Page 11 of Faking It with the Ice Queen

Elara walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. With her hands busy and back to Grace, Elara tried to explain their dynamic.

“My father, Victor, is a brilliant man who is proud of his success and wants the same for his family. While my father was building an empire, my mother, Margaret, was ruling over hers—the family and the house. Mom is… She’s my mother. While I love my parents, I wouldn’t exactly describe our relationship as close.”

The mattress springs squeaked softly as Grace sat and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Confused, Elara turned to Grace. “For what?”

“That you aren’t close with your parents.”

Elara bristled at Grace’s sympathy, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “It’s perfectly normal to not be close. They are important people with busy lives. I also have a busy life. There isn’t much time for calls home when you have a business to run.”

Grace slowly lifted a brow at Elara’s attempt at dismissing the conversation. The pause in the conversation was tense, and Grace crossed her arms.

Breaking the silence, Grace sighed. “What about your siblings? Anything I should know?”

Relieved that she wasn’t going to be pressed further on the dynamics, Elara dove into describing her siblings. “I have two younger siblings, James and Catherine, but she goes by Cate. They will be here with their significant others. James is much like my father, though far less…intense. Cate… Well, you and Cate would probably get along. She’s an artist. But don’t underestimate her. They need to be just as convinced we are dating as my parents.”

Elara nervously sipped her coffee, going through every way this week could go wrong in her mind. As Grace stood and crossed the room, Elara’s eyes followed her, waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Grace opened the bathroom door, glanced over her shoulder, and said, “I guess I have a lot of work to do. Gotta lookneatand clean and perfect for the oh-so-important Silvers.”

Elara winced as Grace closed the door behind her with a soft click.

The clean lines of Elara’s cream suit were emphasized by her sharp angles and long frame. Her fingers pressed down the lapel as she adjusted her coat for the third time. Elara couldn’t get her hands to still as she waited for Grace in the suite’s foyer. Glancing back into the mirror, she inspected her hair, making sure that not a strand was out of place.

Elara searched her own eyes, her dilated pupils making the nervousness blatant. Family get-togethers were not usually this anxiety inducing, and Elara desperately wished that this week was the same as all their past events. If she hadn’t lied about being in a relationship, hadn’t been forced into coming up with a partner just to please her parents, this week would be almost enjoyable. While nearly all of the Silver family functions ended with a few bruised egos, at least it was interesting.

Elara was a hair’s breadth away from spiraling into an anxiety attack, and she knew it. Shaking her hands, Elara took a deep breath. In, out. In, out. She was on her fourth set of deep breaths when Grace opened the door. Elara sighed in relief, but stopped as soon as she took in all that was Grace. The muted gold midi skirt and soft, silk cream blouse hugged all of Grace’scurves, revealing a hint of her shape. Her usually messy hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, with only a few unruly pieces escaping, framing her face. Elara coughed as she stood a little straighter in her heels.

Grace waved her hand, motioning to her outfit. “How do I look? Do I pass the white-glove standard of the Silver family?”

Although she sounded irritated, Elara noticed the self-conscious way Grace shifted her weight and crossed her arms, as if shielding herself.

“You look…” Elara nearly saidbeautiful, but caught herself. “You look nice.”

Before she could think too deeply about the thrumming behind her ribs, Elara turned on her foot and headed out of the suite.

Elara stared at the curtains, closed for privacy, and turned to Grace. “Ready?”

Grace smiled nervously and nodded. “Ready.”

Elara held out her hand, smiling reassuringly in return. Grace blinked up at her as realization dawned on her.

Grace mumbled, ”Oh, right. Holding hands.” She stumbled forward and grasped Elara’s hand. “Let’s go meet your parents.”

Elara reached over and held open the curtain for Grace to pass through. The two walked into the room, several curious eyes staring at them from across the table. Her parents stood near the head of the table, their intense gazes appraising Grace as they approached.

Elara strode over to her parents and greeted them each with a light peck on the cheek. “Mom, Dad, I’m so happy to see you arrived without a fuss.”

She took a step back and motioned to Grace. “I would like you to meet my partner, Grace.”

To everyone’s surprise, Grace surged forward and hugged Margaret. “It’s so lovely to meet you.” She then turned to Victor,drawing him into a hug and continued, “I’ve heard so much about both of you.”

Elara’s jaw dropped as she watched her parents awkwardly hug Grace back. Victor made eye contact with Elara, raising a brow in question. On the other side of the table, Cate snorted and James coughed to cover their laughs, but their eyes stayed wide with shock.

As Grace stepped back, Victor spoke to her but looked at Elara as he said, “A hug? That’s…unexpected.”

Margaret cut in, “My, how affectionate! We aren’t quite used to that, but it’s…charming. In its own way.”

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