Page 93 of Heat Island
Egret takes a quick sip of his whiskey, his expression carefully neutral as he clears his throat. “You weren’t supposed to find out about that until after the wedding.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” My voice rises, no longer caring who might overhear. “You couldn’t just let me have this one thing? You had to swoop in and take that, too?”
“Can you lower your voice?” Egret says, glancing around the ballroom. “And then I’ll explain.”
“Don’t you dare tell me to lower my voice,” I nearly shout, my hand slamming against the bar hard enough to rattle the glasses. “You dumped me five years ago for being too ambitious, and now you’re actively sabotaging my ambitions? What is wrong with you?”
His jaw tightens. “That isn’t what this is about?—”
“Oh, really?” I laugh, the sound sharp and bitter. “You’re marrying my sister, pretending we’ve never met,and now you’re buying up property just to fuck with me. What is actually going on here, then? Explain to me why you’re so determined toruin my life!”
The words ring out across the ballroom, louder than I intended. Conversations halt mid-sentence. Heads turn toward us. I’m vaguely aware of movement from my table, but I’m too far gone to care.
“Trinity, what’s going on?” Josie’s voice cuts through my rage-induced tunnel vision. She appears at my elbow, concern etched across her face. “Why are you shouting at Egret?”
I whip around to face her, my chest heaving. “Because your fiancé is a manipulative asshole who?—”
“Trinity!” Mom’s sharp voice makes me freeze. She’s standing just behind Josie, her expression a mixture of shock and disappointment.
I realize with growing horror that we’ve attracted quite an audience. Cash, Lucas, Matheo, and Kyren are approaching from our table. Brendin and Saren have materialized from somewhere, flanking Egret protectively. Half of the rehearsal dinner guests are staring at us like we’re dinner theater gone wrong.
“What is going on here?” Josie demands, looking between Egret and me. “Why are you two fighting?”
Before I can respond, Amelia’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade.
“She’s upset because her pack isn’t real,” Amelia announces from where she stands near the windows, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Just ask Holly.”
My gaze flies to the only other girl here who I thought was on my side, save Josie. “You told her!”
Holly winces. “Of course not, but I think you just did.”
Well, shit.
“I overheard Trinity telling Holly earlier tonight that she hired them all,” Amelia says triumphantly. “They’re not her mates—they’re escorts. She was too embarrassed to be the only omega here alone.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I feel the blood drain from my face as every pair of eyes in the ballroom fixes on me.
I can’t speak. Can’t breathe. The weight of everyone’s stares filled with disappointment, shock and—even worse—pity is crushing.
“So much for all the nonsense you spew about omega independence,” Isabelle adds with obvious satisfaction.
“Trinity?” Josie’s voice is small, hurt. “Is this all true?”
I turn to Josie, feeling a combination of guilt and exasperation bubbling up in my chest.
“You should be upset with your fiancés for not telling you the truth about their past with your sister,” I say, my voice sharper than intended.
“I was upset,” she admits quiet sigh. “When they told me everything weeks ago.”
The words hit me like a slap. “Wait, what? They told you. When?”
“After that family dinner when everyone was acting so weird.” Josie wraps her arms around herself, looking suddenly small in her elegant dress. “They sat me down and explained their whole history with you. College, the engagement, everything.”
I stare at her, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“I really wanted to believe that they couldn’t have meant much to you when you went five years without even once mentioning their names,” Josie says, eyes shiny. “When I showed you their pictures that first dayat the coffee shop, you didn’t say anything. I thought...I thought you wanted to forget the past. That bringing it up would only cause problems.”
The guilt hits me like a freight train. All this time, I’ve been protecting her from a truth she already knew.
