“Oh,” I replied because I didn’t know what else to say.
“If you want me to write up a list of all the people I’ve fucked, I can. But you should know that none of them compare to you. I’m not spitting bullshit to make you feel good. It’s terrifying, Petal. I want you. Only you. For right now, have faith in that, okay? I won’t go fucking some cheap looking blond if you promise to never joke about Jared being in your bed again. I don’t trust him. Something is off about that guy. I’m putting up with this because I like making you happy.”
I looked over at Jess and Infinity. They were giving us quizzical looks. “Okay,” I replied. Hamilton smiled and kissed me on the mouth before wrapping his hand around my wrist and dragging me toward the table.
When we sat down, Hamilton scooted my stool as close to his as possible, and he put his arm around the back of my chair. I felt wired and weirded out. I was still consumed with thoughts of Jess and Hamilton.
Hamilton cleared his throat, then grabbed my hand to kiss it. Jess stared at the move. She and Infinity had already ordered drinks and were sipping on them while staring at us. “So, is this serious?” Jess asked while nodding at the two of us. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief.
“Very,” Hamilton replied easily.
“How serious?” Jess asked. “I thought this was—”
“Sycamore Tree, Jess,” Hamilton replied gruffly. Was he embarrassed? What did that even mean?
“Sycamore Tree?” Jess let out a long, low whistle. “Wow, Hamilton.”
“What does that mean?” I asked while looking between them. It felt weird to be talked about so openly.
Infinity waved her hand. “It’s some code word they’ve had since they were teens. They had this tree in the park between their houses that they’d meet at.”
“Our safe haven,” Jess replied. “My parents were assholes. They thought they could beat the disobedience out of me.” She cleared her throat before continuing. My heart broke for her. “Hamilton was my only friend. He always protected me. I just had to text him Sycamore Tree and he’d drop everything to be there for me. It kind of became a code of sorts, but it’s hard to explain. I guess you’d have to experience it. Remember when you threatened my dad?” Jess took a sip of her drink. Infinity gave her a side hug.
“Your dad is a dick.” Hamilton didn’t go into detail about their past, he just eyed me and grabbed my hand again.
“Affirmative,” Jess replied.
I filed this information away. There was so much about Hamilton that didn’t fit my original assumptions about him. He was the kind of man that helped out his history teacher. He dropped everything for his friends. He was serious. Poetic. Devoted. Physical and unapologetic. He had a rough childhood. Each layer of his personality added something else for me to obsess over.
We started talking about lighter subjects, thankfully. I liked Jess’s zero fucks attitude. She wasn’t afraid to poke and prod for answers, but I needed a break from the seriousness. She and Infinity started to get a buzz and were kissing when Hamilton turned to me. “I hate the dude, but Jared is smart,” Hamilton said in a low voice. “He picked a place known for their discreetness.”
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
Hamilton nodded at a nearby table. “Over there is an heir to one of the largest corporations in the country,” he said. I followed his gaze and stared at the slender man tossing back shots. He looked about my age. I was about to ask what the point of all of this was, when an elderly man with deep wrinkles, a limp, and dentures sat next to him and started kissing the younger man’s neck.
“This is the sort of establishment that doesn’t allow cameras and doesn’t ask questions.”
“Ah,” I replied before shifting in my seat. Why did Jared know about this place? Was it just one of those common knowledge things, or did he need a secret place to hang out with his friends?
“You’re nervous,” Hamilton stated. It wasn’t a question. He just knew.
“Things were easier when we were just fucking at my apartment,” I replied. Jess snorted.
Hamilton grabbed my thigh and kissed me on the temple again. He had started doing that a lot lately. It was such a tender and authentic gesture.
“Hey!” Jared’s voice boomed. I got out of my chair to give him a hug. In typical Jared fashion, he was wearing tailored slacks, a button up shirt, and a suit jacket that cost more than my rent. His blond hair was slicked to the side, and the Chapstick on his lips made his mouth shine. He wrapped me up in a large hug, picking me up off the floor a bit. I could feel Hamilton’s hard eyes on us. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the invite. This place is…”
“Pretentious as fuck?” Jared finished for me.
“Exactly,” Jess replied.
“It’s not my usual hang out, but I figured you’d like some privacy, you know, since you’re fucking your uncle
