“You’ve had enough today,” I told him, rushing straight to my closet.
He let out a sad little whistle, tugging at my heartstrings, but I needed to start putting my foot down. I’d been guilt-feeding him extra treats for weeks because of my absences, and that was worse than giving him none at all. I wanted him to live to out the full promise of his long lifespan, and overfeeding him was counterproductive.
I threw open my closet door. Black as far as the eye could see.
“Like your soul,” Theo had joked, but my monochromatic wardrobe was more practical. Black went with everything. Ink stains were hard to see on it. It cut down on decision fatigue when it came to outfit selection. Plus, it just plain lookedgoodon me.
Hiding near the back was a short, corseted tulle cocktail dress that made me feel like the Black Swan whenever I wore it. I pulled it out and quickly changed into it before running to my bathroom. The location pin Blake sent me was twenty minutes away without traffic, which meant I needed to get my ass in gear if I was going to meet him on time.
A glimpse in my bathroom mirror revealed that my makeup had held up pretty well throughout the day. All I needed to do was blot my face, reapply my blush and lip stain, and then add another layer of setting powder and finishing spray.
There. Good enough.
I ordered an Uber, locked the apartment behind me, and headed outside.
One apprehensive car ride later, I was back in the balmy night air, standing on a corner near a jewelry store and a hair salon. This was a busier part of the city, filled with hotels and bars, and there were people everywhere. I scanned the sidewalks for my brother but didn’t see him.
I’m here, I texted.
Where? I don’t see you.
I searched for him again, then peeked my head around the corner of the building, and there he was, walking toward me in a tuxedo, looking dapper. He’d done something to his sandy brown hair, slicking it back, and the sullen look I’d seen on his face lately was gone, replaced with determination.
“Are you ready?” he said.
“Hi, yes, hello. It’s nice to see you, too. I’m glad we’re speaking again. Do you finally understand why I did what I did?”
“No, you self-sacrificing idiot. Now come on.” He wove his arm through mine and led me down the street.
“You couldn’t pay it,” I said, my eyes clocking a few other well-dressed people heading in the same direction.
“You could?” Blake asked.
“We came to an agreement.”
He shook his head. “And you trusted him to stick to it? That he didn’t have ulterior motives?”
“Don’t give me that look,” I said. “I’m notactuallyan idiot. I have never, nor will ever, trust that man. And yes, I was worried about ulterior motives, but I was more focused on getting us clear of him.”
“That’s where you went wrong. While you spent the last month flirting with him, I was paying closer attention.”
“I wasnotflirting.” At least, not the whole time.
Blake shot me a look full of censure. “Yes, you were.”
Anger swept through me. I hadn’t thought less of him for losing three million dollars, and yet here he was judging me for what I’d done to get that money back.
“What are we even doing here?” I asked, my voice flat. I wanted to get this over with, then go back to my apartment and calm down. I also planned to take some more time away from Blake. Because it was clear that my relationship with my brother was on rockier ground than I’d thought, and I wasn’t in the right headspace to try to fix it.
“I told you,” he said. “We’re going to a party. A veryexclusiveparty.”
Exactly as I’d feared. “How’d you even get another invite?”
“I stole Henry’s.”
“And you think Theo’s just going to let us waltz in together?”
Blake snorted. “Theo won’t have any idea we’re there until it’s too late. These parties make our society functions look like cute little get-togethers.”
