Page 162 of Vengeful Princess

“Thea! Open the door!” Eden’s voice woke me from a nap. I’d barely slept in the last 48 hours, thanks to concern about Verity. Mrs Gia had eventually called me to say everything was fine, but she didn’t sound fine, and she claimed Verity was asleep and I couldn’t talk to her.

Something was wrong. My gut told me so. I needed to get home, but Dad had canceled my credit card, which I’d discovered when I tried to book a flight. I assumed that meant he was too angry to see me.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m coming!” Had she not figured out I wanted to be alone, dammit?

I unlocked the door with a huff. Eden stormed in carrying several garment bags and proceeded to dump them on my unmade bed.

“I’ve been trying to decide whether we’re still friends, given you’ve ignored me for two days,” she said.

Shit, now I felt bad. I hadn’t been ignoring her for any reason other than I needed some space to get my head together.

“I’m sorry.”

She leaped forward and hugged me, almost crushing my sore ribs. “I’m sorry too, about letting it slip that you went to the Forsyth family ball.”

“It’s OK. It wasn’t exactly a secret,” I lied.

“Well if it makes you feel better, I saw Landon earlier, and he looked miserable. Have you dumped him?”

“What? No. How can I dump him when we’re not even in a relationship?”

I ignored the scoffing sounds she made and picked up one of the garment bags. “What are these?”

With a deep sigh that told me she knew damn well I was changing the subject, she snatched the bag off me.

“Dresses, Thea. For the Christmas Ball, which istonight, by the way!”

“Oh, that.” I shuffled awkwardly. “Um, I wasn’t planning to go.”

“Nope. Not gonna happen.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at me. “You’re going and that’s that. So deal with it.”

“I have nothing to wear!” I whined.

“I know, which is why I took the liberty of buying some dresses for you on Declan’s credit card. He won’t mind.”

“What the fuck, Eden! Oh my God! Now I’m in debt to a gangster!”

“Like you give a shit,” she snorted. “I know who your father is, remember?”

How did she know this??“You do?”

Eden rolled her eyes. “Of course. Declan told me when I came round after you saved my ass.”

She pushed the garment bags aside and sat down next to me on the bed.

“He said your father isn’t a nice man.”

A burst of laughter bubbled up my throat before I swallowed it down.

“Not especially, no.”Psychopath more like.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a soft voice. I could tell she meant it, but I didn’t need her sympathy, empathy, or whatever else she wanted to call it. Eden meant well, but her life experiences were not mine, and I wasn’t in the mood for a therapy session.

“Look, it’s probably a good idea if you send these dresses back before Declan gets his statement. I really don’t want him sending a hitman after me. My life’s complicated enough right now.”

“Not happening,” Eden sang, deciding, like me, that it was wise to move on from my shit show of a father. “Now let’s see which one fits you best.”

My red dress felt much too tight, especially across my tits, which threatened to burst out from the sparkling bodice. Eden had kindly informed me I looked like the love child of a fairy and a Christmas bauble.

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