Page 116 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

“Let me talk to him.”

“Simon, I’m good.”

“Give him the phone, Sprite.”

“You’re such a bitch,” I choked on a laugh, rolling my eyes, but I handed Reuben my cell phone.

He pressed it to his ear, and my tiny phone looked comical against his huge face. “Pierce?... yeah... understood.” Reuben listened to whatever Simon was saying, then rolled his eyes. “Obviously. I’ll see you next week. Okay.” He hung up and handed the phone back to me.

“You okay,” he asked me. I nodded and rubbed my ruined makeup off with the tissue he’d given me.

“Yeah, just relieved. Reuben, I have this bad habit of thinking that people hate me and that they aren’t my friends anymore, and it makes me hate them back and cut them out of my life. It’s part of my condition, and I work really hard not to fall into that trap or line of thinking, but... oh my God. I had no idea Woodrow blocked all their numbers. I thought they all abandoned me.”

“Sit down, I’ll bring you some water.”

“I hate water.”

“That was not a request, Alice.” He went into the kitchen to get me a drink before I could argue with him. Out of spite, I downed the rest of my wine like a shot since he wasn’t there to stop me.

He returned a moment later with a small glass of water. I attempted to sip at it. He glared at my empty wine glass but didn’t say anything.

My phone buzzed again and a photo came through. Simon, Becca, and a few of my other friends were bundled together and smiling into the camera. I could tell they were in Reuben’s club. The message underneath said, “we’re glad you’re okay.”

I showed it to him. “Look,” I said softly. “See, they like me.”

“Of course they like you.” He put his arm over the edge of the couch but not around my shoulder, as if he were letting me decide if I wanted to be touched.

I decided I did, and snuggled up closer to him, pressing myself into his side.Mmmmm he’s so big and snuggly and squishy. Like a fucking teddy bear.I almost called him one, but I remembered that fucking brat pass. I wondered if I could veto it and ask him to use it a different day.

Nah, because it would just prolong the torture of being good.

“Hey Reuben,” I said, looking up at him.

“Hmm?”

“If this doesn’t work out, will you hate me?”

He looked down at me with concern, and I wondered if I saw a little bit of pain in his eyes. “No, Alice. I won’t hate you. I’ll be disappointed... but I won’t hate you.”

“Just wondering.”

He took out his own phone and ignored me for a minute while he sent a few messages. I tried to look up at his screen but he moved it away from me.

“What are you hiding,” I whined.

“I’m just asking Becca and Simon not to announce our tentative relationship publicly yet. I love Becca, but she’s a bit of a gossip.”

“Are you ashamed of me?”

“Of course not. I don’t want Peter Woodrow showing up at my door.”

I felt my gut twist. That was fair. I don’t know what he would do if he found me, especially considering he’d basically coerced me into marrying him.

“Um, about those legal documents... any chance you’ve–”

“I have a friend working on reversing those. They’ll be here this weekend. Which reminds me... are you free on Saturday?”

“Of course.”

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