Page 44 of Fractured Loyalties
“See you tonight.” I lean in, almost kiss her, but then decide not to push my luck.
However, Ivy doesn't. As I head for the door, she grabs the sleeve of my white shirt and jerks me back to her. Our mouths collide with force, and I kiss her, tasting a hint of copper. After a moment, I pull away—no time for a make-out session when we might get caught.
“Roman…” She peers up at me, her lips swollen. “Don’t scare me again.”
I furrow my brow, unsure what she means. “It’s best for this to happen outside of the house.” I hate the honesty I’m giving her, and I hate the confusion on her face.
But also… I hear voices in the distance.
I give her one more light kiss and slip out of the fitting room, shutting the door behind me. The hallway is empty. The assistant is still glued to her phone, oblivious.
Thank God.
I walk out into the main room, calm and collected, and find Irena still locked in a contest of wills with her unknown Versace rival. I pretend to browse, waiting for Ivy to emerge, red-faced and broken, but dressed to kill.
When she does, she’s in a tight little red number, and as Irena and the retail associate gloat, Ivy’s distracted, scanning the room. She finally finds my eyes, and I see it.
Relief.
Silly, Little Lamb.I smile.I’m not going anywhere.
That’s how you keep a family together.
Eighteen
IVY
Oh my God,why am I here?
“Ivy!” Tess beams as she swings open the front door of a mansion almost as large as the one I’m living in. “I wasn’t sure you’d come when I sent you the invite. I thought your shopping trip might run late.”
I force a smile, smoothing out a black, tight dress that feels more like a costume than something I should own.
“Absolutely. I couldn’t miss it.”
I couldn’t imagine being stuck at home either.
But I leave that part out.
“Come on,” Tess says, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the house. “This is actually my sister’s house. There’s no way that my parents would let us get away with throwing a party at my place.”
I laugh, as if I have any idea what she’s talking about. The foyer is packed with shimmering girls in designer slips, boys with chiseled faces and the posture of hyenas. There’s music, shrieks of laughter, and the fizz of champagne.
I try to keep up with her while also being invisible, but honestly, my nerdy friend is anything but invisible tonight. She’sin a red dress, all legs and shoulder blades, her hair up in a dark ponytail.
Nothing like the timid girl at school.
“Ivy,” a voice cuts through the noise, and I turn, bracing myself as I see Blair standing a few feet away in a pale-blue body con dress. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Oh…” I tense up, and Tess links her arm through mine in a protective gesture I don’t miss.
“I love that dress,” Blair continues, her face morphing into some sort of weird, but shocking approval. “My mom hasn’t had a chance to grab any of the new lines they just released…” She pauses, pursing her lips and giving me a once-over. “It looks nice. You look better with your hair curled, too.”
I instantly brush my fingers over my hair and then glance down. The dress is black silk, minimalist. It’s the one Irena insisted looked like something perfect for me. And I guess she was right.
Still, I shrug, trying not to make it weird. “My mom finally had a chance to help me upgrade my wardrobe.”
“Well, you look hot.” Blair actually kind of smiles at me. “Props to your mom for fixing your poor-girl look.”
