“Yeah, right,” Grace snorts. “I’ll bet a hundred bucks you won’t.”
“I’ll even bet five hundred,” Avalon adds. “And I don’t have that much money to lose. But I know you, Soph, you’ll never stop seeing him. Not after finding out about Sawyer and Astrid, which isbonkers, by the way.”
I gag. “Don’t remind me. The thought makes me nauseous as hell.”
“What I can’t believe is that the bastard took her side,” Grace rolls her eyes, sprawling all over the fluffy carpet on the floor. “I know you’re putting on a brave front, but everyone can see how much it hurts.”
“Of course, it hurts,” I mutter, looking down, and avoiding eye contact with each one of the girls. “Because if the roles were reversed, and Soren had leaked such a private moment of Sawyer, I never would’ve taken Soren’s side. Apparently, family loyalty doesn’t exist when you’re pussy whipped.”
Avalon snorts. “Trust me, he’ll come to regret it.”
“And it’ll be too late. Because if he had regretted it the same night, I would’ve forgiven him. Now? He could move the mountains, and I’d still never speak to him.”
“Sometimes, I forget you hold grudges for life,” Avalon mutters. “Besides, when he realizes how fucked up it was to defend Astrid, he’ll apologize properly.”
“I highly doubt that,” I sigh, then lean my cheek against her shoulder. She takes my hand in hers, rubbing the back of my palm with her thumb. “How did your parents react to that relationship?”
“As well as one would expect. I did throw him under the bus, and I think it earned me some brownie points. From what Mom has told me, Dad’s not speaking to Sawyer for being a hypocrite. He’s condemning me while doing the same thing, so I guess that counts for something.”
“Oh, you’re definitely the favorite child,” Lila snickers.
“Not really,” I mutter. “Aside from a few mishaps that always seemed to involve Soren, and what happened at the Christmas party,it’s always been Sawyer to make headlines. In his late teens, and early twenties, he had more scandals than anyone I know. From getting drunk and starting fights, to selling weed on campus. I’m not the favorite, I’m just the more disciplined child, so their methods are different for the two of us.”
“And you’re far more stubborn.”
I chuckle, then a knock comes to the door. All the girls straighten up, and I sit nicely, fixing my hair, glancing at them for approval. For a moment, it feels like we’re high schoolers hiding drugs or alcohol.
“Come in.”
Elliot opens the door with a soft smile, standing at the threshold. “You’re requested downstairs in twenty minutes, Ms. Sloane.”
“Why?”
“You have guests.”
I frown. “Guests? Who would come unannounced?”
Elliot winces. “The Fords.”
My eyes bulge out, almost dropping from their sockets. “All of them?”
“Except the youngest child, yes.”
“I’ll be down shortly.”
The moment Elliot’s out the door, and it closes behind him, I start hyperventilating. The only person doing something productive is Grace, entering my closet and pulling out an outfit that she deems suitable. While I’m trying to pay attention to Lila and Avalon’s words of encouragement, and not have a mental breakdown, Grace starts working on my hair, pulling it into a sleek, low bun, making sure to add one of my favorite bows.
“Why are they here?” I hiss, more to myself, as Grace drags meto my feet,and starts taking off my pajamas. “There’s no reason they should be here.”
“Maybe because of the lawsuit? You know, if you don’t sue Astrid, they won’t sue you?” Lila offers, though something tells me something far worse is happening here.
“I’ll pray it’s about that.”
???
My own home has never felt this suffocating. Everything is making me feel uneasy. Grace’s choice of clothes is very, very simple, yet it fits within what I’d wear on a daily basis perfectly. A black, fitted, long-sleeved shirt, with baby pink pants. She managed to put on some jewelry on me just in time, and spray my favorite perfume. I’m not sure why we’re doing all the work, but I had no time to protest.
With each step I take, my heart starts beating faster. My palms grow sweaty when I reach the biggest lounges of the manor, stepping into view. Edward and Elena Ford are sitting across from my parents, and their eyes snap to me.
