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“Really?” I raised my brows out to her, chuckling. “You drive a hard bargain, lady.”
I slid a few more bills into her hand and she retreated, a satisfied smile on her face.
“Devlin?”
Violet’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
I looked at her, eyes wide and framed by thick black lashes, bottom lip jutting out in a way that made me want to sink my teeth into.
“Yes, princess?”
She set her spoon down, looking so small compared to the massive sundae in front of her.
“Do you think our dads will ever make up?” she whispered.
I shifted in my seat, never taking my eyes off her.
“Why do you care?” I wondered out loud. “That shouldn’t matter to you, Violet. You’re young. You should have fun, not worry about your family’s affairs.”
She looked down, those lashes coming to rest against her flushed cheeks that were still stained by tears from before. She’d never looked more beautiful, more vulnerable, than at that moment.
“I just…” she started, looking up at me yet again while she fiddled with the hem of her dress. “I just wish I’d get to see you as often as I used to.”
“And why is that, princess?” I murmured.
“I miss you.” Her voice was shaking, her hands nervously twisting the fabric in her lap. “I… I wish you were around, the way you used to be. I really, really… need you around, Devlin.”
I wanted to give her what she wanted so fucking badly, but the chasm between us was widening. And I needed to bide my time. After all, she wasn’t even legal yet. I’d be able to claim her once the time was right. For now, I needed to keep her wanting me.
“Things will change,” I promised her. “And soon enough, you’ll have me any time you want. How does that sound, princess?”
“Good,” she replied, her lips slowly turning upward into a smile.
“You better get started on that ridiculous ice cream,” I grinned at her. “Don’t want it to melt.”
She laughed and dug into her sundae while I watched her.
Such a mesmerizing little creature she was.
Too bad I’d have to break her heart after this.ElevenVioletOne year ago“I can’t believe your Dad managed to get you tickets to Sleeping Beauty for your birthday.” Annie looked over at me as we stood in line, waiting for the people in front of us to finish up at the counter. “This ballet has been sold out for weeks.”
“I was kind of hoping for a car.” I shrugged and sighed. “I feel like he owes me more than tickets to the ballet after ruining my prom last year.”
“Yeah, I would be mortified if that happened to me.” She shook her head back and forth. “But, it’s kind of sweet—he was just being protective of his daughter. My Dad barely even pays attention to anything I do. Sometimes I wish he was a little more protective…”
“There’s protective and then there’s dragging you out of prom kicking and screaming.” My jaw tensed when I remembered the most embarrassing moment of my life.
“Yeah…” She nodded.
We made our way inside and found our seats. It was a beautiful performance, but I had trouble enjoying the show because all I could think about was prom. It had been a traumatic experience, and I still hadn’t completely forgiven my father for what he did. I knew he had good intentions, but it was still humiliating. My classmates still hadn’t let me live it down and I didn’t like being teased. It had put a strain on some of my friendships, and I rarely talked to anyone except Annie. At least she was there for me—the one friend that would never abandon me like all the others.
“Uh oh.” Annie grabbed my arm and dug her nails in as we walked out of the theater during intermission.
“What?” I looked at her and then followed the direction of her eyes. “Oh my god!”
It was Devlin. I hadn’t seen him in six months and just the sight of him took my breath away. After prom, he completely ignored me, but a chance encounter following my disastrous date with Steven Hawthorne brought us back together. He picked up the pieces, took me for ice cream, and gave me a small glimmer of hope that maybe we could have something together—then he tore that hope apart. I was too young. I was a child—he said the same thing to me that my father did—and those words stung. They hurt so much that I didn’t try to contact him again—I just couldn’t handle being rejected again.
“Don’t try to talk to him.” Annie pulled me back towards the theater.
“Come on, I should just say hello.” I pulled my arm out of her grasp, and her grip was so tight that the skin tore in the process.
I ignored the cut on my arm and walked over to Devlin as fast as I could in a pair of heels that weren’t designed for speed. He was talking to someone—a guy I didn’t recognize—but when he saw me, that conversation ended. Our eyes locked together. Those cool hazel eyes. They looked at me like I saw all they had ever wanted to see and staring into them made me want to melt and wither at the same time, but they filled me with purpose.
