“Inner circle,” she says with a look that could freeze Florida. “Vaughn and I gowayback.”
“Yeah?” I smile. “How do you two know?—”
“I hear you used to date Andrés Torvallés.”
I stiffen.
“W-what?”
“Andrés. Someone said you used to fuck him.”
I shake my head, frowning. “Oh, no, definitely not. I teach a dance class at Knightsblood University, and he’s on the board.”
“Wason the board,” Sabine says flatly. “Being dead has a way of relieving you of those sorts of duties.”
God, why is she being such abitch?
“True,” I say with a nervous laugh. “But, no, he and I never dated. We just?—”
“You know, his dad killed mine.”
I stiffen, my jaw dropping. “Oh my God,” I breathe, “I’msosorry?—”
“Fucker put me in this chair at the same time,” she adds with a harsh edge to her tone.
I nod slowly. “That’s…terrible. I’m so sorry. But I really didn’t ever date Andrés. We were barely acquaintances.”
Isthatwhy she’s got it in for me?
Sabine eyes me for another few long seconds. Then slowly, she smiles.
“Sorry,” she sighs. “I get all alpha about Vaughn. He’s like family to me.”
I exhale in relief. “Please don’t worry about it.” I grin. “I’ve got an older brother, and I’ve spentso muchtime chasing girls away from him.” I giggle. “It turned out to be a wasted effort. He’s gay anyway.” I lower my voice. “Also, Vaughn and I…we’re not like athing.” I lean closer. “He’s, uh…my Adept.”
Sabine smiles and then turns to signal a server walking past us with a tray of champagne. He bends down so she can pluck two flutes off it. Then she turns back to me. “Can we start over?”
I exhale again, grinning. “I’d love to.”
“Great.”
She hands me my glass, which has a little candy bubbling and fizzing in the bottom of it.
“It’s supposed to mineralize the grapes or…some shit,” Sabine grins, rolling her eyes. “I dunno. Vaughn's a wine nerd. He says it’s supposed to make great champagne taste even better.”
“Well, who can argue with that,” I smile. We clink our glasses, and I take a sip.
“Well,” Sabine sighs. “I should go mingle. But I’m glad we talked, Evelina.”
“Oh, Evie is fine, really,” I smile back. “I’m glad we talked, too.”
She winks and start to maneuver her chair around. “Oh, and Evie?” Sabine glances over her shoulder at me. “You don’t actually have to squat around people in wheelchairs. I was just making that up to be a cunt.”
She laughs as she rolls away.
Note to self: don’t get on her bad side. I mean,Jeez.
I walk through the crowd, sipping my champagne. There’s no sign of Gabby. But when I see Carson standing alone on the large terrace outside, I figure it's my chance to perhaps get anything more concrete from him.
