Page 257 of The Heart You Kept

Say something…. And quick.

“Thank you for having us, your house is incredible.” I smile, that was lame but anyway, at least I said something.

His eyes float around the room as if trying to see it through my eyes. “It is. A little big if I’m being honest. That’s the problem when you inherit things, you don’t get to choose.” He widens his eyes with a cheeky smile.

Oh…he’s nice. Not at all what I imagined.

A group of girls are talking to Sinclair and then they include Theodore, my eyes wander over to them, all gorgeous and talking and laughing. Not a visible nerve in sight. My mind wonders if these are the kind of women Edward usually dates.

Beautiful and confident.

“Your margarita.” The waiter passes me a cocktail.

“Keep them coming, please,” Edward asks him.

“Yes, sir.”

I casually look around in hope to spot Thomas.

“He’s over by the bar,” Edward tells me.

“Oh.” I stand still, not wanting to move.

“Go on, then.” Edward sighs. “You have ten minutes.”

I smile and kiss his cheek. “See you soon.” I turn and head toward the bar, I need to dissect this party with someone stat.

EDWARD

Jerome, Theo’s bodyguard, appears through the crowd and whispers something to him, Theo’s eyes rise to meet mine.

I lean closer. “What?”

“There’s a disturbance at the front gate, sir,” Jerome replies.

“What kind of disturbance?”

“Miss Auclair was refused entry and is demanding to see you, Mr. Prescott.”

Isadora.

My eyes meet Theo’s.

“She’s being very vocal and says she’s not leaving until she speaks to you, sir.”

Theo crunches on a piece of ice, unimpressed. “Go deal with your problem.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I drain my glass, this is the last fucking thing I feel like.

I follow Jerome through the party and out to the front gates. Isadora is standing to the side with her arms folded.

“What the hell are you doing?” she spits when she sees me come around the corner.

I pull her to the side and out of earshot. “What the fuck are you doing is the question,” I whisper angrily.

“I’m trying to get into a party that I would have always been invited to…. And now for some unknown reason…I am not.”

“Don’t play games with me, Isadora,” I sneer. “You made your bed, now fucking lie in it.”