Chapter 26 #3
The assistant nods and hurries off, leaving Veronica free to turn her attention back to Novalee.
“What an amazing idea, dear. Once you’re done with the uniforms, perhaps you could think about curtains, table settings…
everything! I have a fantastic interior designer I work with for all my properties.
I’m sure he’d love to collaborate with you for the joint venture. ”
“Thank you, Mother.” Nicholas gives her an almost sincere smile. “It means a lot.”
Veronica reaches out, resting a manicured hand on Novalee’s forearm. The gesture is deliberate, calculated. “Of course, we’re family.”
I barely manage to suppress a scoff. Family. Right. If she only knew her perfect little world is on the brink of collapse.
Novalee, to her credit, doesn’t flinch under Veronica’s gaze or touch. Instead, she mirrors her smile. “Thank you, Veronica. That means a lot to me too.”
God, she’s good. Too good. And as much as I hate seeing her tangled in this web, I feel a flicker of pride at how flawlessly she’s playing her role. This whole damn game would crumble without her.
Here goes nothing.
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you.”
Veronica lifts an eyebrow, her sharp gaze sliding over me. “Oh?”
“We’re going to have our first show this Sunday.”
“Already?”
“Yes.” I keep my smile easy, disarming. “Levi decided it has to be something different, something bigger. To make sure everybody knows we’re back.”
Veronica laughs. “I always admired his flair for the dramatic.” But there is the briefest wrinkle next to her nose. Disgust buried deep. A lie.
“He wants to do the show on the street,” I continue, keeping my tone warm, even though I would love to hurt her for that flicker of disgust aimed at my twin alone. “Right in front of the Lane Building.”
“On the street?” she echoes as if she’s trying the idea on and already hates the fit.
“Yes.” I nod as though I’m oblivious to her discomfort. “But I wanted to ask you first if you’re okay with that. I know it would be in front of The Heights by default, and I don’t want to disrupt your daily business.”
She doesn’t like this one bit. I can see it in the way her fingers twitch slightly.
But she swallows it down, painting on the good face she thinks I’m buying.
“No, of course you can. Now that I know it’ll happen, I can make sure we arrange everything that has to go through the street on a different day.
And since it’s Sunday, it shouldn’t be too bad.
It’ll be noisy, though, won’t it? A crowd, music, maybe even speakers? ”
“Probably, yes,” I agree. “But we won’t take longer than maybe thirty minutes.”
“How will those hearing aids of yours handle that, Koen? Won’t it be a little… overwhelming?” A faint smirk plays at her lips, and I recognize the calculated jab for what it is, her letting me know that she remembers my weakness.
I hold her gaze, refusing to let her see the flicker of irritation her comment stirs in me. “They’ll handle it fine.”
“Of course,” she says with a small shrug as if she didn’t just try to throw me off. “I’d expect nothing less from you. All right. I can’t wait to see this show of yours then.”
“Thank you,” I interject a little more sincerity into my voice as if I’m relieved. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but it would mean so much to Levi and me to remember Oscar this way. In a show that’s worthy of his greatness. Something he would have truly enjoyed.”
Her face shifts into a mockery of sadness, her hand reaching out to touch mine. “I understand, darling. That is so thoughtful of you both.”
“You’ll come, right?” I give her a hopeful look, then glance at Nicholas, who looks like he’s about to protest, perfectly playing his part, but she cuts him off.
“Of course, Koen. We’ll be there. Front row.”
“Thank you.” I flash her a wide smile. “That means the world to us.” Her assistant comes back, carrying the uniforms, and I take them with a nod. “And thank you for this,” I add, lifting the garments for emphasis. “We’re so excited about this project!”
“Oh, I am as well. We should come together to discuss more details when the show’s over.” Veronica pats my forearm again before turning to her son. “Come on, Nicholas. I need to go, and you need a shower.”
“See you Sunday, Veronica.”
To your demise.
Veronica looks expectantly at Nicholas, who doesn’t miss a beat, leaning down toward Novalee. He brushes a kiss against her lips, lingering only long enough to sell it. “I’ll see you later.”
Novalee nods stiffly, a doll on autopilot.
They disappear down the hall, and we turn toward the exit without a word. It’s not until we’re back in the Bronco that she moves, her fingers ghosting over her lips.
“It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure her. “Nicholas wasn’t lying about anything. His body language, the kiss, the promise to see you later. None of it was an act, Little Thief.”
“I need a fucking break.” She exhales sharply, her hand falling to her lap. “I was numb for years, and now every goddamn day is this avalanche of feelings. I can’t keep up anymore.”
I glance at her and see the exhaustion etched into her face. I don’t have time for a break, for anything really. But she needs one.
“What do you do to calm down?”
“Ramen, Twinkies, and MasterChef,” she replies without hesitation.
I blink, the corner of my mouth quirking up. “MasterChef? Really?”
“It’s my favorite,” she says defensively, crossing her arms. “Don’t judge.”
“Oh, I absolutely judge.” My grin widens. “You can’t cook for shit, and your favorite show is MasterChef? Make it make sense.”
She huffs. “Why would I watch it if I could do it myself? That’s like watching… I don’t know, porn. You don’t need it if you’ve got the real thing.”
I bark out a laugh, and she grins at me, some of the tension in her shoulders melting away. I take her chin and turn her face up toward me. Her green eyes meet mine, and it hits me how much she’s letting me see her right now.
“Okay.” I brush a kiss against her lips. “Here’s the plan. We’ll grab some Twinkies on the way home, I’ll make you ramen, and then we’ll chill out and watch MasterChef. Sound good?”
She nods, and I can see how much she appreciates the idea.
I kiss her again before letting go and starting the engine. Her hand slips into mine as I pull out of the lot, and as her fingers tighten around mine, I realize I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy.