Rich man next door

Chapter 3

TRENT POV

"You guys up for something today?" Bryce asked both Theo and me.

Without hesitation, I start. "I have to..." But Theo beat me to it. Knowing damn well I was about to turn Bryce's golf thing down. "It's Saturday. If it's about the golf, we will be there." He assures the poor boy.

Oh please.

It is not like I am a terrible friend who opposes everything. The truth is, club things had never been my thing, okay?

My father has some fantasies about me giving in someday, which is absolutely funny because I will have to watch him give up.

Bryce's mood lightens at Theo's promise.

"Thanks, guys. I can't look stupid among those older men. I need your support."

Bryce's family are the strict people I've ever meet, but with our lucky charm, they have always loved Theo and me almost the way they do Bryce.

Theo and I are both a foot taller than Bryce, but he was undoubtedly tall for a man. He's also a little lean compare to the two of us.

His brownish blonde hair was similar to mine. He has tiny coffee eyes, which hold humor all the time.

The moment you meet him, it is easy to pick out the successful entrepreneur elements in his features. He's majoring in business and administration, the same college I go to.

Bryce is as organized as his parents sketch him to be. Although he's the funniest person I've ever meet, he loves to enjoy the moment and crack jokes even when things are upside down.

I've known him just as much as I've known Theo. We all went to the same daycare growing up and played in our messy diapers.

These two boys are my ride or die. That's just, period.

After rolling my eyes for what feels like the hundredth time today. We march towards Theo's parking lot.

"So that girl really bought that you're not Trent Walter." Bryce's face was unreadable, but I know he's not buying it.

Smiling weakly, I shook my head. "She did, after a long debate," I informed them.

Scoffing, Theo complains. "I don't understand the need to change your name around girls. You know it's actual bullshit."

I sighed softly, knowing no one understood me. "If you're me, you would get to know the need."

Agreed! I know how actual bullshit it is for faking my identity, but the world is cruel. I am done impressing people.

"Good thing I am not." He whispered with a devilish smirk.

Bryce paused in his track, his finger playing with his car key. "Let me get this straight. She rejected you when she thought you were not the billionaire that you are?" He confusedly questioned.

"I'm not a billionaire, dude. And yes, I don't want her to come with me. It's the deal, remember?" I huffed, mentally reminiscing how I had to escape the club last night.

I was half-drunk, yet I did a good job sneaking out of that hell without getting spotted by the zombie-character girls, who indeed would have chase after me.

Maybe I wasn't half-drunk. Perhaps I was utterly drunk.

"Whatever... Trent Walter." Bryce chuckled as he'd always do.

Shaking his head slightly, Theo slaps my shoulder. "You really should stop this Griffin thing of yours. It's old."

Yes, I am aware, but do they have a better alternative? Suggestions? No!

I should deal with my s**t my own personal way then.

Bryce laughs as he asks. "Why Griffin out of all names, though?"

"It came up to my head first, and I got used to it," I replied him before frustratedly groaning out. "Guys, I need to get the spotlight out of the way, and girls out there wouldn't let me breathe."

That's the truth. I started faking my name after high school senior year. I don't know precisely the reason I chose that specific name, and I also can't understand why I keep calling myself that around strangers even though most of them ended up fixing the pieces together with glowing smiles on their faces after recognizing my true identity.

"That's on you for being hot, they said." Bryce air quoted while unlocking his SLS AMG.

"Or maybe because of something else." I disagreed.

Sometimes I wish to be loved for how I look, just for something of mine, even though it's not the kind of love I had dreamt of, rather than being loved for what my family has.

The world is messed up, for the people inside it only want me for my family name and that alone.

"You are the only male hire of your family." Theo arches his brow, correcting me. "Even I could date you if we were gay." He added amusingly.

Laughing at his joke, I pretend a disgusting grimace.

"Well, thank God we are both straight because it will be gross dating my best friend,"

While chuckling, both guys stared at my face.

"Trent, you are in deep s**t, you know? I can't believe some iron man got to punch your face." Theo bites his cheeks to hold the infuriating laughter that seems obvious already. When I advert my eyes to Bryce, the dude was pretending to be focused on his Twitter feeds while snickering.

Alright! It is clear they're both making fun of me.

"Shut the f**k up." I annoyedly pushed past in-between them, and they all burst into laughter.

"He sure left a number on your pretty face, dude." Bryce laughs even harder.

It annoys me that I was saturated with liquors that I couldn't throw back a punch at that i***t. Believe me when I say, if I were sober, this would never have happened.

I ignore the boys' continuous mocking and saunter to the BMW X7.

I have to ride this as a second option because that blind grandma had to destroy my Lamborghini. However, I know it was my fault. I was somewhat driving on the wrong side.

Maybe I should be grateful in some odd way, you know? I could have hit some building or perhaps something even worse, and that would have been really bad. My dad has to know about everything.

But this way was much easier. First, I don't think those people live around here to complain or deliver the news of my recklessness to my parents.

Second, even if they do live around here, I don't think they can portray what I really look like.

Which is just my luck, for it was dark when the accident happened.

Last night, I had to sneak into my room and left home very earlier than usual to fix the car before my parents could find out.

See, I am some crook. Am I not?

I slide into the car with the intention to check the mechanic working on the repair when Theo calls from behind as he slaps his hand with Bryce’s.

Our goodbye culture.

"Wait, bruh, we have to go to the store, I need some envelopes and plastic bags for my mom, and I'm too lazy to drive right now,"

I beckoned in a way that says 'Jump in then.' then I pressed the window wind button and started the engine when Theo got in.

He connected his phone Bluetooth while Bryce took off before us.

"I might need some makeup at the store in case they have any..." I started. Theo turns to me with a confused look in his expression. "For these bruises on my face." I clarify, waving my hand around my terrible face.

"Or you could just hide at my place until you heal." Theo jokes but means it in a natural way.

We've occasionally stayed at each other's places.

"No way! That will even be the exposing door. But thanks for thinking about me." I remarked, steering the wheels. "Who's that crazy walking in the middle of the street." I huffed at the insanity occurring presently.

Unbelievable.

Please name anyone who roams carefree in the middle of the road? Unless a psycho.

God knows I honked, but the lady seems deaf to the sound.

I swear she's run mad and broke out of the psychiatry.

Theo lowered the window, and we tried with words this time.

After ten 'heys' and 'get off the road freak,' he volunteers to go down and move her out of the way.

Irritated, I watch from the car.

It took a few seconds for Theo to get her attention.

She was startled the instant his fingers touched her shoulder.

The way she reacts got me laughing all by myself.

Well, it appears she wasn't a psycho on the loose.

I watched her struggle with her nerves. Then she took off something from her ears.

Oh, she had earphones! That is an excellent explanation of the deaf mode.

Later, Theo joined me in the car. And we finally made it to the store.

While wandering around the supermarket, he told me about this professor who insisted they write a short story of ten pages as their final project.

Theo goes to NYU. It means we don't get enough time together like Bryce and I do. So we typically made a tradition of coming home almost every weekend, despite the fact that Harvard is in Cambridge. We either ride over four hours to Staten island or fly forty-eight minutes to see our families and best friend.

My mother never complains about that, though, probably because the house has been empty since Ivanna got married last fall.

Mom has been more in a hurry than I am to graduate college and come home full time. It's pretty obvious. She made sure to remind me of that repeatedly.

"You know we could just go and knock at Cheyenne's door. That girl has everything that represents makeup. She will fix you." Theo reckons after we couldn't find anything, or fairer to say, understand anything around the makeup section.

Provoke, I glare at him.

"No way. I don't want her to know I'm in town." I shoot him a warning glare.

Okay, here is the thing; Cheyenne is the daughter of one of the multi-billionaires in the states. Yes! Just like my father.

Let say my parents had thought of a foolish idea between the two of us, planting some polluted belief in the heads of Cheyenne's parents for the possibility of our marriage after graduation.

I know!

Believe me; It's so much for me.

Theo faced me with a severe look in his eyes and clarified something I was aware of. "You can't keep running away from her, you know?"

I can't understand why my parents want to arrange my marriage just like they did to Ivanna (my elder sister); they got her married to the son of one of the owners of NYC skyscrapers.

I can't tell if they even love each other because I do know Ivanna never needed them to choose for her.

For me, on the other hand, Cheyenne had liked me since fifth grade.

Though, I don't feel that way about her. To be completely honest, I only see Cheyenne as a friend and more like a sister.

But the girl won't stop trying, just like her parents and mine had encouraged her to.

It's obvious I will marry for bondage.

"I know." I hissed underneath my breath and put back the tiny thing that looked like a foundation or concealer, I don't know, I can't tell, in its place.

I spun around, pressed my eyes closed for half a second, and ran my fingers through my hair. "Let just pay for your stuff."

My mood had suddenly dropped dead at the mention of Cheyenne. Besides, I don't even understand the uses of these paintings that girls believe as makeup.

We headed for the queue while Theo kept bringing up stories of the golf thing and how we needed to do it for Bryce's sake.

"I hate club games. Can't we Just let him deal with his s**t?" I huffed, frustrated at the idea.

"We can't bail on him," Theo said, slightly nudging my stomach.

"This s**t isn't moving," I complained, purposely, as everything just seems to incite anger in me right now.

We've been standing in line for a while. It's crazy how people around this area are active in the store but never communicate much with their neighbors.

Out of kindness, Theo pats the girl standing in front of us. But when she whirls and face us, locking her gaze with him, I found the outfit on her confusedly familiar.

The girl from the street? I suppose.

Right here, right now, I got a closer view and holly cow! Girl is nothing I've ever seen.

Her captivating brown eyes were full of warmth and everlasting life. I carefully observed them blink softly, spreading memories of the wood and winter and dark coffee.

She had slim, crescent-shaped brows that were thick as they furrowed in confusion.

Her prodigious enchanting curls bounce around her shoulders as her smooth bowlike lip that's perfectly sketched in a very irresistible pout, spread into an alluring smile.

She was pretty than I could define. She had deceptive glossy skin that glowed like she was made from the sunlight.

I don't know why it's weird, for I've met various girls, but this one was so much different from anyone I had met. And here I am impressively describing what made this young lady unique.

I was lost and stunned, staring at this beautiful creature. I couldn't grasp anything they were discussing.

Hell, I couldn't concentrate, and mostly when her lips pulled into a smile.

Fuck. She was crafted differently.

Why wasn't I the one who had to go down and move her off the road earlier?

My eyes drift to her shiny set of teeth. It was arranged perfectly, with a tiny gap in-between the two front teeth.

She's beautiful, gorgeous, and alive in front of me. She is nothing like I've ever imagined.

Then her eyes came to me; they studied me and assumed I was some psycho, gaping at her.

I watched her scan me from my shoes to my hair before she immediately averted her eyes to Theo as my eyes met hers.

"And this is ..." I felt a light nudge from Theo. It helped bring me back to reality.

I had to clear my throat twice to compose myself, though I couldn't get what they were discussing.

The girl seems uncomfortable. The smile she had earlier had long disappeared.

Thanks to my awkward attitude, I've scared her. Well done for being a jerk.

Good impression I pull there!

"Griffin." The d**k introduces me.

The f**k?

No, I can't lie. I shouldn't.

When I turned to face Theo, he gave me a casual smile and turned back to the nervous girl.

The need to smack his face for faking my name this time was so prominent. But I can't be violent in her presence, so I politely offered my hand to shake hers; after the I-will-kill-you-glare, I shot to my best friend, who rolled his eyes at me.

Asshole.

"Okay, it is nice meeting you?" She rushes her words and turns away, leaving my hand hanging out in the air.

What the f**k? She didn't just shun me?

Theo was trying not to laugh, as he and Bryce would do all the time.

Maybe I should just punch the laugh away from his stupid face.

I swallowed hard and looked away, still mystify at her behavior towards me.

Didn't she realize I'm Trent Walter?

I shouldn't sound like a d**k, but isn't she supposes to throw herself at me, not turn her back?

"Hey, if I am not asking too much, can you help us get some makeup to cover bruises?" I heard Theo implored the girl again.

Is he actually kidding me?

She definitely wants nothing to do with us. Or maybe me. Which is so weird because everyone wants something to do with me.

The girl seems confused. I assure you the look we earned is enough to get one to sink into the hard ground.

Why is she so moody?

"Why?" Her pretty eyes were wide, but she avoided my direction.

Maybe she knew I was a liar? Am I? I only lie when I have to.

Which I have a good explanation and reason for that.

"We have somewhere to attend, and my friend here had his face punch by some iron man last night," Theo explained as he tugged my arm, making me look even stupid.

How perfectly well this is going for me.

She had her curious gaze shift between Theo and me. Then her mouth opens and closes. She was clearly debating whether to or not to.