“Theo, your mask! And you—” Audrey covered her mouth and sobbed again, looking between the two of them. She hardly knew what to do. “You did this?” she finally asked him. “How did you find her?”
He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at their row. “Violet helped me. She went digging in your phone for the contact info when you were in the shower, and she slipped it to me a few weeks ago. It took some convincing, but once I hired a professional nanny for the week to make sure everything at home with the kids would be okay, Gladys agreed to come up.”
Her foster mother leaned forward and cupped a hand around Audrey’s ear. “It wasn’t the nanny that did it,” she whispered. “He’s a fine-looking man, Audrey. You’ve nabbed a handsome one. I came across his college lacrosse photo online and decided I needed to judge for myself how attractive New York men might be, if they’re all cut from this same cloth.” She squeezed Audrey one more time before drawing back with a wink. “Now get your ass back down there!” Gladys shoved playfully at her back. “You still need to toss your cap, or whatever the traditional nonsense is! Get back to your seat so I can take some videos for my friends on Facebook!”
Audrey barked another laugh but didn’t obey—not just yet. Instead, she leaned around Gladys and reached out for Theo. He stretched forward and took her hand in his.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice still shaking. “I love you.”
“I know.” He grinned and squeezed her hand. “I love you too. You’ll get plenty of time with her. We’re all going out to dinner afterwards.”
“We’re really going out to a restaurant?” He’d staunchly refused to tell her anything about what he had planned for today. Now she knew why.
But they still had never been out to eat at a restaurant together, not with how uncomfortable he was about his scar.
Theo nodded. “I made reservations weeks ago.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” His grin was as crooked as she’d ever seen it. “We’re getting Italian at Carmine’s so Gladys can see Times Square.” He brought Audrey’s hand up to his mouth and brushed the back of it with his lips, a kiss so gentle and delicate, it was almost fragile.
But she felt every bit of what he wanted her to through it. She could barely contain it herself.
It amazed her how a gesture so small could contain such multitudes.
“I’ve been practicing not hiding my face in public so I could do this today. For you.” He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. “You were right. People don’t really give a shit.” He glanced back at the stage and shooed her away like Gladys had. “Now go back! You’re missing your own graduation! We’ll find you after!”
Audrey did as she was told.
She was a weepy mess while she twisted her tassel from one side of her cap to the other and then tossed it in the air with everyone else in her winter graduating class.
She never thought she would feel so light closing the chapter of this part of her life.
Maybe it was because the next one shone so very bright.
Twenty-Two
“Shit, I’m runninglate. He’s gonna be here any minute! Vi, do you know where my clutch is?”
“Right here in front of you, dummy.”
“Oh fuck.” Audrey smacked her forehead and took the bag from Violet, who immediately gasped and started fussing again.
“Yourmakeup! DON’T TOUCH YOUR GODDAMN FACE!”
“I’m sorry!” she wailed while Violet grabbed some powder and setting spray and fixed what she’d just smeared. It apparently hadn’t set all the way yet and she’d already forgotten she was wearing it. “I’m not used to this!”
“Which is exactly why Theo asked me to help you!” The way Violet huffed was rather smug, but Audrey supposed that was to be expected.
She had to admit she lookedamazing.
It was her first black-tie event. Her new dress wasn’t going to wear itself, and every time she thought about it, she grew more and more nervous.
He’d managed to finish his sculpture after all—just in time. He was convinced it was terrible, but he’d done it all the same.
And he needed a date to go with him to unveil it to the world.
The question of the gala came up a few weeks ago before graduation,and that’s when she discovered there was treachery afoot. It was Violet who’d broached the topic a little too casually: “Hey, Auds, Theo was telling me the other day when you were in the shower about some charity auction gala. What are you planning on wearing?”
