Chapter 17 Seraphina
SERAPHINA
Istood in front of the full-length mirror, barely recognizing myself.
The stylist and makeup people the studio had sent had done something magical.
My red hair was swept up in a loose chignon, a few tendrils framing my face.
The makeup was subtle but stunning—smoky eyes, nude lips, blush and highlighter that made my cheekbones stand out.
And the dress I’d chosen was to die for.
Emerald silk that skimmed my curves and pooled slightly at my feet, a slit up one side that was daring without being trashy.
I had a sudden ache for my dad. He would be so proud. I could practically see him standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear, saying something like, “They’re going to be breaking beer bottles over one another’s heads to get a dance with you.”
I only wanted one man to dance with me. At the moment, Hunter was downstairs at the bar with the other men. I’d promised to come down the moment I was ready.
A knock at the door pulled me from my reflection. I assumed it was Esme or Delphine, coming to check on me before we headed down.
“Come in,” I called.
The door opened. It was Tyler.
He was dressed for the premiere in a dark suit, a white shirt open at the collar, hair held in place with gel. He looked handsome and grown-up and so much like my dad that for a moment I couldn’t do anything but stare. But wait, something was wrong. He was pale and shaky.
“What is it?” I asked.
He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. “You need to see this.” He crossed the room and handed me the phone.
The headline hit me first:
“Lucky to Book a County Fair:” Romance Author Seraphina Sinclair Unloads on Dana King in Explosive Interview
Below it was my author headshot Hawthorne used for press. Next to it was a photo of Dana, looking wounded and ethereal in soft lighting.
I scrolled down.
In an exclusive interview, bestselling romance author Seraphina Sinclair didn’t hold back when discussing Dana King, the ex-wife of her current boyfriend, songwriter Hunter Sloan.
“Dana had an affair. That’s why the marriage ended,” Sinclair stated bluntly. “Dana King was in someone else’s bed, and most of the music industry knew it.”
When asked about King’s upcoming memoir, which paints a less flattering portrait of Sloan, Sinclair grew heated.
“Do you want to know what Dana’s book is really about?” Sinclair asked. “It’s about jealousy. Dana King is bitter and chronically envious of Ivy James. Ivy’s career surpassed hers. Ivy’s playing arenas and Dana’s lucky to book a county fair.”
My stomach turned. Seeing my words in print and stripped of context and laid out like evidence was worse than I’d imagined. I kept reading.
But perhaps most revealing were Sinclair’s comments about Sloan’s past — comments that shed new light on the haunting lyrics of his recent hit, “Or Something Like That Anyway.”
“The two women he loved most both left him,” Sinclair said. “His mother, then Dana. He’s still recovering from that kind of wound.”
Sloan has never publicly discussed his mother’s departure, though the song’s lyrics, “My mother taught me how / To leave before I’m left,” hint at childhood abandonment.
No.
No, no, no.
When reached for comment, King’s publicist issued a brief statement: “Dana’s heart goes out to Hunter. She’s always known he carried deep wounds from his childhood, and she tried her best to help him heal. She wishes him and Ms. Sinclair well.”
She was playing the victim. Of course she was. And I had handed her the ammunition.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Mom?”
Tyler’s voice came from far away. I looked up. His expression was uncertain and a little scared.
“Where did you find this?” My voice didn’t sound like mine.
“It’s everywhere. Annie saw it first. Then Grace. It’s trending.”
Trending. Oh God.
“Are you okay?”
I forced myself to breathe. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. I was not going to fall apart in front of my son. I was not.
“I’m fine.” The inside of my mouth felt like it was coated with ash. “Honey, I need you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“Go downstairs and hang out with the other kids.” I handed his phone back, my hand remarkably steady. “And text the ladies that I need them to come to my suite. Tell them it’s an SOS.”
“Are you sure? You don’t want Hunter.”
“I need to talk to my friends. Please.” I heard the crack in my voice and hated it.
Tyler hesitated. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“Go,” I said. Softer this time. “I promise I’m okay.”
He went. The door clicked shut behind him. And I fell apart.
I made it to the couch in the living room before my legs gave out. I sat on the edge in my beautiful dress, and sobbed. Ugly, gasping sobs that would ruin everything the makeup artist had done, but I couldn’t stop.
I would lose Hunter. He would see this as the betrayal it was, sharing something so personal that I had no right to do. It was so personal. So revealing. Why had I let my temper get the better of me?
The wound his mother had left had been so painful that he’d worked it out in a song because that’s who he was. He offered the world his stories through metaphor and through music. And I’d gone and made it a pull quote.
Meredith had promised to leave it out. She had looked me in the eye and agreed that it was off the record.
And I’d believed her. What an idiot I was to think there was any honor left in today’s world.
The desire for attention was so powerful that people chose to betray someone they’d made a promise to for their own gains.
A knock on the door startled me. I went on shaking legs to open it.
My girls were all there. Esme strode in first, blonde hair swept into an elegant updo, wearing a blush pink gown with delicate beading at the neckline.
Delphine was right behind her, striking in a black column dress with an architectural neckline, her dark hair slicked back and severe, which at the moment matched her expression.
Lila followed in flowing champagne silk, her auburn waves loose over her shoulders.
Gillian came last, wearing a navy velvet sheath that made her look like a 1940s film star, her face pale beneath expertly applied makeup.
Esme sat on the sofa next to me and took my hand. “Oh, honey, you’ve wrecked your makeup.”
“Is it really so bad?” Lila asked, sitting on my other side.
“Did you read it?” I asked.
“We read it,” Delphine said darkly. “That snake.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Gillian said, perched on the coffee table. .
“But I did. I betrayed Hunter’s confidence.
He didn’t want me talking about his mother.
I mean, it’s unforgivable that I said anything about his personal life.
One he’s always conducted with integrity.
And now I’ve opened up this whole thing.
Invited all this ugliness into his life.
” I looked at the lovely, distraught faces of my dearest friends and my heart broke.
They were all trying so hard to help, but there was nothing they could do.
I’d ruined everything. I felt the tears start again. “How can I explain this to him?”
“Explain what?” Esme asked gently. “That you defended him?”
“I made him … sound broken. And he’s not. He’s strong and good.”
“You were off the record,” Gillian said. “She lied. He’ll understand.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s out there now. Everyone’s reading it. He’s going to—” My voice cracked. “He’s going to leave. And I’m in love with him, and I’m going to have to face the rest of my life knowing I hurt the man I love.”
The lock on the door clicked and Hunter came inside. He took one look at me and stopped. “Hey now, what’s all this?”
The ladies exchanged glances and then they all rose to their feet.
“We’ll give you a minute,” Delphine said.
They all filed out. Esme squeezed his arm as she went. The door clicked shut behind them.
Hunter joined me on the couch, dressed in a charcoal suit that fit him perfectly, his hair combed back, looking more handsome than I’d ever seen him. His expression didn’t seem angry. Not even hurt. He looked soft, actually. Stricken to see me crying.
I could only imagine what I looked like with my mascara streaked, eyes swollen, clutching a handful of tissues I didn’t even remember taking.
Hunter took my hand. “It’s not so bad.”
“Yes, it is. I’m sorry. So sorry. It was my big mouth.
I lost my temper. I just couldn’t stand what she was saying and asking about you, and I got mad.
” The words tumbled out of my mouth, desperate and broken.
“She promised it was off the record. She looked me in the eye, and I believed her. I know that’s no excuse because I never should have said it in the first place.
What your mother did is your story to tell, not mine, and I took that from you and gave it to a stranger, and now everyone knows and Dana’s playing the victim and I’ve wrecked everything between us. ”
“Seraphina, take a breath. And please listen for a second.”
“I understand if you can’t forgive me. I understand you’ll leave now and I’ll have lost you forever, and I just can’t bear the idea of never seeing you again.”
“Seraphina.” He took my face in his hands. “Stop.”
I stopped. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.
“Listen to me. Please, try and hear this, even though I know you’re upset.”
I braced myself. Here it came. The goodbye. The thing I’d been waiting for since the moment I let myself love him. I’d done it again. Just like before.
“No one’s loved me like you do, except for Margaret and Wes. But the other three important people in my life walked away. They chose everything else but me.”
“I know.”
“My mother left. My dad buried himself in work. Dana cheated on me.” He paused for a moment, the pain in his eyes evident.
“They made me believe no one could love me. But that’s not right.
Wes and Margaret love me. Ivy loves me. And now you and Tyler have come into my life, and I’m so grateful.
I didn’t believe you were out there. In fact, I’d given up on my dream for a family and wife who wanted to be my number one.
But then there you were. Open to love. Open to giving me your heart and taking mine in return.
I feel safe with you. And loved. You lost your mind and said some things in the moment because you were defending me.
No one has ever done that before. And it makes me love you even more than I already did.
” His thumbs traced my cheekbones. “We’re a team, you know?
You and me and Tyler against the world. I could never be angry at you for being passionate about me. ”
“But I exposed you,” I said. “I told her about your mother. The whole world knows now.”
“The whole world already knew. I put it in the song.” He shook his head slightly, chuckling. “But if they couldn’t figure it out from my song, they sure do now. But baby, I don’t care. All I want is for you to stay with me forever.”
A noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh rose out of my chest. “I thought you would leave. I loved you too intensely and made you go away. Just like before.”
“Like Tyler said, that was about him, not you. I’m not going to send you away for fighting for me and my reputation. Even though it cost you your privacy. I understand how big that is for you. I’m the lucky slob who gets to have this magnificent, feisty woman in his life.”
“But the article—that quote about the county fair. It was mean-spirited. I don’t like myself right now.”
“Well, I like you enough for both of us. So do all the people waiting for you downstairs so we can go to the premier of something you helped create from your big heart. Anyway, Dana’s played dirty.
It’s about time someone played back. That’s what you did.
For me. How could I leave the woman who taught me that not everyone leaves? ”
“I’ll never leave. Not if you still want me.”
“I want you. Trust me. But, my pretty girl, it’s time to go. Cars are waiting. Your people are all waiting. So whatever needs to happen to your beautiful face needs to happen quick. I don’t want you to miss a moment of this evening.”
A knock at the door came, followed by Esme’s voice, “Everything okay in there? The cars are here.”
Hunter crossed to open the door. All four ladies were standing there.
“She needs some help fixing her face,” Hunter said.
I stood, looking in the mirror. My makeup was destroyed. My eyes were swollen. I looked like I’d been crying my eyes out, which I had.
“Oh, it’s worse than I thought,” I said.
“We got you,” Gillian said. “After all those years dancing, I know how to do makeup. We’ll get you fixed up in no time.”
“I’m going to find the rest of them and meet you in the lobby.” Hunter took my hands, kissing my forehead. “I’ll see you all in a few minutes.”
“Yeah, okay,” I said. “I’ll be ready.”
Esme took my hand and led me to the bedroom, guiding me to the vanity. “Your hair looks great. We just need to patch up your makeup.”
Gillian took the lead, giving out directions to the others.
Ice for my swollen eyes. A gentle makeup remover took away my smeared mascara.
Then brushes came out. Gillian applied foundation and blush and fixed my eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror again, pleased with what I saw. “Gillian, you’re a miracle worker.”
“Let’s go enjoy the heck out of all this,” Esme said. “The guys are waiting downstairs with the kids. Cars are here.”
“Let’s do this thing.” Delphine linked her arm through mine and the five of us headed out together, just as we had for every hard and joyful event in any of our lives for a decade. Best friends forever. My penguins.