Page 22 of Silent Partner (Pine Falls 3)

Sheridan laughed and picked Gemma up. Immediately a bit of light flashed in her eyes. Gemma seemed to be a balm for Sheridan’s soul. Sheridan tapped her nose. “We’d better see that cake.”

That meant I had to face him, again.

I tiptoed over, trying not to make eye contact. I was really hating Tristan right about now. I hadn’t realized how much I had used him as a buffer, or even a crutch. That should have probably said something to me. Something like, I didn’t love Tristan the way I loved . . . I couldn’t think it. I was a fool to fall in love with anyone. It was Oscar and me forever from here on out.

I stalled a bit by placing my gift on the table. All eyes were on me—I could feel them. Especially his. Internally, I took a deep breath before facing everyone. It wasn’t a bright idea. The first person I locked eyes with was him. How easily they owned my body and soul. I was pathetic, yet I couldn’t look away. How did he do that?

“Why don’t you do the honors?” He held the box out for me.

“Hurry, hurry!” Gemma shouted.

“What’s all the fuss?” Brock walked down their floating staircase, carrying a pile of gifts so high we couldn’t see his face. Brock loved to spoil Gemma, while Dani worried about how much they spent on her. Both Dani and Ariana were living much different lives compared to how we had all grown up. I knew how incredibly grateful they were for that, but also how they each wanted to stay grounded and, most importantly, keep their children grounded.

“Daddy,” Gemma squealed, “come look at my cake!”

I waited to open the box until Brock made it safely down the stairs. How he deftly maneuvered them without being able to see, I had no idea. I began to wonder if the Hollands weren’t demigods or something. They were all intelligent, successful, driven, and so beautiful it hurt. Looking at all of them standing near me, I felt so out of place. They exuded glamor. Dani included. How I’d ever thought I had a chance of bearing the Holland name was laughable. Good thing I’d finally wised up.

When Gemma couldn’t take it any longer, I opened the box for the big reveal. Gemma peeked in from the arms of her grandma. Her hands went to her mouth, and her eyes widened. “It’s the best cake ever!” she exclaimed, making all the time and effort I’d put into it worth it.

Everyone oohed and aahed over it. Except he took it one step further by saying, “It’s perfect, like the birthday girls.”

The room suddenly got quiet. Brock and Sheridan smiled at each other while Dani audibly sighed, clearly unhappy. I didn’t know why she was so unhappy, but she didn’t have to worry. I knew he was lying. If I was so perfect, he would have chosen me. But the truth was, I was never getting picked.

Chapter Five

I took a sip of one of the little fruity cocktails being served at the “adult” section of the birthday party in Dani and Brock’s dining room, which was decorated beautifully with hundreds of pink roses and candles of every shape and size. It was stunning. But between the beautiful decorations and all the Carrington Cove socialites who had come, I felt uncomfortable at my own party. I knew the well-over-a-hundred guests hadn’t come here for me, even though most of them had brought me a gift, judging by the large pile stacked on the gift table Sheridan had set up. It was so embarrassing. Like I was a charity case or something. Actually, there was no something about it. That’s what I was, always and forever, it would seem.

Drowning in my humiliation, I found myself staring out one of the large windows into the darkness. In the daytime, I would have been treated to a beautiful vista with a mountain backdrop. The darkness fit my mood better. Not being able to see where I was going was indicative of my life right now.

Amid my pity-party-for-one, Aspen—Dani and Brock’s neighbor and wife to Miles Wickham, a.k.a. Taron Taylor, international bestselling author—tapped my shoulder.

I turned to find her giving me a tentative smile. I should note that we were friends too. Tristan was Miles’s editor and friend. Whenever Tristan had come to town, we had always gotten together with them. For that reason, I had been trying to avoid Miles and Aspen tonight.

“Hi.” She bit her lip.

“Hi.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

She nervously smoothed her beautiful golden-brown hair. She, along with everyone else around here, was gorgeous. It was super intimidating.

“I just wanted to say how sorry I am,” she whispered.

I knew it was coming. We were going to talk about Tristan. “It’s not your fault.”

“I feel like it is. We helped set you up with Tristan. But I want to go on record and say that breaking up with you right before your birthday was a cruel thing to do. I told him as much.”

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