Chapter 22 #2
Claud scrunches up her nose and puts her hand on her hip. “Daddy. Tell me.”
Harrison hesitates, thinking of what to say. “I was saying I’m going to make chocolate chip pancakes for all of us in the morning.”
Her face lights up, she puts her hands over her head, then spins like the little ballerina she is. “Yesss!”
“Maddie,” Juliette calls to grab my attention. “I want you to meet my best friends, Becks.”
I shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. My bestie is somewhere in the crowd, talking to a mysterious man. I’ll introduce ya’ll later.”
“You both need to come to girls’ night one week soon,” Juliette offers, and Becks nods her agreement.
I falter, not because I don’t want to, but because I sometimes come off as standoffish, and I don’t want them to think I’m a total loser.
“Okay,” I say carefully.
“No pressure at all,” Juliette says softly.
“Don’t listen to her,” Leo cuts in. “Maddie’s socially awkward. But she’ll adore you once she warms up.”
I swat his arm. “Shut up, big mouth.” Then turn my attention back toward Juliette. “I would love to, but he’s not wrong.”
A soft chuckle slips through her smile. “Don’t worry, it won’t be anything crazy. I have like three friends.”
“Count me in. I only have one now. Plus my brother and Leo.” My voice stammers. “I don’t know why I said the ‘now’ part.”
“Because it’s the truth. She was your best friend. You’re allowed to talk about her.” Nate squeezes my hand.
“Yeah. Jules talks to her every day. That’s worse.”
She glares at Leo. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, don’t tell her that. It makes me sound like a freak. You really are a big mouth.”
“Bad word!”
Juliette winces. “Sorry, sugar plum.”
I look around the group. “What do you mean you talk to her? Who?”
“Claudina, you have five minutes, and then it’s time to leave,” Harrison interrupts.
“Nooo,” she wails, throwing her arms up and starting to cry.
“Claudina Rosa.”
“I want to stay.” She throws herself into Juliette. “Please. I don’t want to miss out.”
Even though she’s heavily pregnant, she easily bends and picks up Claud.
“You can stay half an hour longer.” She runs her hand up and down Claud’s back.
“Absolutely not, Juliette.” Harrison’s voice booms frighteningly even to me, but neither Juliette nor Claud is affected.
“Good thing I didn’t ask your opinion.” She widens her eyes.
Leo chuckles beside Nate and me.
Claud puts her arms around Juliette’s neck. “I want you to come home with me. I don’t want to be without you.” Her lip wobbles, and I already know Juliette will cave.
Who could say no to that lip?
“Okay, we can both go home together.”
“No.” Harrison shakes his head. “Claud, you’re a big girl now. You knew that if you came here, you’d have to leave with Mémé Inés.”
“But Mom said yes,” she cries.
Harrison’s jaw twitches.
“She’s right. I did.”
“Jules. You cannot say yes every time she asks for something. She will go home with your mother, and you’ll stay here with me, as we planned.”
“Funny, I remember you leaving me at this very party last year, for the same little girl.” She raises her voice in French. “Et tu n’as pas à me dire ce que j’ai à faire, Harrison.”
He lifts a brow—no words, just a silent command.
“What is she saying?”
Nate smirks. “Yelling at him for telling her what to do. She’s gotten bolder since being pregnant.”
Juliette passes Claud to Seb without a glance his way, then takes Harrison by the arm and pulls him away from the party.
“They’re going to hate fuck. No doubt,” Leo mutters, then holds the back of his head. “Ouch.”
Inés, Juliette’s mom, smacks the back of his head, then does it again.
“One for me, and one for your mother. If she were here and not in Spain, she’d do worse.”
He cringes. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were standing right behind me.”
She tuts and walks away with Becks, and I’m left with the guys and Claud.
The waitress walks by with more champagne and scotches. I shouldn’t, but I take another, knowing that I’ll need some liquid courage once Nate and I are alone again.
The thought alone sends a pulse through me, and when I dare a glance at him, his eyes are already on me…dark, unreadable.
I flush and lift my glass to cover it.
“Uncle Sebby, can you dance with me?”
Sebastian kisses Claud’s forehead. “I hate dancing, but for you, I’d do anything.” He walks off, and I almost cry at the sight of him twirling her around.
Turning back to the guys, I ask, “Is someone going to tell me what Juliette was talking about? And why are they dressed so off-theme?”
Juliette is wearing a beautiful gold-gilded butterfly mask, and Harrison’s is a black replica of the Phantom of the Opera mask.
“I’m not the only romantic brother in the family. Those masks are the ones they wore last year when they first met.”
“Did you just call yourself romantic?” Leo questions.
I duck my head to hide my snicker.
My abs are going to be sore tomorrow from laughing all night.
Nate ignores him and then answers my other question, glancing to the dance floor first to make sure Claud is out of earshot.
“And as for your first question. None of us understands it, but Juliette claims she can sense the presence or energy of her late father and Camila. Or some crazy crap like that. She said she knows when Camila is in the room with Claud.”
“Really?” I don’t think it’s crazy at all. “That’s pretty incredible.”
Leo and Nate nod, but they don’t look so convinced.
Our attention is back on Seb and Claudina, where she now lays her head on his shoulder as he rocks her to the music.
“She reminds me so much of Camila.”
“Only with us,” Nate answers.
“She’s actually a lot like you. With her core group, she’s fiesty and outgoing. But outside of us, she’s shy and reserved,” Leo adds.
I teasingly put my hands on my hips. “Are you saying I’m feisty?”
He hip-checks me. “No, you’re an angel.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” a woman with a posh English accent interjects, and it has us all snapping our necks around.
She stands tall and is absolutely stunning, with long, dark hair, wearing an emerald green gown and a gold mask adorned with tiny ivy leaves and vines that curl delicately around it.
No doubt, she is Demeter, goddess of the harvest and Persephone’s mother.
“Evelyn?” Leo laughs and pulls her into a hug.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt, but we unfortunately need to leave soon, and I wanted to make sure I said thank you for inviting me.
We had a lovely time, and I made sure my date here bid copious amounts of money on the silent auction.
” She smiles in an over-the-top manner at the man standing next to her.
Then she leans in, lowering her voice and says, “I’m partial to the wine decanter.
So if there’s anything you can do, I’m not above cheating.
” She winks, and I roll my lips to hide my smile.
I knew she would have good taste.
Look at her.
Her date, a tall man with broad shoulders and perfectly styled hair, steps forward, and I almost faint at the sight.
Dang, what are they feeding the rich and famous, because this man is heart-stoppingly gorgeous in an old Hollywood way.
Could probably even pass for Henry Cavill.
“Pick your mouth up from the ground, Madeline,” Nate growls in my ear.
I can feel his jealousy radiating off him, and I almost die of embarrassment that I’m so obvious.
Leo shakes the man’s hand, and Nate follows his lead. “You didn’t need to bid on anything; your generous donation was enough. Thank you again.”
“Don’t be daft.” He’s English too. “You’re like family to my family.”
Now I’m confused. Who are these people?
“Maddie.” Leo grabs my attention and pulls me to his side. “This is Evelyn Taylor, the new interior designer we hired to work on our Triple project in London, Miami, and New York.”
My eyes widen in recognition. “It’s so lovely to meet you. Your portfolio is out of this world.”
“Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.”
“Maddie is my right-hand woman; she’s not currently working on the project, but over time, I’m sure she will join in, or I will have her consult.”
Evelyn sends me a genuine smile. “I look forward to working with you.”
“And this is Wills Taylor, Evelyn’s brother.”
Brother.
You know, now that I look closer, I see the resemblance with their unique gray eyes.
“Wills is Sadie’s husband, and Jackson’s brother-in-law,” Nate adds.
I shake his hand, trying to mask my face, not wanting to embarrass myself anymore. “Nice to meet you. How are Sadie and Jackson? I haven’t seen Sadie in a long time. Ten years at least.”
Sadie and Jackson grew up with the brothers. Jackson is older and closer to Seb and Harrison, and Sadie is closer in age to Nate and Leo.
They also spent a lot of time at the Moraleses’ growing up, where I met them a few times over the years.
Wills’s stoic face lights up. “She’s perfect. She’s home with our girls, otherwise, she would have come this year. They all fell ill with the flu, along with Jackson.”
“Fucking, pussy.” Leo shakes his head.
Wills lets out a deep chuckle. “His wife dropped him off at ours yesterday. Told Sadie she was returning to sender, and she could take care of her own brother.”
“Jackson is married?” My eyes bulge. I never thought I’d see the day; he’s the older version of Leo.
A born Casanova.
“Long story,” Nate mumbles, and the rest laugh.
We chat a bit longer before they say goodbye, and then Harrison and Juliette return forty-five minutes later to find me, Leo, and Nate dancing with Seb and Claud.
I have to admit, they look a bit disheveled.
Juliette extracts herself from Harrison’s hold and walks into Leo’s arms. She places her head on his shoulder and rubs her pregnant stomach.
I watch their interaction until I realize Nate’s staring at me.
It’s been a long time since we were a unit. A lot of things feel like nothing has changed, but I realize, watching them, that I’m wrong. So much has changed.
Everyone’s grown up.
Harrison is married with a family.
I’m not Leo’s only best girlfriend anymore.
Claud has a new mom.