Page 18 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

Or maybe she’d forget why she hated me in the first place.

A part of me felt guarded all of a sudden. The fear that Ivy Jade would be anything like Megan was a real and sickening possibility. And why wouldn’t it be? They were essentially cut from the same expensive cloth. Megan was quick to judge a book by their cover. She was shallow, and she’d brag about how much money I made to whoever would listen. I think that was her favorite thing about me—my job. I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen it back then, but, really, she was like the women in the Castellanos family.

Maybe this was some sick self-hatred thing I was putting myself through.

Getting close to the things I liked until they hurt me.

“I smell like kettle corn and makeup…” I said suddenly, finishing the rest of my orange chicken. “I think I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

Rachel nodded mechanically, already turning the TV to a marathon of The Twilight Zone.

I went down the hall and to the bathroom, still stuck in dissecting my thoughts and feelings. Actually, I was annoyed. Annoyed that I was thinking about Ivy Jade—aka Princess—the girl who I now knew smelled sweet and warm like vanilla. She may have been a little rude, but also, she wasn’t a complete monster like Megan, right?

I mean, she liked ‘Unmasking My Bright Knight.’ We both did. So, she had to be cool. At least fractionally. And the fact that she finished the entire series made me desperate to catch up to her. Because that’s what it was about. Being on the same page with Ivy Jade.

I started the shower, peeling off my clothes, checking my phone one last time for the itinerary Gustav sent me after our phone call. Corn maze, wine tasting, ax throwing, pumpkin carving, rehearsal dinner. The wedding was on Halloween night, which was going to be fucking crazy to juggle since that was the biggest night at the Scare Park, and now I really couldn’t miss it since I was the best man.

Wait…

Was Ivy Jade the maid of honor?

She had to be—she was the bride’s best friend and Gustav’s sister. That was going to force us together even more so, which, for some reason, made my heart hammer into a fury. It got worse. Because not only did Ivy Jade not know I was High Jynx, but she also didn’t know that I walked away with something of hers tonight. A secret I should’ve told her about but held onto regardless.

Out of my pants pocket, I pulled out two black wedding rings, the very rings I found beside Ivy Jade as she got up from the ditch.

Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was foolishness. But I wanted her to come back to me, back to the park to look for what she lost—to see her eyes light up again, the way they did with High Jynx.

CHAPTER 8

Ivy Jade

My nighttime angelitos can go to hell!

My beauty sleep was ruined. I felt the stress bags under my eyes puffing up. Everything was unpleasant!

“Where is it?! Where the heck is it?!” I muttered under my breath, ripping apart every box, suitcase, and closet as I tried to look for the rings.

They weren’t here, not in my pockets, not in my purse, not even in the safe in my room.

I lost Gustav and Tallulah’s wedding bands.

What were they going to say? They were going to freak! I sure would if someone lost my shit—sorry. Rings were literally the entire point of a wedding, and we couldn’t lose the plot over this.

I stopped midway, glancing around, taking a moment to breathe and focus. Think.

I could just tell them the truth.

Honesty was the best policy, right?

Yes!

I could tell Tallulah that I simply misplaced them—or, wait. No. That was so stupid! Telling Tallulah would be… the worst thing I could do. Mami would chase me with a chancla if she knew I ruined an event attached to our Castellanos reputation.

Or… actually, I think Mami would be happy if those two didn’t get married.

No, let’s not go there.

I just needed to retrace my steps.