As I nodded, grateful for her timely intervention, my relief was short-lived. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emily returning, a glass of wine in her hand, and a renewed sense of determination in her stride. The smile she wore was as fake as the sincerity in her voice.
“Oh, Vinnie, I didn’t see you earlier,” she cooed, her tone dripping with false pleasantness. “You must be so busy with everything.”
Before I could respond, Emily’s foot seemed toaccidentallycatch on the rug, and, in a dramatic flail, the contents of her glass went flying—straight onto my pastel blue dress. The red wine splattered across the fabric, spreading like a stain on my mood.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Emily exclaimed, her voice full of faux concern, but the gleam in her eyes betrayed her delight at the damage she’d caused.
It’s fine,” I managed through gritted teeth, my gaze flicking to Ethan, who was now standing beside me, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Let me help you clean it up,” he offered, but I shook my head, forcing a tight smile.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, excusing myself as I made a beeline for the bathroom in the back of the gallery.
Once inside, I grabbed some paper towels and started blotting the stain, but the more I tried, the worse it seemed to get. My reflection in the mirror stared back at me, seething with frustration. “She did that on purpose,” I muttered, scrubbing harder. It wasn’t just the dress. It was everything. The way Emily moved, the way she smiled, the way sheclearlyhad no boundaries when it came to Ethan.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. “Don’t let her ruin this for you,” I whispered fiercely. “Today is too important.”
After doing what I could to salvage the dress, I straightened up, taking one last steadying breath before heading back out but, as I neared the gallery floor, the sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks. There was Emily, standing way too close to Ethan, her hand lingering on his arm as she leaned in, speaking in low, hushed tones. Ethan’s eyes darted around, clearly uncomfortable, but Emily wasn’t giving him any space.
“And you know, Vinnie had quite the wild side back in Cresden,” Emily was saying, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I heard some pretty interesting stories about her and that ex of hers—Sebastian.”
Her words made my blood run cold at the way she spoke, and the implication behind her words.How did she know about Sebastian?That wasn’t something I’d shared publicly, especially not here in Hallow’s End. My gut twisted with a sense of dread.
“That’s enough, Emily,” I said sharply, striding forward. My voice cut through the air like a knife, drawing both their attention. “This is neither the time nor the place for your gossip.”
Emily turned to me, her expression one of feigned innocence. “Oh, Vinnie, I was just making conversation,” she said, her tone as sugary as ever, but I could see the satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
“Well, make it somewhere else,” I snapped, finally having enough with her petty games and drama. “And keep your hands off my boyfriend.”
Ethan’s arm instinctively wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, the firmness of his grip reassuring. But this time, he didn’t just stand by. He turned to Emily, his expression hardening with a seriousness I hadn’t seen before.
“Emily, this has to stop,” he said, his voice firm and steady. “I’ve tried to be polite, but you need to understand something. I'm not interested, and I never will be. I’m with Vinnie, and she’s the one who matters to me. Nothing you say or do will change that.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with finality, and Emily’s face paled, her confident facade slipping just for a moment before she forced a tight smile.
“Of course,” she said, her tone brittle. “I was just . . . trying to catch up. No harm meant.”
Ethan didn’t let go of me, his gaze unwavering. “You’ve said enough, Emily. It’s time to move on.”
Her eyes darted between us, her expression unreadable, before she nodded and turned to leave, her steps quicker than before.
Once she was gone, Ethan turned back to me, his gaze softening. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” he said, his voice full of sincerity.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I needed to hear that.”
He smiled, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “You deserve nothing less.”
“Well,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, “I guess I just declared you my boyfriend in front of the whole town.”
Ethan’s serious expression broke into a laugh, the sound rich. “I noticed,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “And you know what?I was actually going to ask you to be my girlfriend later tonight. But it looks like you beat me to it.”
I grinned, a blush creeping up my cheeks. “Guess I couldn’t wait.”
He chuckled, his arm tightening around my waist. “Honestly, Vinnie, I’m glad you did. It’s about time we made it official. I’ve been wanting to call you my girlfriend for a while now.”
As the late afternoon sun began to dip low in the sky, the opening event started to wind down. Guests milled about, finishing their drinks and snacks, admiring the last few pieces of art. The energy in the room was still buzzing, but there was a sense of contentment now, a feeling of a day well spent.
Ivy caught my eye from across the room, gesturing for me to come over. “Hey, Vinnie,” she said with a smile, “I think it’s time you thanked everyone and did the raffle draw. Also, we need to pick the winner for the GoFundMe page. I’ve got the laptop ready.”
