Chapter 14
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“I take it back,” Eliza says. “The two–hour makeup session isn’t the worst part of this place,” she gestures towards Valerie with her chin-“she
- 18.
1 turn back towards Eliza. “You know her–like personally?”
Eliza winces and nods. “We went to high school together and our families run in similar circles.”
1 shudder. “It’s not just me, right? She’s truly an awful person?”
Eliza nods. “Oh, the worst. She makes Regina George seem like sweet little orphan Annie.”
I snort at that as Eliza continues, keeping an eye on Valerie behind me. “Her specialty was forming cliques, and then turning the girls against each other. Then she’d sit back and revel in the chaos.”
I wince. “She did that to you?”
Eliza shrugs, a pained look flashing in her eyes. Before she can offer the story, however, that icy smooth voice rings above us.
“Eliza,” Valerie croons. “Hi.”
Eliza forces a smile, nothing like the one she gave me earlier when we first met. “Hi, Val. It’s been a while.”
Valerie nods, flipping a perfect dark lock over her shoulder. “It has, and we’ve been here three days and you haven’t made an attempt to say hi.” She cocks her head to the side and pouts. “Are you avoiding me?”
Eliza chuckles softly, but her eyes dart around like a trapped animal. I want to say something–to save my new friend from this awful human being, but Valerie hasn’t even looked in my direction, locking me out of the conversation.
“This has all just been a little chaotic,” Eliza offers weakly by way of explanation. “I haven’t really had a chance to…mingle.”
Valerie scoffs. “And yet…” she turns to me and gives a pointed look.
I roll my eyes and say nothing.
“Anyways,“–Valerie turns back to Eliza-“I’m here now.”
She leans in and lowers her voice, but not low enough that I can’t hear–which I suppose is intentional. “We should stick together, Liza. Only three girls will be Ashfords at the end of this. You and I know we’re more qualified than any other girls here, so let’s help each other.” She leans back and smirks. “An alliance, if you will.”
Eliza looks thrown off–guard–and a little scared. I remember what she just said about Valerie forming cliques and watching them burn. Is that her plan now? To destroy her competition?
“Oh, um…” Eliza scrambles for something to say, unable to look Valerie in her eyes. “Val, that’s nice of you, but-”
“But she’s already formed an alliance with me.”
Valerie turns sharply, her eyes glinting. “Excuse me?”
I smirk, enjoying the anger on her face. “Eliza and I are allies. We’re going to help each other become sister–wives; right, Liza?”
Eliza looks like she’s struggling to keep her laughter under the surface. “Um, yeah, sorry Val.” Then, for kicks, she adds insincerely, “Unless you’re willing to join us? Then the three of us could be sister–wives.”
Valerie makes a face that suggests Eliza asked her to go swimming in pig blood.
She scoffs incredulously. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“This girl“-she points at me derisively-“has no chance of winning, and she’ll only drag you down.”
Eliza glances at me and smiles. “I think I’ll be fine, Val. Thank you.”
1/3
12:40 PM
Chapter 14
Valerie sneers. “You’ll regret this. If you’re not with me, you’re against me. I intend to crush all my adversaries.”
“I wish you all the best, Valerie,” Eliza says with such fake sincerity that I’m unable to stop a sharp burst of laughter.
Valerie shoots both of us one last scathing look before sauntering away–probably to
Eliza lets out her laughter in a large breath. “I can’t believe that just happened.”
I laugh, too. “Should that have felt so good?”
She nods. “Putting people like Valerie in her place? Hell yes.”
ok for more allies.
Then she places her elbows on the table–a direct disobedience of one of our etiquette classes. “So, April, do you want to be my ally? Future sister–wives?”
I grin, mirroring her position, imagining Easton, our etiquette instructor losing his shit. “It would be my absolute pleasure, Eliza.”
800
After free time, we have ball room dancing class. But instead of our instructor, Paul, Easton stands at the head of the room.
He claps his hand once to get our attention.
“Ladies,” he greets. “I believe over the last couple of days, you’ve paid proper attention to all your lessons in behavior, etiquette and general social graces.”
There’s a brief murmur of affirmation.
“Good. Because in two days, you all will make your first public appearance.”
The room erupts in excited murmurs, and even Eliza, next to me, lets out an eager gasp. But all the information does is make my palms slick with
sweat.
Public appearance.
The whole world will see me–they’ll hear the pathetic story of my sister and me and know that I have no business being here. I have no chance of winning.
Easton continues talking, giving us information about the press conference, I throw my head back and close my eyes, counting my breaths in a bid to calm myself.
When I open them, I freeze.
There, on the gallery overlooking the ball room, stands Nathan. Leaning against the railing, he watches everyone below him, a passive expression on his handsome face.
This is the first time I’ve seen him since that first day, and it feels like drinking water after a long hike through the desert. He’s so beautiful, and standing atop the gallery, the light of the late afternoon coming through the window illuminating his features, he looks ethereal.
I watch him watch the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the ballroom–then it lands on me.
My breath hitches, and just like when he caught me, the surrounding sounds filter out till it feels like it’s just me and him alone in the massive hall.
He doesn’t look away, and I couldn’t even if I wanted to.
So we just stand there–him high above me, an apt representation of our positions in life, staring and staring and staring. I wish I could tell what he was thinking. I wish I knew what he saw when he looked at me.
Finally, he pushes off from the railing, standing to his full height. Then he turns away from me, and he’s gone.
