Page 43 of Never Enough

I cannot. I just freakin’ can’t.

We follow Patricia into the sitting room, the air thick with the scent of old money and fresh flowers. She turns to me, squinting slightly. “And you are?”

“Daphne,” I say, trying to hide the sting. “The harp player.” We’ve met before. Sure, I’d been twelve at the time, but still.

“Ah, yes.” She nods, her memory so distant it’s insignificant. “That scholarship kid. Aren’t you the girl Alex pitied?”

A wave of pain washes over me. I’m the charity case again, the outsider looking in.

I glance at Alex, his jaw tight. I don’t need his pity. Not now, not ever.

It’s exactly why I won’t bring up how my mother has been writing to me. I want Alex to love me for me and not because he feels bad.

Alex jumps in before the silence can swallow me whole. “I never felt bad for Daphne,” he says, his voice firm. “I’ve always liked her.”

“Sure,” Victoria pipes up with a roll of her eyes.

Celeste giggles, linking her arm through Victoria’s as if they’re about to present some grand performance. Their voices blend into one another like an annoying song I can’t tune out.

“Isn’t she just the best?” Celeste adds, her insincere voice dripping with false sweetness.

They turn away, their laughter a barrier I can’t breach. I’m invisible on the outside again. A puppy following at heels, hoping for scraps of attention.

“Girls, how is the music program treating you?” Patricia asks, pulling me back to the present.

Celeste flutters her lashes, probably thinking it makes her look more sincere. “It’s fantastic. The professors, the classes… It’s all amazing.”

Victoria nods, picking up the thread. “Yes, the opportunities we have are simply unparalleled.” The other women then talk musicality.

I stand there, nodding along to their rhapsody about scales and arpeggios. But when Alex’s mom’s gaze briefly flits to me, I speak out about something that’s been wearing on my mind. “Attending WU has been a dream, but from a privilege standpoint, I believe soloists should earn their spot based on an audition process.”

Silence crashes into the room like a wrong note scratching. For a second, even the air feels charged, waiting for what comes next. So, I continue, unable to keep my mouth shut. “Instead of who has the wealthiest last name.”

Victoria’s face reddens, her eyes narrowing like I’ve struck a nerve. “We’ve talked about this,” she snaps, her voice rising in pitch and volume. Her anger is a palpable thing, filling the room with tension.

Patricia, cool as ever, sits and leans back into the plush couch, surveying us with an expression that says she’s heard it all before. “If we’re being technical,” she starts, her fingers drumming on hersilk blouse, “Victoria will take over the music department in a few years. If she wants the solo, she gets the solo.”

I feel my heart drop.

“That’s just the way the world works.” Patricia lifts her chin, a queen on her throne. “If you had a business, you could make your own rules too, dear.”

My eyes flick to Alex. They beg him to say something, anything. But he stands there, jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle flex. He doesn’t answer. Doesn’t defend me. Silent support is all he offers, and it’s not enough.

Suffocating air thickens with unsaid words.

Then, like an unlikely savior, the butler appears at the door. “Dinner is ready,” he announces, his voice steady, breaking the spell.

I exhale. Dinner. A mundane activity that feels like a saving grace right now.

Chapter sixteen

Alex

So far, today has been a complete disaster. I invited Daph with me to ease my sister and parents into our relationship. To get them used to seeing us together before we announce to the world that we’re in love and shit.

Naturally, Celeste had to ruin it by tagging along. Was her granny ever coming? I don’t even know anymore. Yet what could I do? Celeste is still important to me. I don’t want to just ditch her. Like,Thanks for the memories. It was great, but I gotta bounce now that I’ve found the true love of my life.

It’s disrespectful.

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