Chapter 26
T o my relief, Phoenix fell asleep almost immediately upon snuggling up against me.
He breathed low and soft, not so much snoring as he had been.
Maybe it had been exhaustion, and since he was more rested, it was easier for him to just relax.
But Julian snored, and after their interaction, it made me smile.
Barrett might be out, but I couldn’t hear or see him well.
When Jeremy came over and touched my foot gently, it didn’t surprise me he was awake.
“Don’t say anything. I don’t want to wake them. What you just did for my brother, Princess? That was magic. You’re magic. I just thought you should know that.”
He squeezed once more as my heart clenched. I hadn’t done much at all, just talked about storms everywhere I lived. He stayed a second longer then went back to his futon. Minutes passed before I heard he snored, too. Everyone was asleep but me. I wasn’t sure why I was awake.
The storm raged on, lightning crashing and thunder rumbling. Phoenix murmured something but didn’t stir. He squeezed me tighter and his forehead found the back of my shoulder blade. He really does love that spot .
I still wore my pink pearls. I touched the strand, thinking I should remember to take them off at night, but tonight would have to be a wash. My eyes finally closed. That night, if I dreamed, I don’t remember it.
Light lit the room when I awoke, and I sat up quickly, trying to figure out what time it was. Dina said the stylists would be there for me around noon. The clock on the wall read six—still very early. Why am I awake?
Abruptly, I noticed that although both my bedmates were still out cold, parts of their bodies had awoken.
Both Julian and Phoenix were hard against me, and the knowledge sent a visceral shiver of electricity down my spine.
I’d never thought about it before, because honestly, morning wood wasn’t part of my life.
It just happened to men in the morning, I remembered reading. Or maybe it meant they were both attracted to me? In any case, I smiled, glad they thought I was beautiful. I wasn’t ready for sex yet—I didn’t think—but somehow it felt like a win that they wanted me.
I closed my eyes, dozing off for a while longer.
Barrett roused me a second time. He walked over, kissed my forehead by leaning over Julian, shook his head and headed for the bathroom. The clock said eleven, so I figured I should probably get up, but I was cozy.
Do I have to? Ooh, my inner thoughts were being bratty.
Barrett cleared his throat as he exited the bathroom. “We’ve got to get going. Up. Sorry, guys, I was asleep too, but we have that day ahead of us, and we can’t put it off.”
Phoenix sat up, resting his head on his knees. “Fuck this day.”
“I know.” Barrett laughed. “Trust me.”
Julian murmured something but didn’t open his eyes as his twin brother jumped up and squeezed my leg on his way out of the room. “Ooh. Look at the mess out here. The storm really blew through. They’ve already got people out here cleaning it up.”
“Great.” Phoenix kissed my cheek. “Sorry, Red. I didn’t mean to be … that way last night. But you are … yeah, everything.”
He followed Jeremy into the messy outside. I was glad the storm was over. Barrett sighed. “Julian can be hard to wake when he’s really out. Want me to get him or do you want to wake him?”
“Give him a minute.” I was happy for one more snuggle myself. “I’ll get him up.”
“Okay. See you later, Sweetheart.” Barrett stopped to regard us for one long second. “Can’t wait to see you in that dress again.”
The room was quiet after their exit, only the sound of the screen door shutting. I smoothed Julian’s hair off his forehead. “You up?”
His lids opened slowly. “You are so beautiful. I want to sleep next to you for always.” He frowned. “Where did the rest of them go?”
“They left. You have to get going, too. I have people coming to make me look pretty.”
Julian shook his head. “You’re always pretty. They’re just going to make you look like everyone else.”
He rolled on top of me, and I laughed, surprised to find him above me.
“Beautiful Alatheia, who somehow makes us whole when we had been broken, good morning.” He kissed me, gently at first, but then not so softly.
I loved keeping up, so I closed my eyes and let Julian give my body a wakeup call.
He stopped, planting kisses all over my face and then my neck, then even lower down.
When he stopped, I almost asked him not to.
“This is your timeline. You may have a sense of how much I want you, but I promise it’s more than you can imagine. But you set the limits, and I follow them. That’s forever, by the way.” He lifted his head. “Okay?”
I nodded. “You make me feel safe, Jules. I wasn’t worried about you pushing me about anything.”
“Best compliment ever.” He pulled back and it dawned on me that they’d all left their clothes in my hamper. Three—no, four, because Julian was leaving—guys just in my room in their underwear, shirtless, traipsing across their estate toward the main house.
I covered my face. Is it possible to die of secondhand embarrassment?
I thought about the Poor Relation while Cara, one of the assistant hairdressers doing my hair, chatted happily. She babbled on and on about her garden. I tried to pay attention, but the surreal always made me think about the Poor Relation , because she commented on it a lot.
It seemed someone had planned me a full spa day, since someone did my nails earlier, then Cara styled my hair, and finally someone would come to do my makeup after I put on my dress.
The gown hung on the back of my door, waiting for me.
My pearls were safely stored and tucked away, since I worried something might happen to them while people were coming in and out of my room.
I glanced in the mirror to see how my hair looked then blinked again, startled. She curled it and pinned it up in such a way that it swept over the top of my head. I never pictured myself looking so regal, because I almost looked like a different person.
Finally, she stopped once every strand had been curled and pinned. “You are gorgeous, Alatheia. Dina said you don’t know, but you are. Your hair. Your cheekbones. Just gorgeous. Made for this world. So tell me …” She bent over conspiratorially. “Which one are you dating?”
I shook my head, happy when none of my hair fell out of place. “What?”
“Which of her grandsons is your boyfriend?”
Tricky question . “None.” I smiled. “We’re just friends.”
I wondered if, in the different situation, were we technically together? They seemed to just want me, but I couldn’t imagine they treated other girls the same way or word would have gotten out about their family. It seemed safe to assume I wasn’t stupid, and we were together.
“Maybe after tonight, whichever one you want will be yours?”
The makeup lady rushed into the room. “Hi, I’m Sammy.”
Cara left, presumably done for the day, which left Sammy to paint my face.
I never wore much makeup despite my Aunt Amelia wanting me to wear it.
I didn’t like the caked, stiff feeling on my face.
But Sammy had a natural touch, so in the end, I just looked like I spent some time on myself.
My hair was done, my face was shining, and then I heard a noise outside.
I grabbed Sammy’s arm. “Did the party start?”
“Yes, a half an hour ago, but you’re not late. Anyone who lives here will arrive fashionably tardy. Rosalind won’t be down for another hour.” She left me then with a little wave.
I slipped into the dress and stared at my reflection. The rich version of me. I looked like the version of myself I might have been, if my mother had stayed in New York or returned after my father died. Then again, she never had the money for travel, which made me wonder … what happened to hers?
I didn’t feel like focusing on my mother right then, though.
I preferred playing pretend, so I finished dressing, putting my pearls on last. The black dress, with its sleek spaghetti straps and plunging neckline, showed off more than I ever intended, but the pink pearls and open- toed heels added a fun youthfulness to the look.
The reflection didn’t look like me, so I wondered, who was this person, the one with the swept up red hair and a face that would hate the real me on sight. They always do .
Still, I stiffened my back and managed to walk only slightly wobbly in my heels. I should probably have practiced, but I eventually righted myself. The ten or so feet from Dina’s house to the main one felt like a million.
Maybe I should text one of them and tell them to come get me? But I’d left my phone in my room, and no way did I want to wobble back for it.
Low and rhythmic music pumped through the house via invisible speakers. I hadn’t seen or heard from Dina, but maybe she would arrive when Rosalind did? I didn’t know the plan, but I entered past the kitchen, dodging the wait staff, since that was how I usually entered their house.
People packed the rooms, their mingled perfumes and charisma almost choking me. Is it customary to arrive before the hostess, so she can make her grand entrance? I wondered.
I scanned the room, searching for any familiar faces.
Three of their fathers—the ones they called uncles—were obvious.
They made their way around the room, shaking hands and talking to people.
Eric wore a light blue jacket, his collar and white dress shirt open at the neck.
Stephen wore a white, seersucker suit, and Daniel was in black, entirely.
They all looked very handsome, but it was their mother who caught my attention.
My mouth fell open in stunned shock. They’d tucked Dina’s hair back in a bun that reminded me of pictures I’d seen of ballerinas. She wore light blue, the lace on the bodice barely grazing the top of the skirt below.