I don’t take it personally. Not after seeing her an hour earlier—pressed into a quiet corner by her ass-hat of a fiancé, his hand gripping her wrist just a little too tight as he scolded her through clenched teeth.
I lower the tray between us. Some kind of stuffed mushrooms. Her mouth twists.
“Yeah, I’ll pass.”
“Ari,” I say softly. “Can we talk?”
Her eyes flick toward the long staircase, then back to me. Her lips purse. For a moment, I think she’s going to say no. Instead, she exhales and nods.
“Hold on.”
She turns toward her bodyguard—the one I recognize from Tonio’s YouTube video. She murmurs something to him. His eyes jump between us, suspicion written all over his face. He clearly doesn’t buy whatever excuse she gives, but he nods anyway and steps away.
I head up the stairs first, unwilling to cause a scene. My pulse pounds in my ears as I reach the top and wait for her, the noise of the party fading below us.
“Ugh, I’m getting so sick of him,” she says, drawing out the words.
Ariella looks around, passing several doors before pulling me into one. It’s a large bedroom with a master his and hers bathroom off to the side, where Ariella drags meinside. She gives me a once over, her eyes roaming me up and down.
“What did you need to talk to me about?” she asks point-blank.
“I wanted to apologize about the other day. In the bathroom.”
“It’s fine. You’re not the first or the last person to not like me.” She huffs.
“I don’t know enough about you to say whether or not I like you. But I was wrong to let Shawny influence my words. Thalia is my best friend, and I know she adores you. You could have told Thalia, and she’d have cut me off,” I say appreciatively.
“Thalia and I aren’t that close.”
“Are you kidding me? She stormed into a room full of men and looked Axel right in the face the day after Lucia was returned and threatened his life after he tried convincing your parents to take you back to California.”
“Oh. I never knew that.” She shifts her weight back.
“She’d cut my tits off for the way I treated you.” I laugh. “I’m sorry.”
“Wait, did you think I wanted Efren?” she asks.
“No, I think Efren was just using you to fuck with me, and well, Shawny has been jealous of you since Nero became your… bodyguard.” I stall on the last word.
I’m not sure who Nero is to her, but he doesn’t look at her the way a bodyguard should. I wasn’t the only one who’d caught the way Preston scolded her. Nero was also watching, and his face was murderous. Reaching into my apron pocket, I dig out the paper Efren had given me.
“The eggs benedict recipe from Efren… and my peace offering. He told me that’s what you wanted.” I offer her the paper and a smile. Her eyes light up, and she wraps her arms around me.
“Thank you,” she says, and I hug her back.
It doesn’t feel weird. The hug is real, easy—like something we both needed. There are a lot of things wrong with me, but hugging isn’t one of them.
Missy was a hugger.
“We’d better get back before Nero realizes I didn’t bring a purse,” Ariella says, releasing me.
I turn to leave when Ari grabs my wrist and yanks me back into the bathroom. Cursing under her breath before the door swings open, and a man’s voice cuts through the room.
“I’ve got ten minutes before someone notices I’m gone. If you want your money, work fast.”
Across the bathroom, the mirror catches the man clearly.
“Isn’t that your fiancé?” I whisper.
