I wave the two of them off, knowing that Lizzie will always come back, no matter how far she travels, because this is her home. But one day, before I’m ready to say goodbye, Diana’s going to walk out that door and never return.
I have no idea how I will ever make my peace with that.
23
DIANA
The weekend after the movie premiere, I’m working at the kitchen island when I hear Lizzie’s excited squeal.
“Henry! Julian!”
I glance up from my laptop, but from where I’m sitting, I can’t see her. “Hello,” comes a deep voice with a cut glass English accent. “How’s my favourite goddaughter?”
“She’smyfavourite,” comes another deep voice, slightly rougher and full of teasing.
“You only have one goddaughter,” says the first voice. “I have six. Therefore, my favouritism means more.”
There’s the sound of deep, masculine laughter, peppered with Lizzie’s giggles, and I push off the kitchen stool, intrigued to see who has her sounding giddy.
Walking into the living room, I find two tall men in suits. Both remarkably handsome.
Shit. It’s the men from that night at Delirium.
They have their arms wrapped around Lizzie like they’re fighting for her, and she’s still laughing.
Over Lizzie’s shoulder, the taller and fairer of the two catches my eye and pauses, pulling out of their ridiculous three-way embrace.
Lizzie glances back at me. “Oh, Diana, come and meet Henry. He’s the naughtiest godfather ever.”
“Absolute slander,” Henry, the taller one, reprimands. “That title definitely belongs to Julian.”
Julian, whom I recognise as the man who tried to get in the lift with me that night, winks at me, but paired with his wide smile, it’s friendly rather than sleazy. If I weren’t so shocked at his appearance here in the Emblem, I’d be grinning back because he looks so friendly.
He approaches and lifts my hand, kissing the back of it, a twinkle in his eye. “Have we met before?”
I draw my hand back, heart racing. “Erm… no, I don’t think so.”
“Diana’s my best friend,” Lizzie explains. “She’s living with us.”
Julian straightens and shoots a teasing look at Rafe, who’s just appeared in the doorway. “Is she now?”
The suggestion in the question is blatant, and Rafe gives a slight shake of the head, paired with a minuscule eye roll that dismisses it.
“I’ve been helping Diana with her business,” he explains.
He makes it sound like no big deal, and I remind myself that he’s been swimming with me too, almost every day, and dancing with me in the kitchen at night.
Rafe might not want me the way I want him, but I’m pretty sure what we have is not just business. Maybe he’s making it sound that way for his friends’ benefit, but I can’t help feeling dismissed.
“Have you indeed?” Henry says, his voice all teasing wonderment, which causes Rafe to repeat his eye roll. Henryturns to me, serious now. “Is he charging you for his time? A consultation with Rafe Bastion doesn’t come cheap.”
My stomach drops. “Oh… no, I…” My eyes flick to Rafe’s. “We haven’t—”
“Costs a fortune to breathe the same air as Rafe Bastion,” Julian says, nodding at me.
“Stop teasing the poor girl,” Rafe says, flicking the back of his hand at his friends.
Poor girl?
