Poppy?” Jordana looks at her annoyed. “Cody is black.”<
br />
  “That’s questionable,” Hugo jokes.

  “Ha-ha, very funny,” I snarl. “But no, Poppy, not because she’s black. My parents both come from well-established black families. They want me to marry someone of my class; they make it very known the older I get. They already want me to marry some girl from the richest black family in Charleston.”

  “Oh you mean the Halls,” Jordana answers.

  “You know them?”

  “I had a fling with one of the daughters in Aspen… hopefully not the one you’re betrothed too. That would be awkward.”

  We all laugh. Leave it to Jordana to bed every debutant in the closet in the world.

  “Speaking of my gaydar, it is not ringing for your girl there so you should definitely make your move fast because she is hot,” Jordana says.

  “Here she comes!” Poppy thinks she is whispering.

  “Hello, my name is Anika and I will be your waitress this afternoon. May I start you with something to drink?”

  “Hello, Anika,” Hugo speaks smoothly. “My what a beautiful smile you have. Cody your description doesn’t do her justice.”

  I almost fall on the floor. I glare at him while he still stares at Anika—no, scratch that—he is eye fucking the shit out of her. I slowly turn my head up in her direction and to my surprise, she isn’t staring at him. One word from Hugo, girls always stare at him even if it’s stupid. She’s staring at me and smiling.

  “Hello,” I manage to get out.

  “Hi… Usually, I see you with your parents.”

  “Yeah,” I shrug nervously.

  An awkward silence and Anika’s smile turns into confusion, which leads to sweat appearing on my forehead.

  “Um…” Juliet places her hand on my forearm. “If you don’t mind, Anika, could you give us a moment to figure out what we want?”

  “Um,” She wonders why we’re freaking weird. “Sure.” She walks away from the table.

  “She’s going to take one last look, Cody, watch,” Juliet informs me and holy shit she’s right. She looks at me. She is probably looking back because we are idiots. I sink my head on the table closing my eyes shut.

  “What are you doing?” Hugo asks me as Juliet rubs my back.

  “Dying,” I mumble.

  “Cody, she looked back,” Juliet says and I sit back up scoffing.

  “So what? She did that because I am an idiot and Hugo didn’t help with his comment. What was that?”

  “That, my young and deplorable soul, is called getting right to the point. What do you think I do?”

  “I thought you were a bullshit artist.”

  “It’s not bullshit if it’s truth. I let women know what I want and what I want to do with them. I don’t make promises, Cody. You like this girl. I planted the seed. I let her know that you are a sap and you basically lie awake imagining her adorable little smile. She likes that.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Our English Rose pointed it out to you. She looked back. No one looks back unless they are curious.”

  “I think you should just go up there and talk to her. She’s right there at the bar waiting on drinks. Just go,” Juliet suggests.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  I look back at Anika and my anxiety hits an all-time high. Every doubt is running through my head. If I do this it will only end badly. She’ll think I’m lame and a geek. My parents will disapprove and force me to break up with her and I will end up in a loveless marriage for the rest of my natural born life!

  “Hey Cody,” Hugo snaps me out of my thoughts. “If you don’t go up there and talk to her… I will.”

  “Excuse me?” I make sure I heard that right.

  He leans over the table and crosses his arms together. “If you don’t talk to her, I will.”

  “Hugo, piss off,” Juliet snaps.

  He doesn’t. He just continues in Hugo aka Satan fashion. “It will probably take me about three weeks to get her in my bed. Since we arrived she has looked at you in that way like ‘oh there’s that cute guy again’ then she saw me and was like ‘oh he’s cute too’, but she doesn’t want me. She’s wondering if you’re interested, but you don’t make a move. So when I will, she can’t say no because… why the hell not? He’s cute. He’s interested. Then when I do, my predictions will be confirmed that she likes to get fucked from behind and she likes her hair pulled. Maybe a smack on her tight, round ass. She probably has a mouth like a vacuum and probably isn’t too keen on fucking in other parts of a house full of people, but once I get my hands on her, she won’t be able to say no. She will scream my name and you will hear it and be reminded that you were too much of a pussy to go after what was yours.”

  I feel a slight burning sensation in my hand; I realize I’ve been squeezing too hard on the butter knife. My heart is beating fast and I feel like it’s going to explode and all I want to do is bash Hugo’s face on the table and stab him with a knife before he ever can even blink at Anika. She is mine. She is mine, damn it! And I’ll be damned if I let Hugo fucking Mandrake, of all people, have her. He always gets the girl, especially the good ones. He doesn’t deserve them. He doesn’t—I do. I deserve what I want.

  I stand up, still glowering over Hugo. I’ll show him. I’ll show them all. I turn around and take a deep breath before heading towards the bar. I have no plan, just an agenda and my agenda is to get what I want.

  “Can I help you?” Shit. I’m so busy in my head I don’t even realize I’m standing right next to her. She looks at me nervously. I should retreat. The damn thought of Hugo having sex with her doesn’t allow me. Fuck it, I’ll just blurt the first thing that came into my mind from the first moment I saw her.

  “You are really beautiful.” Shit. I panic. “Shit.”

  Suddenly, all my worries wash away once her smile appears. I close my eyes in relief then regain my composure. “I’m sorry.”

  She shakes her head, still that gracious smile blitzed on her face. “No, it’s fine.”

  “Listen… I come here all the time with my parents because… I hope to see you.”

  Her face softens some more. I’m on the right track.

  “I just wanted to know… if I could have your number and maybe text or call or both… sometime? Take you on a date? Get to know you?” Stop talking Cody.

  Light laughter escapes from her and she nods her head. That’s a yes, right?

  “Yeah… sure,” she confirms. “I would really like that.”

  “Okay, yes. This is excellent.” Okay, I’m beginning to sound like a nerd again.

  “Let me hurry before my manager notices,” she says and I pull out my phone and she gives me her number just like that. This is the first time I have ever gotten a girl’s number on my own before. Usually it’s through my parents when they’re trying to set me up, but I got this one—this sexy and beautiful girl’s number—all on my own.

  “Hey Cody.” I look from the number to her. “I’ve always looked forward to seeing you here too.”

  And I physically want to smack myself for not always going for what I want.

  21

  HUGO

  “Holy shit. He didn’t choke,” Jordana says.

  Juliet looks at me from across the table with those knowing green eyes. “What?”

  “Nothing,” she softly says, but I know what she’s thinking. The difference between her staring at me now and before is there is a current passing through us and I feel as if I’m becoming less… I guess you can say I’m becoming less discouraged, scared… by this connection we have formed.

  Cody comes back to the table, grinning from ear to ear with his hands behind his back and standing tall and proud. The girls applaud him.

  “Well done,” Jordana congratulates him.

  “Thank you.” He looks at me, now frowning. “I guess thank you to you to.”

  I nod my head.

  “You guys ready to go?” Cody asks.

  “Yeah, I have a hair appoint
ment,” Poppy says, finishing her water. “You should leave her a tip, Cody.” She suggests and Cody gleefully pulls out his wallet and throws a tip on the table.

  “I need a nap.” Jordana puts on her sunglasses.

  “I think I want to go for a walk,” Juliet says, standing up. She glances at me. “Anyone want to join me?”

  No, Hugo. “I’ll accompany you.” Damn Hugo.

  They all, of course, give us funny looks. Poppy even makes kissing noises. We part ways; they get in the Rolls Royce while Juliet and I stand outside the restaurant.

  “So, where to?” I ask.

  JULIET

  We walk along the mall in Central Park. The elm trees surrounding it provide shade from the scorching sun.

  “God, it’s hot.” I fan myself.

  “Yes, if only I had my sunglasses to block out the cancerous sun,” he deadpans.

  I laugh and roll my eyes. “First, sunglasses won’t protect you from cancer.”

  “They might possibly protect me from eye cancer.”

  “I doubt it and if the sun doesn’t get our eyes, it will be the screens on the cells, lap tops, and tellys we bore them into every day.”

  “This coming from a girl who Instagrams selfies.”

  “There is nothing wrong with a good selfie or usie here and now. I just started following you too. You don’t post anything; you have probably under twenty photos yet you have thousands of followers.”

  “You’d be amazed what one shirtless picture would do and that is one of the reasons why I weep for society.”

  “What else do you weep for when it comes to the peasants beneath you, oh King?”

  “Let’s see, the fact that most people don’t know a difference between a continent and a country and the fact that most rather watch reality T.V. instead of daily news. People know the sex of an unborn Kardashian baby months before they know of a terrorist attack. Although, the government is indeed full of corrupted souls.”

  I stop mid walk. “In defense of the public, you should understand that the news is literally depressing.” I laugh a little as he looks at me with his arms behind his back. “I mean ninety percent of the information being flooded into our brains is depressing as shit. We need a little humor to balance ourselves out and sitcoms and reality television is that, except The Voice and Catfish. I take those very seriously.”