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“A party,” I laughed dryly. “Who's going to come? Grace and Vivienna?” I turned to the steering wheel and started the engine. “How am I supposed to act normal when nothing is normal?”
“How about something smaller? Forget those bitches.” Larissa sounded euphoric, or was I misreading that? “How about this? A little ceremony where we pick out names for them, see how we can best help you... I mean, two babies are obviously a lot of work.”
I began to back out of the parking space. The others, except for Larissa, buckled their seat belts.
“Help me? Larissa, this pregnancy is my problem, something I brought on myself.” I looked in the rearview mirror. “You can't and shouldn't help me.”
Larissa sighed. “I would sooo love to be their godmother.”
I stopped the car in the middle of the parking lot and stared into the rearview mirror, where Larissa was giving me that look I knew from Buddy when he wanted treats, but I couldn't give him any more because the package was already empty.
“Pleeeease?”
Had a Ruisangor just asked me to be the godmother of my Quatura twins?
“You... are a Ruisangor...” Emely remarked hesitantly.
Larissa laughed. “No one has to find out.”
Emely stared into the back seat.
“Larissa, this isn’t a game. These are living babies, and you’re not exactly very responsible,” Bayla said, and Larissa gave her a reproachful look.
“Bayla’s right. And in the end, it’ll come out and your family will get in trouble with the Blairs, or worse, with the Westcodes.”
Emely’s warning was justified. Except that I didn’t give a damn about the Westcodes.
“You can,” I said without hesitation. “Because from my point of view, no one is more irresponsible than me, Bayla.” I looked at Emely. “And even if someone finds out.” I laughed bitterly. “Let them. I'm not responsible for the Councils' nonsensical rules.”
Emely stared at me.
“Oh my God...” Larissa whispered, turning to Bayla and grabbing her by the shoulders. “She said yes, didn't she?”
Bayla smirked, her eyes still red, and Emely smiled in disbelief.
“Julie!” Larissa turned to me. “Please let me throw a baby shower for you. A small one. Just the four of us.” She looked at Emely. “Only if you want to.” Then back to me. “Please. Please.”
She folded her hands in front of her chest as if she wanted to pray.
“I hate this town,” I huffed, promising myself to forget all the horrors of this place, at least for a moment. “So, let’s do things our families would not approve of.”
Larissa’s jaw dropped.
I looked at Emely, who was still staring at me as if she were deep in thought herself.
“They don’t have to know about it.”
Chapter 55
Bayla
Hardman Returns
Christopher Tyng
When Emely and I got out of Nash's blue Jeep, I immediately felt a piercing gaze on the back of my neck. Automatically, I looked up at the window of Alarik's office.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I caught sight of the red-haired Madame. She stared at me like a bird of prey staring at its next meal, ready to tear me apart. As if she had been waiting for me.
