Page 88 of Just One Bite
“Fine. I have one,” I say.
“You have to sip first.”
I take another drink, hopefully satisfying that oath.
“Barrett tried to mark me. Did you know that?”
“You what?” Octavia isn’t smiling anymore. She lowers her drink.
There’s a thick unease tainting the air and adding weight between each of us. My words stick.
“You wanted a truth.” I sip my drink. “He told me he was going to mark me against my will at the house round table.”
“You don’t understand what you’ve done.” Barrett readies himself to stand, and Aster yanks him back into the couch. He didn’t know. A shocking yet oddly satisfying revelation.
“I’m fine with my decisions. He had a lot of interesting things to say when he forced me to be alone with him in the woods. Something about bribing me to be his fiancée in exchange for—”
“Quiet.” Barrett chugs his drink before slamming it down. “No more games.”
Aster is up on his feet following Barrett’s retreating form. “Hold on. What the fuck was that? We agreed …”
His voice dissipates into the roar of the crowd.
“Are you okay?” Octavia’s mouth hasn’t closed since she heard the news. “I didn’t think he’d do something like that. If I’d have known, I … I would have done something. Barrett and Aster, they’re friends of mine, but we’re not that close.”
“It’s fine. I’m okay. Parker found me.”
“You’re so calm. I’d be freaking out.” She sips her drink, and her fingers fumble with the rim of the glass. “My mom tells me that’s why I’m not ready for a lead. I wanted to be your alternate, but she says I underperform under pressure.”
“What? Really? Is your mother quite … severe?”
Straightforward is how I’d seen it. But I never knew she was like that with her own daughter.
“Olivia.Please. You’ve seen her. She loves perfection. Raw talent. I’m good, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be great. Sure, I try, but … I don’t know if I can break into natural talent.”
“Youcan.Are you kidding? I’ve seen you dance. I’ve learned things from you already.”
She chugs the rest of her drink and smiles. “You know, you’re really nice.”
“Am I not supposed to be?”
“My mother was excited for you to come because she knew your mother. I didn’t know what to expect.”
“Let’s go practice. We can mess around and do some variations forSwan Lake.”
“That would be amazing. I’ve been so forgetful lately and haven’t been setting my alarm for practice as early as I normally do. I’ll get us some water.”
When she walks away, I quickly text Emma, informing her I am in fact the best sister and she owes me. Hopefully, my sacrifice will cheer her up.
My phone chimes, so I check.
An anonymous text reads:
Enjoying the party?
I scan the room. No one in my direct eyeline is watching.
“Octavia, said to give you this.” Someone sits a water bottle on the table beside me.
