Page 72 of Never Tear Us Apart

I make my way over to Jake, with Jenica in tow, and fill him. Apologizing for not being able to help with the fliers, he confirms he’ll make sure it gets done and tells me not to worry.

As I start to head to the house, Jenica calls my name. I stop and turn to look at her and when I do, the worry in her eyes is clear. She cares about her friend and trusts Royce about as much as I do.

“Everything will be fine,” I say with confidence. “I’m going tomake sure of it. Thank you for telling me.”

“What are you going to do?” she asks candidly.

“I am going to make sure our girl is okay.”

She gives me a crisp nod, then watches as I head up to the house, with Jake standing by her side.

After packing an overnight bag, I get changed, grab my keys and head out the door. Royce fucking Richardson better not be anywhere near Ellery when I get there. If he is, he’s going to discover where the strength from my fast ball comes from.

What I just said, I meant. Ellery is my girl. She always has been. And I’ll be damned if that fucker Richardson thinks he can swoop in and take her from me. Not now. Not when we were getting somewhere.

Now that Ellery was back in my life, she was there to stay, and we would never go back to how it was. I’d do anything to make sure that never happened.

Chapter 15

Ellery

“Honey,” my mother knocks on the door. “Are you ready? Royce is here.”

“It’s open,” I call back, while checking out my reflection in the floor-length mirror.

She makes her way into the room and sets a blue velvet box down on the bed, smiling wide. “Oh honey, you look beautiful.”

“Why, thank you,” I smile back at her in the mirror and give her a little curtsy. “But you get the credit for picking out the perfect dress. Well done.”

As promised, Momma had selected a handful of gowns for me to try, and the moment I saw this one, my mind was made up. It’s black satin, with a corset top that cinches tight at the waist and a full pleated box skirt that sweeps the floor in the back. The crinoline is light and moves when I do—not scratchy like those I’ve worn in the past—and that’s it. It’s simple and black and I love it.

“A dress is nothing more than a piece of fabric. You darlin,” she cups my face, “are the treasure.”

I reach for the white opera length gloves on the desk next to me, and after slipping on one, then the other, I pat the back of my head. My hair is piled into a high bun, with a braid wrapped around the base, making my neck look longer than it is.

“You know,” I look her up and down. “You don’t look so bad yourself. I bet you and Antonio will be the best looking couple there tonight.”

Momma is wearing a champagne colored Versace gown similar to the one Cindy Crawford wore to the Oscar’s earlierthis year. It has a halter neckline with a dramatic v, but the skirt instead of being straight is full, coming out just slightly from her hips, then cascading to the ground.

With her hair pulled back into an elegant French twist, and her diamond tiara and matching bracelet over her white opera length gloves, it’s easy to see why she was the most sought after debutante when she was my age.

“Well thank you, sugar. But you should see Antonio.” She winks at me and I can’t help but laugh.

The two are like newlyweds. So happy, and so in love. Every time Cruz’s dad walked into a room Momma lit up like the Fourth of July, and he always smiled in her presence.

“What’s that?” I look down at the bed.

She reaches for the box and hands it to me. “It’s for you.”

“What is it?” I ask tentatively.

She opens the lid, and resting delicately on blue satin lining, is a double strand of pearls. “Royce brought them for you to wear tonight. They are his family’s pearls.”

“Oh.” I take a step back like the box is going to bite me. “That’s nice, but my pearls are fine. I don’t want to send the wrong message.”

She looks up at me, smile fading slightly. “Well, honey, I’m afraid not wearing them would do just that.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, watching as she closes the box and sinks down on the end of the bed.

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