“Yeah, well, apparently Dad didn’t get the memo.”
I bit my tongue. “Didn’t youtellhim?”
“I did, but he doesn’t hear me. And he…he was…”
“He was what?” I asked, my blood running cold.
“Kind to me,” Emery said, her voice breaking.
I breathed a sigh of relief, even if it was still fucked up how Grayson Wallace dangled his love in front of his only daughter like a lure instead of just giving it to her unconditionally like a father was supposed to. But my own dad split before he ever knew I existed, so what did I know?
“It’s awful,” she cried. “But I’m so starved for any scrap for kindness from my own father, I agreed to go to this stupid party. But this is the last one. The last event I do for the Hill-Wallace family alliance, and then I amdone.”
Since knowing Emery, she’d told me that a key element to her dating Tucker had been because his senator father and her tycoon father had business dealings, and it was advantageous to keep thefamilies united. The two men had twisted systems of favor exchanges and backroom dealings, so Grayson used Emery in his schemes like a feudal king from the Dark Ages.
“So after the election, you and Xander can be…?” I prodded gently.
“I don’t know, Harper. I’m just trying to get through this night.” She sniffed and pulled herself together. “What about you? Going to the regatta party?”
“That’s why I’m calling. I was sort of hoping you’d be there for moral support.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her about Orion, but I’d planned to do that at the party too, with everyone else. Not over the phone, and not when she was still clearly heartbroken and upset.
“You’ll be fine without me,” she said. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. I wish I had half your courage.”
“I don’t know about that, but you have courage, Em,” I said. “You just have to dig for it.”
“Hm,” she said, unconvinced. “I have to go. Have the best time. I’m so jealous. Tell me everything after.”
“I will.”
We hung up, and I heard Dash bang through the front door. I went downstairs to wave goodbye to Mrs. Andolina, got him situated with a snack and his favorite TV movie, then went to get ready for the party.
An hour later, I examined myself in the standing mirror that had once been in Mom’s bedroom in Pittsburgh.
For a girl who wasn’t too handy with the makeup brush, I thought I did pretty well. The dress was flattering with my pale complexion and dark hair, giving me a Snow White–kind of vibe. (Though if you’d told me a year ago I’d be comparing myself to a Disney princess I’d have slapped myself in the face.)
I blame Orion. The way he looked at me in the suffragette dress…
I wanted to look pretty for him again. And for me. No crime inthat.
I’d put on a faint sweep of blush, pink lip gloss, and a little bit of eye makeup. Risking second-degree burns, I’d taken a wand to my curls and tightened them so that they lay in perfect ringlets around my shoulders and used a silvery headband to keep them from my face.
I inhaled yet another steadying breath, and my breasts pushed up from the top of the empire bodice rather prettily.
No crime in that either, I thought, my cheeks heating at the thought of Orion’s hands on me, his mouth on me, maybe taking the dress off…
I took a long drink of water from my nightstand and inspected myself in the mirror one last time. Now my eyes were glassy, cheeks flushed, breasts heaving like a character in a Jane Austen novel.
Ilooklike a character in a Jane Austen novel. I like that better than Disney. More literary.
God, my thoughts were racing. Like my heart, because I wanted that boy. Bad.
“Down, girl,” I muttered, and headed downstairs to wait for Mom to come home.
Dash watched me come down. “Oh my gosh, Harper, you look so pretty!”
“Don’t say that, buddy. You’ll ruin my makeup.”
