Page 49 of His Wall

I walked her into the room.

"This way. Declan saved us seats next to him, which is unfortunate because Declan kicks under the table when he laughs."

"Noted."

"Soleil is at the bar. She's going to ambush you in seventeen seconds."

"Noted."

"Champagne?"

"Wine, please. White."

We were two steps from the bar when Soleil saw her.

"Claire."

She was across the floor in seconds. She took both of Claire's hands. Claire let her. Soleil held her at arm's length and made a sound that was not a word, and then she pulled her in and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Look at you. Where is this dress from?"

"It's old."

"It's not old."

"It's old."

"I will find out."

Soleil's eyes flicked to my hand on Claire's back. The corner of her mouth moved. She did not say anything. She pulled Claire half a step from me, hooked her arm through Claire's, and walked her to the bar.

Nolan looked at me over his glass.

"You're done for, Jules."

"Shut up, Reeves."

He smiled into his drink.

A small commotion at the door. The conversation in the room dimmed by three notches. I turned with the rest of the room.

Thea was in the doorway with Lena on her hip. She was in a long red dress — I'd been there when Declan picked it out — and her red hair was half up and half down on her shoulders. Lena was in white with a bow in her hair that was already crooked, her small fat hand gripping Thea's necklace. Thea took one step inside the room. She looked up.

The chandeliers. The peonies. The people turned to her.

Her free hand came up and covered her mouth.

Declan was across the room from her. He had not moved. He was watching her like she was the only thing in the room.

She looked at him.

He smiled.

She crossed the floor to him with Lena on her hip and the long red dress moving around her ankles. When she got to him, she put her free hand on his cheek and said something I could not hear. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, very slowly, with his eyes closed.

Lena grabbed for the balloon nearest to her and missed.

I felt my chest tighten.