“What necklace?” Jeremy asked, glancing down at me curiously.
“My mother’s stupid amulet she always wears,” I scoffed, and Jeremy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Sorry, forget I mentioned it; it’s not important.” He glanced from my mother back to me and looked like he was about to say something when I heard Cynthia's cackling laugh. I turned away from Jeremy and searched for her in the crowd.
She was beside a scrawny-looking guard in uniform, her hand resting on his arm as they shared a laugh. She wore the red dress I’d given her, which clung to her curves in all the right places. The guard’s eyes kept wandering down to her chest, and I rolled my eyes and laughed.
Turning back to Jeremy, I found him smiling down at me.
“What?” I asked, puzzled by his expression.
“I like it when you laugh,” he said softly, making my cheeks flush. He extended his hand towards me. “Dance with me?”
I looked at him, a little stunned, and simply nodded. Couples were already on the dance floor, and the band in the corner of the room had begun a new song.
Jeremy led me to the middle of the floor, his hand settling firmly on my lower back, drawing me closer. His other hand gently cradled mine. I hesitated for a moment before placing my other hand on his shoulder as the dance started.
We moved in perfect harmony with the music, our gazes locked, and we glided effortlessly across the floor. Gods, he was annoyingly handsome. I swallowed hard, acutely aware of how close we were, and noticed a faint twitch at the corner of his lips as if he were deciphering something from my expression.
“What made you want to start training?” he asked, dipping me slightly and bringing our faces alarmingly close together.
His question caught me off guard, but I answered anyway. “I used to train with my father when I was younger, but recently…” I bit my lip. “I just wanted to be able to protect myself instead of relying on others.” His gaze shifted to my lips, and his smile softened. I stumbled slightly but quickly regained my balance, though I was sure he noticed.
Jeremy chuckled lightly. “I admire that you want to be able to protect yourself; it’s a valuable skill.”
“I don’t need your validation,” I retorted, narrowing my eyes at him.
He tilted his head, his lip twitching. The music slowed to a soft tempo. “Do you cause everyone who tries to help you this much trouble, or just me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t like decisions made for me, regardless of their motivation,” I replied.
“I see,” he chuckled softly again.
As the dance neared its end, applause began to ripple around us, but we remained in our embrace, our eyes locked. My stomach did a flip, and I couldn’t tell if he was pulling me closer or if I was stepping closer myself. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and suddenly, an intense warmth enveloped me.
He released his hold on me, and I quickly averted my gaze, joining in the applause around us.
What was I thinking?! Get it together. I couldn’t have feelings for Jeremy. Nothing good would come of it, and if my mother thought something was between us… I shook the thoughts away.
“Let's get something to drink,” Jeremy said, reaching down and lacing his hand with mine.
I stared down at our entwined hands. His golden skin contrasted sharply against mine. His hands were rough and calloused. The contact sent a warm tingle through my gut, and despite my earlier resolve, I didn’t pull away.
I let him lead me through the crowd toward a quieter corner by the far-off wall. A servant glided past, and Jeremy grabbed a glass from the tray, handing it to me. I moved to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened instead. My head snapped toward him, ready to demand he release me, but the amused smile on his lips stopped me.
“Your mother is watching,” he said, taking another glass from a passing server and sipping it. As he lowered the glass from his lips, my gaze briefly dipped to them before shifting to the dais.
Sure enough, my mother watched us intently. I forced a smile, raising my glass in her direction. She gave a slight nod in return before turning her attention elsewhere.
When her gaze left us, I yanked my hand from his, this time without resistance.
Jeremy glanced back toward my mother, his brows pinching in confusion. “You said you hated your mother’s necklace?”
“Well, yeah. Look at it—it’s so tacky and completely out of place. It clashes with every outfit she wears, but she insists on wearing it.” I turned to follow his gaze, watching as the red gem glinted under the room’s light while my mother leaned toward my father.
Jeremy stiffened beside me. “And she’s wearing it right now?”
I frowned, confused by his question. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”
He looked down at me, his brow furrowed. “I don’t see a necklace, Zara. I don’t see any jewelry at all,” he said, his gaze returning to my mother.
