Lila pulls a dress from the rack. “And this one for me.” She holds up an iridescent gown washed in deep pinks, dark purples, and blues so rich they almost look black, the colors shifting like oil on water. It’s strapless with a small train that will pool dramatically at her feet. It’s the kind of dress that demands attention—just like her.
Brittney gathers the two dresses, and we trail her back into the same fitting room as last time. She gets us set up, runs through the same spiel as before, then leaves us alone. I slip around the partition, undress, and ease myself into the gown. Once I get the zipper up, I take one last, steadying look in the mirror. “Ready?”
“Yup, coming out now,” Lila hollers. We meet in the middle of the room. She gives me a once-over and lets out a low whistle. “Girl, you’re dressed to kill.”
“Oh, you know this event is to die for.” I twirl, letting the dress flare. “You look fucking unreal. Are you trolling for dick or collecting worship tonight?” I laugh as she smacks my arm.
“Kiera Rayne Hawthorne, I would never do such a thing!” Lila protests, but the sinful little smirk she gives me tells me otherwise.Seems like she has her own plans for tomorrow.“Come on,” she adds, eyes still glinting. “Let’s get out of these things and go see Sarah.”
I nod and change back into my leggings and shirt. Once everything’s back where it belongs, we carry the gowns up to Brittney. “Can you place these on the Hawthorne tab?” She smiles, rings them up, and slides a slip of paper toward me to sign. Quickly signing, we load the dresses into the back of my car, and I slide behind the wheel. As we pull away and head toward the cafe, I cut Lila a sideways look. “Okay, so here’s your fair warning,” I say, pausing for a beat. I don’t want her in the middle of it, but I need herready. “During my speech tomorrow, a video is going to play. I need you to act surprised.”
“Understood.” We pull into a parking spot at the cafe, and Lila’s already hopping out before I can even put it in park. “Let’s go, Ki!”
The bell over the door rings as we step into the cafe. Sarah glances up, spotting us, and waves. We weave our way to our usual table in the back, searching the tables as I go. “I’ll be right there, girls,” she calls with a smile as she finishes checking out the customer in front of her.
A loud ping comes from the purses we dropped between us on the seat. Lila snatches hers first. “Not me,” she says, glancing at the screen. I fish out my phone and see a text from Sterling.
Stalker: I see you looking for me.
My eyes shoot up, scanning the cafe again for blue eyes that are quickly becoming my favorite. When I don’t spot him anywhere, a frown tugs at my mouth, and I drop my gaze back to the screen, thumbs already flying as I fire off a reply.
Me: You just going to keep haunting me from
a distance, or actually come inside?
A few seconds after the status flips from delivered to read, the bell rings. I look up on instinct, already knowing it’s him, feeling that familiar pull snap taut between us. Sterling walks straight toward our table, the noise of the cafe dimming to a distant hum. “Well, here I am, Thorn.” His mouth hooks into a half-cocked smile.
Sarah comes over with our usual drinks, setting a glass of sweet tea down in front of Sterling as if it's second nature.Guess he comes here often now,too.“Nice to see you finally have time to drop back in,” she teases. “What can I get y’all to eat?”
Lila perks up like she hasn’t eaten in days. “Ohhh, I want your four-cheese burger with a side order of cheese fries. Please and thank you!”
“Did you gain a hangover somewhere along the way that I don’t know about?” I tease Lila. “Honestly, that sounds amazing—so make that two.”
Sarah turns to Sterling, one brow arched, “What about you? You want hangover food too?”
“No, ma’am, I want that chicken pesto.” Sarah laughs, shaking her head as she heads to put in our orders. “So, what have you troublemakers been up to today?” His eyes locked onto mine.
After a few beats of silence, Lila jumps in for me. “Getting ready for another charity gala,” she says, saving my utterly useless brain from having to form words. “You should come tomorrow.” My head snaps toward her.She did not.
“Thanks, but I’m not sure Thorn here would want me there.” The fake guilt trip he’s laying on is so thick it practically fogs the air between us.
Sarah returns, balancing a tray, setting our food and some fresh drinks down in front of us. “Kiera, what charity is your dad doing this time?” she asks, the same curiosity in her voice as always. Little does she know the ominous meanings behind them.
“Umm, I’m not quite sure. There’s a mystery guest, and it’s for something they’re involved in. That's all the information I was given.” I shrug and shove a cheese fry into my mouth.God, they have the best food here.Across from me, Lila has already demolished half her burger and is plowing through her fries. “Girl, fucking breathe. We’re eating lunch, not at a damn food-eating contest.” She turns her head toward me, cheeks full, and for a heartbeat we all go silent—then all at once, we all burst into laughter. I glance over at Sterling. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, like he isn’t sure he remembers how to have a happy moment anymore.
“Well, I’ll leave y’all to it,” Sarah calls over her shoulder as she heads back to the counter. As we eat, Lila starts bombarding Sterling with a mile-long list of questions, barely pausing long enough to swallow. I sit quietly and let their voices fade into the background as my mind drifts into the past.
Mom is softly humming You Are My Sunshine, her fingers threading gently through my hair. The melody vibrates against her chest where my head rests, warm and steady. “Mom?” I tilt my face up to look at her.
“Yes, baby?” she murmurs, snuggling a little closer.
“Why is Dad always at work? Does he not love us?” I ask, the words barely more than a whisper.
“Of course he does, Sunshine. Why would you think something as silly as that?” She gives me a small smile and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s just very busy right now, that’s all.”
“Okay.” I close my eyes, and she starts to hum again. The soft, familiar tune of her voice lulls me under, pulling me down into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Voices drift down the hallway, tugging me out of sleep. I’m not sure how long I’ve been out, but my throat is so dry it has to have been at least a few hours. Sliding off my bed, I pad across the cool floor toward the bathroom across the hall, the murmur of voices growing louder with every step.
