Page 97 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
“Oh!” she practically glowed. “Have fun. I know this is not your favorite thing, but maybe tonight will be better than past years?” She smiled at me again.
Her kindness confused me—didn’t she hate me?
Dina floated over to us. “Gentleman, your uncle Stephen needs to see you. Outside. Now. Alatheia, come with me. I want to introduce you to some young men.”
“You what?” Jeremy whirled around, but the glint in his granny’s eyes stopped him. “Not funny. Keep her away from all the other men, Granny. What does Uncle Stephen want?” As he asked the question, he joined his brothers on their way out the door.
Dina took my arm. “Come meet my friends, darling.”
For once, I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. I felt included—like one of them—and I found the sensation heady. I could literally roll around in it.
I met five or six of Dina’s oldest friends. I wondered if they lived a lifestyle like hers, but I didn’t know how to tell. In any case, they embraced me as Dina and I promised several times to visit all of them in the City when I got back home. They wanted to show me their New York, because all of them had favorite spots I just had to see.
Barrett appeared behind me, taking my hand. “Excuse me ladies, I’m stealing her.”
“It was so nice meeting all of you,” I managed to say before Barrett tugged me outside to the patio.
He said simply, “I need to dance with you.”
That is so sweet.“Is Stephen okay?”
“Yes. He just needed to remind us of some truths. Apparently, we weren’t quite playing our roles correctly, but I am going to dance with you. Everyone is going to have to be okay with that, because I have been dreaming of dancing with you since we found this dress.”
He tugged me against him on the dance floor. I pointed out, “You know I can’t dance.”
“You can.”
It was like a fairytale. I never dreamed of being a princess, preferring to slay my own dragons, but I loved how it felt to dance with Barrett Lent.
When the song ended, he led me away. “Thank you, Alatheia. That will be the best part of my night. Of many nights.”
People were still entering the party—apparently not everyone got the memo that they were supposed to be there before Rosalind made her entrance. I saw a fire breather entertaining a crowd and a magician in another area. It seemed no expense had been spared on entertainment.
My mind stuttered then. For a second, I couldn’t believe what I saw, then I thought I must be crazy. I blinked twice, because it couldn’t really be happening. Entering the room with another laughing couple was my Aunt Amelia followed by her boyfriend, Ted.
I nearly lost my balance when Barrett didn’t expect me to stop and almost yanked me forward.
“Sweetheart?”
I stared at them still, trying to make it be anything else, but I knew. It absolutely was them.They are here.What are they doing here?My heart pounded fast and hard in my chest, but it felt as though all breath left my body.How can they be here? Why?
Amelia made eye contact with me before turning to Rosalind, who stopped to greet them. Ted’s gaze traveled over my body, asit always had, and my skin went icy cold as nausea turned my stomach. The color faded from the room.
Rosalind turned and stared at me before looking back at them.
What is she saying?I had to get closer even as every cell in my body begged me to turn around and run from the room.I need to flee. Danger.
The last time I’d seen her, she’d beaten me. The last time I saw Ted, he tried to rape me.But they are here. Aunt Amelia, tall and severe with her sharp features, stood beside Ted, whose presence was menacing with his cold eyes and imposing build. Unlike the rest of my mother’s family, she was blonde haired to go with her dark eyes, a beautiful woman. Probably the prettiest out of all of my mom’s sisters, and everyone told her so. The twins were cute. Did my mother like being called cute? I couldn’t think about that. I just couldn’t think at all.
I could hear my aunt’s shrill voice, and every word hit me like a coffin nail. “I just can’t believe you haveherhere. You know she isn’t to be trusted. I’m sorry but you need to get her out of here. You won’t believe what she tried to do to Ted.”
This is happening. Again. In the middle of this party. “Sweetheart,” Barrett said again but this time he had Jeremy with him. “What’s happening?”
I clutched at my throat, the pearls not giving me any strength, but how could they? It was such a nice fantasy, the idea I could make things work. Aloud, I managed, “Barrett, do you remember what I told you about what happened to me in Chicago?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“What happened?” Jeremy looked between us. Julian arrived, his hand on my back, and Phoenix hovered next to Barrett.
