You Don't Know Me: A Stand-Alone New Adult Romance by Faleena Hopkins Read Free Book Online Page A

stops. She looks like she’s about to keel over and die as the reality of his words sinks in.
    So I take over. “You won’t be able to walk anywhere without them taking pictures. If you go into work, there will be people there waiting to see you. A lot of people. There’s no doubt they will find out you work there, if they haven’t already.” I run my hand across the air, an invisible headline suspended between us. “ Rags To Riches Rue Calliwell Still Working At Fucking Ralphs. If you ever wanted to give them free publicity, this is how to do it. But you will not be able to finish a shift. Go on. Try it. I dare you.”
    Rue’s eyes are liquid now. “What am I going to do?” Seeing no sympathy coming from me, she looks to Sean. “I need to give them two weeks notice! I can’t just quit!”
    Sean is surprised. Me? It just makes me angry. “Oh come on!” The server, about to place a coffee cup on the table, freezes. I look at him. “Well, go ahead. Put them down.” He hurries as we all wait for him to exit.
    I check the text Alec just sent back: Forgot to ask you earlier. Is she hot?
    My reply: Yes .
    As the server walks away, I lean in and hiss, “Enough with the act. You just won the fucking lottery. You can’t tell me that 1.) You haven’t checked your bank account and 2.) you think you’re going to work at some fucking grocery store in the middle of the night and not look like an idiot. No one is as ‘good’ as you’re pretending to be. Give me a fucking break already. I’ve got some shoes to shine, you want the job?”
    Rue jumps out of her chair and takes off for the front door, heels and tight dress slowing her progress. She’s got a nice ass and nice legs; I’ll give her that. I glance to Sean, who cuts a look to me and shakes his head. “Well played,” he mutters. “Pay the check.” He grabs his blazer and his phone, and takes off after her.
    Blood boiling, I jerk my hand to the server across the room, and watch my brother exit out the front door after our newest family member. When the check lands in front of me, I grab it. “Took you long enough.”

Chapter Fourteen

Sean
    R ue’s halfway up the block. What, did she break into a run as soon as she cleared the door? “Hey! Rue! Wait up!” With no signs of her slowing, I sigh and run after her. She covers her face with her hands as I pass and spin around to walk backwards in front of her, my hands out helplessly. “I’m sorry about Jack.” Since she can’t see, she starts veering toward a building. I grab her shaking shoulders and stop her. “Hey, stop crying. Please. Come on.”
    “I’m not crying. I’m not!” She wipes her eyes and smears the dripping mascara into horizontal streaks. Raccoon-eyed and adorable, she glares at me, her mouth tight and proud. “I’m not crying.”
    Gently, I correct her, “Well, you’re not anymore.”
    She smiles despite herself. “Okay, I was crying. But I’m not now. I can handle this. I swear I can.” A fresh stream of tears pours out and her little forehead crinkles up. “I just wish my mom was here. Why didn’t she tell me about you guys? Why didn’t she warn me? She had to know it was a possibility I’d find out. When she was sick, why didn’t she leave a letter with someone like your dad did! It hurts so bad! Do you know how badly this hurts? Did you love him?”
    “My dad? I mean… our dad?”
    She nods, looking childlike and lost. Suddenly, I want to punch Jack for being cruel to her. I have to admit, I was having a hard time believing her in there about that dumb job. But now I’m sold. This is Hollywood; people like her aren’t common.
    She’s been thrown into the ocean and doesn’t know how to swim.
    What are we supposed to do, drown her?
    No.
    I won’t let Jack do that to her.
    Bringing her into my arms for a comforting embrace, I quietly tell her, “I loved him, yeah, but not like you loved your mom, I don’t think. We didn’t spend a lot of time with him. He