Page 394 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
I don’t recognize the voice. It’s hard even to hear it over the pounding in my ears, echoing from my chest.
But I hear Lincoln, again.
“They are siblings, just so you know. Like the flowers in the Attic type,” Lincoln warns The Great Natalia, then takes a drink from his beer bottle. “But still, siblings, and it’s fucking weird.”
“Just mind your own business.” Nyx takes a drink, too.
“Seriously! Can you shut up?” Annabelle fumes again. “The Great Natalia is trying to give a reading.”
The Great Natalia keeps her distance, like everyone else, who lean back in their chairs now that Ambrose is at the table.
“I know who they are.” Her eyes lock on us, so much sadness in the icy depths. “I have a message from your parents, and please bear with me, as I’ve never witnessed the kind of images they’re showing me.”
The room goes deathly still, aside from Valaria and her click-clacking heels as she brings the four of us some drinks over. “Here’s some liquid courage. You might need it.”
Her click-clacking stops when she takes a seat at the next table.
I clutch my glass and hold it in a death grip. “Oh, God. I can’t do this.”
“You can do this,” Annabelle whispers.
But it’s Ambrose I turn to. Focus on. The softness in his eyes and the way his fingers dance along my shoulder and down my arm, for all to see.
The Great Natalia stands frozen, her eyes wide on us. A tear falls. My eyes dart between her and Ambrose.
“Okay.” She shivers. “My apologies. That was a lot to process.” She leans her weight on the table.
“Do they hate?—”
“Your parents don’t hate either of you,” she cuts me off.
“They haunt me.”
“They’re sorry you feel haunted,” she whispers. “They’re very sorry. But they’d never again do anything to hurt you.”
Never again.The room doesn’t hear what I do. Sound bursts out in whispers, all saying they aren’t the ones who should be sorry.
A loud whistle breaks up the hate-filled chats between friends.
Many of us turn, seeing Valaria’s pursed lips.
“One more hiss about my barman or his relationship, and you can drink somewhere else tonight! Am I clear?”
Clear… and intimidating.
The room silences, again.
“His parents thank you.” The Great Natalia smiles at Valaria. Her still squinting eyes move to Ambrose, and then roll to the back of her head. Staying there, exposing the whites of her eyes to us.
I’m ready to leave my chair and run. She looks like something I could envision in a ghostly horror movie.
“Mom says sorry.” Natalia’s eyes are still somewhere in the back of her head. “Sorry thattheydon’t get to see the real you. That all this happened because of what she and Dad did.”
They, meaning all the people in here, who are almost as unnerved as I am.
“She loves you.” Her eyes return to the front, but she isn’t looking at Ambrose, she’s looking through him.
Ambrose doesn’t move.
