Chapter 33 #2
She wore a baby pink coverall dress, short and playful, paired with a crop top with a flash of skin showing on the sides. Her legs, still as short as could be but nowhere near as thin, were covered in thigh-highs.
Sitting there, she looked as if she’d not grown a single inch.
Her rich brown hair was half up, half down and caught the light ethereally.
But it was her feet. Her toes pointed and flexed, delicate and precise, moving as if she were practicing dance steps in her head—lost in some rhythm only she could hear.
It was such an intensely Mischa thing to do that my throat tightened. How many times had I fixated on her feet as a child and seen her do this same thing? Always dancing. Even if only in her mind.
“Kinsley,” Isabella breathed, her voice held a note of question.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell him over text, silly.” She still hadn’t looked up.
A resounding smack filled the quiet room as Isabella had had enough of her not paying attention, and her hand connected once more.
“Ouch,” Kinsley exclaimed, rubbing her leg.
She glanced up at Isabella with those wide grayish eyes, and I gasped. Isabella blinked rapidly, as if coming out of a trance.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
Shock rocked me where I stood. My hand trembled as I raised it to my heart. My fingers touched the buttons on the dress I was wearing, as if that could steady the storm inside. Tears burned my eyes, blurring the edges of the moment, making it feel surreal. Had I stepped out of time once more?
Kinsley stood, dropping her phone. Confusion knitted her features, and the color drained from her face. In slow motion, her hand shot out. Her delicate pinkie looped around Isabella’s in that silent, sacred gesture.
Communication.
The only one we had at our disposal back then. The sight of it shattered something deep inside me.
“Izzy B?” Kinsley croaked, sucking in several breaths.
Her eyes were as big as saucers, as if she couldn’t believe it either. They were glued to me.
I found my voice. “Ho…how?”
A soft kiss dusted my cheek. Andrew.
“Told you I’d reunite you. I keep my promises, just so you know. Two down, one to go. I think the three of you should talk.”
Everything happened in a blur. I barely had a second to brace myself before Kinsley launched herself forward, colliding with me in a flash of pink fabric and pure emotion. Her arms wrapped around my waist in a death grip, her face pressing into my chest as she let out a dramatic gasp.
“Oh. My. God! No way, no way, no way,” she gushed, squeezing even tighter.
Andrew’s bemused gaze met my shocked one. He knew them all along. How was this even possible? Then it hit. This was Andrew’s little pixie? My little Mouse. Here, and in the flesh. And not only her, but so was Autumn.
I hugged the girl in my arms while staring intently at the other. A deep desire had me wanting to see Kinsley’s face in full. I tried to tilt her head back, but she dug in further.
Murmuring against my chest, she said, “You’re real. You’re actually real. This better not be some trauma-induced hallucination. Because I’ll gut whoever disturbs it with my blade.”
My eyes grew wide, and Andrew let out a loud laugh. My hands shook as I smoothed them over her hair, feeling the warm weight of her against me, solid and alive.
“I’m real,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.
“How is this possible? When? Where? Oh, my goodness. Are you the reason Marcel and Pasha have been away forever? Were you the girl they rescued? You are, aren’t you?”
“Slow down, Ms. Taylor. Give her a chance to breathe.”
“You don’t understand Dr. Marcel. This is our friend. How do you know her? Where did you find her? How did you find her? Izzy B- look it’s…it’s…”
Her face clouded over as our eyes locked.
“Victoria,” I filled in the blank.
Andrew stepped back, and Isabella, who seemed more reserved, stepped closer.
She stuck out her pinkie. I immediately grasped it with my own.
She leaned in, and I pulled her into me and Kinsley’s group hug.
A loud sob escaped her, and the three of us hugged for several minutes as the emotions hit. Isabella was the first to pull away.
“No, I’m not done yet,” Kinsley huffed, holding on tighter.
Isabella chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. I rubbed Kinsley’s back, hearing her sigh softly.
“You smell so good, like apples. She smells like apples, Isabella. Isn’t that neat? I love apples, red ones, green ones. And maybe oranges.” She sniffed me some more, making me laugh. “No, it’s tangerines. You’re really real, aren’t you? We’ve been looking for you. Tell her Izzy.”
“How about if I tell you that you’re overwhelming her, just like you did me back in the day?”
“Oh, sorry,” she muttered and pulled away. “Isabella is right. I still get carried away. That hasn’t changed a bit, but so much else has. We should sit and talk. Do you want to talk? Isabella didn’t at first, but once she realized we were golden—”
“I swear, where is a King when you need one?” Isabella muttered, putting her finger to Kinsley’s lips.
“A King?”
“Oh yes, I have three of them,” Kinsley said, beaming at me.
“They’re all mine. Boy, that came out territorial, didn’t it?
But if you’re looking, there are three eligible men still in the house,” she stated confidently.
“Maybe four, depending on Pasha’s goals.
He’s been playing ping-pong lately with Hannah. ”
“Hannah?” I asked, confused.
Andrew never mentioned a woman named Hannah. Our eyes met.
“Ms. Taylor. Victoria doesn’t need you to hook her up. In fact, she’s taken.”
“By whom? Pasha?” Kinsley’s eyes were like saucers.
He narrowed his at her. She shifted, and her face flushed. “I’ll pick Declan up from school. Why don’t—” he directed his words to me.
“Who is Declan?” Kinsley asked, then slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Our son,” Andrew said proudly.
Two very audible gasps reached my ears, and then a rich chuckle from Andrew. This time, both Kinsley and Isabella erupted into a slew of questions. Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded in the room. Sebastian had come out of nowhere.
“God, I hate it when you do that,” Isabella fumed as she glared at her brother.
“Love you too, brat. Glad to see you made it back. Although I heard you manipulated your way on the punishment tour.”
She flipped him the bird, and I stared, dumbfounded. He stalked toward her, and I cowered. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but fear gripped me. My eyes searched for Andrew. I could see the concern on his face, but it wasn’t for her. It was for me and my reaction.
Sebastian grabbed his sister in a playful bear hug, lifting her off the ground as she squealed in protest. Kinsley erupted into a fit of giggles; her laughter echoed in the room.
“Put me down,” Isabella exclaimed, her voice muffled by Sebastian’s chest.
He didn’t release her right away. Instead, he tightened his grip and took his knuckle and rubbed it against her head. She squirmed and pushed him away.
“You’re messing up my hair, stop,” she protested.
He finally set her down with a satisfied grin on his face.
“I swear, you’re a pain in my ass,” she muttered, trying to fix her hair.
“Language,” Sebastian and Andrew barked at the same time.
My heart rate slowly returned to normal. Out of habit, my fingers danced down my thighs, and I pinched them. Thankfully, Andrew was preoccupied, and I moved my hands away. It was necessary. Never in my wildest dreams did I think his surprise would be this.
Two of my season sisters were here, right at this moment. They lived here, and now I did too. I went from a house of horrors to a house where there was only room for love and laughter. Happiness coursed through me.
“So what’s going on in here? Are we getting to know one another? What did I miss?” Sebastian asked, plopping down on the couch. “Did you tell them, Marcel, how in love you are?”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Andrew teased back. “I’ve got to go get Declan. You can come with.”
Immediately, I sensed he wanted to give us space. He kept looking at Isabella, who had strangely gone quiet and almost withdrawn. She was biting her fingernails and shifting. Kinsley instinctually reached out for her pinkie.
“And miss out on all the fun chitchat?”
“Yes, we have some club business to talk about, anyway. Come on, there are a couple of single moms I could introduce you to.”
“No thanks, on the mom bit. No offence, Tori.”
I waved his words away; I was still feeling my way with all of them. I didn’t know him well enough to be offended, not to mention I didn’t know the moms either.
“And what club business?” Sebastian added, rising.
“Pasha called, said he tried you, but only got voicemail. He wants to book the red room for tonight.”
“The red room?” Kinsley gasped loudly, looking thoroughly shocked. “With Hannah?”
She looked not only dumbfounded but confused.
“I knew it,” Isabella said, disgust lacing her voice. “Damn him. I was so hopeful.”
“Did you say the red room?” Sebastian grinned wickedly. “He does know that’s the window to the world, and the view is always on, right?”
I was now thoroughly confused. Things in this house went so fast, I felt like I was in a vortex.
We went from an opening statement about Declan to a scrabble between a brother and sister, and now we were discussing Pasha and his potential use of a red room.
At the club. With some unknown girl named Hannah.
I looked over at Andrew, needing reassurance in some small part. He sensed it and moved beside me.
He caressed my face softly and whispered in my ear, “It’s all going to be okay, I promise.”
“Hannah and the red room?” Kinsley said more loudly this time.
Isabella rolled her eyes, and Sebastian shook his head.
“Not Hannah. Trust me. And no, you can’t come and watch him get his freak on,” Sebastian said. “Such a dirty girl. Wait until I tell Alek. Let’s go Counselor, I need to hear this update.”
“But I’ve always wanted to—” Kinsley said, her gaze hopeful.
“Don’t you even start. I swear to God. Please tell me you’re a Normie,” Isabella huffed, directing her gaze at me.
“Sorry, Bellaruso. Victoria here, is a certified good girl. My good girl.”
I blushed at the compliment as Isabella sighed heavily.
“How old is the kid?” she asked warily.
The men erupted in laughter.
“He’s six,” I said, finally speaking. “He likes to draw,” I added, and our eyes met.
“Thank God for small favors. I can’t wait to meet him. Run along now, boys, us girls have some talking to do.”
Her face relaxed, and she grinned at me. She was everything I thought she’d be and more. She was brave, didn’t flinch or cower when her brother charged her from across the room. The frightened, quiet little girl was gone. And in her place was a sarcastic and beautiful woman.
My eyes moved to Kinsley. She had shimmied her way over to Sebastian. She tugged on his shirt and then bowed her head in submission to him.
“Oh, here we go,” Isabella said, rolling her eyes.
“Sir, will you share red room details with me later, you know, for educational purposes only? And we’re going to need detail about the girl. Lowkey, is it Allison? You know…Nik’s night is tonight.” She raised flirty eyes to him.
“Tiny tot, you’re such a fucking tease. Counselor, you’re my witness this time.”
And with that, they kissed us all bye and left.
“Nik’s night?” I asked, breaking the silence.