Page 73 of Fast & Reckless
“I did not—!”
“Yes, you did. I was there. Now you’re trying so hardnotto notice each other that your necks are about to snap. It’s painful to watch.”
“Is it that obvious?”
Violet shrugged. “Not to anyone but me, who has a prurient interest in other people’s sex lives. So it was Melbourne, right?”
“Melbourne what?”
“When you started fucking.”
“Will you keep your voice down?” She cast a panicked glance over her shoulder, but the balcony was empty aside from the two of them. “No. Well, we kissed in Melbourne but that was a mistake. And then there was Singapore. Also a mistake. But it happened officially in Austin.”
“But that was only a month ago!”
“It’s really new.”
“So why all the secrecy? If he’s making you sneak around like some dirty secret, I swear, I’ll kill him and hide him where they’ll never find his body.”
“No,I’maskinghimto sneak around.” That sounded terrible. Because itwasterrible. All of this was terrible. Why had sheever started something she knew was so wrong? And for what? So she could beat herself up constantly, wondering where she stood? Why was she taking this enormous risk, imperiling everything, for what might be just some meaningless fling? Was he really worth it?
“Why?”
She eyed Violet. “You know why.”
“Fuck all that. You like him?”
“Yeah, I do,” she admitted quietly, watching him below as he ducked his head to hear something his sister was saying to him. He was right there in the room with her but he might as well be on the moon, and shemissedhim.
Violet leaned in and dropped her voice. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I think he likes you, too.”
“You think so?” She hated that desperate note of hope in her voice.
“I do. He does that sad little thing where he thinks he’s being chill but he manages to bring up your name in almost every conversation. ‘Did you ask Mira about that?’ ‘Do you think we should check with Mira before we schedule this?’ ‘Have you seen Mira? I have to ask her this random question that is in no way part of her job.’ It’s honestly disgusting how into you he is. I can’t believe everyone isn’t onto him at this point.”
“Don’t say that,” she groaned.
“You know you can’t keep it secret forever, right? People always find out.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Violet tossed back the last of her champagne. “I need another drink because I am volunteering to be your beard for the evening. I’ll go insert myself in Will’s family so you can come with me and have an excuse to talk to him. That means I’ll have to make conversation with his insufferable Tory father,so I hope you know what a huge sacrifice I’m making for you here.”
“Violet, you’re a hero, but that’s okay. I think I’m just going back to the track.”
“What,now?”
“Yeah. I’m worried some of my files ended up in the advance pack out for Monza, and I need to make sure they go back to Lennox.”
“But I think the Awful Hawleys are leaving soon. Will might be looking for you.”
“It’s okay.” She glanced back at Will down below. “I just need to think about this a little bit. Alone.”
32
Will stood in the front entrance of the reception room gritting his teeth while his mother griped at his father about something.
“I don’t understand why they even came,” he muttered under his breath to Jem.
