Half mad, I text her bodyguards, only to find out that Lilly snuck out yesterday, and they only realized she was gone when one of them checked after not seeing her all day.
They said they tried to contact me, but I didn’t get the messages because I’d only found a charger when I got into Blood’s car—I’d left mine back at the hotel.
I reread our last text exchange, just to confirm that I’d been a complete asshole.
I dial her number, but it goes straight to voicemail. Then I start firing off messages one after another while heading to the closet to grab my tux.
There’s no fucking way I’m giving up on her.
That’s not even on the table.
Lilly
I spin in front of the bathroom mirror, where my old room in Nora’s house used to be, for the third time.
God, this isn’t me.
The red dress is way more daring than I expected, and it feels like if I make one wrong move, I’ll be standing there naked.
I shouldn’t have listened to Theo. He’s used to dressing supermodels and movie stars. I feel like a fraud.
My hair is swept to the side in a bun, but a few strands are loose over my shoulders. The red lipstick he insisted I wear looks like blood against my pale skin.
I’m not comfortable. The femme fatale vibe doesn’t suit me. I look like a man-eater.
“You gonna stay in there all night? The party’s downstairs, doll!” Theo teases.
I sigh, because he’s right. I came straight upstairs without even greeting my mother—desperate to hide.
I head out to face the person who got me into this mess, but as I open the door, he grabs both my hands and kisses them.
“Jessica, you look amazing! Don’t be silly.”
And just like that, he makes me laugh.
“Stop it! I think this was a mistake. This isn’t me.”
“No, Lilly, this is a version of you the world just hasn’t seen yet.”
I think about what he just said. “Maybe, but I don’t think I’m ready to be close to this new version yet.”
“I’m not gonna let you hide again. You’re incredibly beautiful, and you won’t be stuck in the background anymore, not if I have anything to say about it.”
“What am I going to do with you?” I ask, knowing I won’t be able to change his mind.
“Keep adoring me? Compliment my amazing physique? Admit this tux will easily make me the hottest guy at the party?”
“Alright. Let’s go, Mr. Modesty. Time to walk into the lion’s den.”
Arriving at my mother’s house with Theo turned out to be a good idea, because even with this gorgeous man by my side, my legs are shaking with nerves.
But he draws attention just by breathing—he’s so handsome and charming—that thankfully, it pulls the focus away from me.
The look Nora gives me the moment she sees me makes it clear she disapproves of my outfit choice. But she’d never criticize me publicly—or her image of the perfect family would go up in smoke.
As for Ramon, the way he looks at me makes my skin crawl. I’m no longer the naïve little girl I used to be, and I can clearly see that a stepfather should never look at his stepdaughter that way.
There’s no doubt that his behavior tonight is anything but fatherly.
