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Lucas hugged her back. “It’s good to see you again, Marta.”
“And Ms. Ivy. You have grown into such a beautiful young woman.”
“Oh.” I was taken by surprise as she pulled me into a hug, as well. I thought I was just along for the ride. “It’s wonderful to see you, too, Marta. You look exactly like the last time I saw you.” She was still adorable, short, and plump, and while her brown hair had more gray streaks, she was the same Marta I had always enjoyed seeing at their house.
She welcomed us in and walked us toward the sitting room. I took in my surroundings. Nothing had changed since the last time I had been here, which was about eight years ago. All white, just like I envisioned heaven to be. It was kind of terrifying. The smell of fresh flowers was overpowering, and combined with my grumbling stomach, made me a little sick.
“Will you play the piano for us?” Marta asked Lucas.
“I would love to. We’ll see if Mrs. King wants me to.”
“I hope so. Your music would fill the house while I cleaned.”
He beamed. Amy told me he played the piano the few times he came over in our senior year of high school. I never got to witness those times, but he was the only person who ever played the incredible white grand piano. We entered the sitting room and found Scott with his parents. His mother sat stiffly on a white, rock-hard couch, while Scott and his father stood by the piano.
Scott’s eyes lit up when he saw me. His mouth opened slightly, and then his lips turned up in a small grin.Yes!Even if this night was annoying, it was worth it for that small reaction. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, and heat filled my cheeks. I hoped Amy wouldn’t turn around and notice my blush. All I could think was that I couldn’t wait to kiss him later. But for now, we had to keep our feelings under wraps.
Amy strode into the room. She passed by her mother and headed straight for Scott and her dad first. I didn’t miss the cool glare in her mother’s eyes. Ruby King was a terrifying woman. If this wasDays of Our Lives,she would be the evil twin version of Jackie O.
Scott wrapped Amy in a hug. I was relieved to see her reciprocate. Amy hugged her father next, his dark brown hair tinged with gray, but he was basically Scott in thirty years. Scott shook Lucas’s hand. I trailed behind them and waved awkwardly at Scott. How exactly was I supposed to act in front of everyone?
“Ivy, hello,” Scott said stiffly. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Yes, you too, Scott,” I replied. Amy raised an eyebrow at me.
Amy’s father pulled back from their hug and shook Lucas’s hand. “Thank you both for coming.”
“Thank you for the invitation,” Amy said.
Finally, Ruby stood. She touched Amy’s arm. “Hello, Amethyst.”
Amy met her gaze, not letting anything pass through her expression. I hadn’t seen Amy interact with her parents much in recent years, but this side of her was a little frightening. “Hello, Mother. Thank you for having us over for dinner.”
Ruby turned to Lucas. “Hello, Lucas.”
“Hello, Mrs. King,” Lucas replied. He held out his hand to shake, and Ruby put her limp fingers in his hand.
“Our other guest should be here soon, as well,” Mr. King said.
“Other guest?” Amy asked, echoing my thoughts.
“Didn’t I tell you?” her father said airily. “We have one more guest. She’s the niece of a long-term partner of mine. In fact, she knows Ivy.”
What on earth?I didn’t run in the same circles as these people. My family might as well have lived on a different planet. Ruby King would have a heart attack if she came to my house and had to deal with our chickens and goat. That didn’t even include the nasty, giant white grubs I pulled out of the soil this morning with my dad. In the Venn Diagram that had my family in one circle and the Kings in the other, who could possibly be in the intersection?
I didn’t even have a moment to process when my least-favorite housefly sauntered through the door. And that was saying something, because I hated flies. Her giant sunglasses were tucked away in her giant purse, but here she was in a skin-tight, hot pink dress and silver heels.
Blake.
