Chapter 30
Because I spent a long time hesitating, remembering how wonderfully disastrous the last dinner with the Ashfords went, and also had to be reassured repeatedly that June would be fine on her own, I end up arriving at the dining hall late.
My heart drops to my stomach when I see that the seat next to Nathan is already occupied–by Valerie.
“Didn’t think he was particularly interested in any of the girls.” I jerk slightly, startled by the presence next to me that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Peter jerks his chin towards Nathan and Valerie who’s smiling like the cat that ate all the cream. “Turns out he invited her to sit next to him.”
His words send my heart plummeting further downwards. Nathan hasn’t shown much interest in any girl in particular. Why now? Why her?
Peter shrugs, a smirk appearing on his lips when he notices the morose look no doubt plastered all over my face. “Don’t worry, though.” He winks. You can sit next to me; Mom will be absent this evening.”
“That’s alright,” I mumble, not even sparing him a glance before I move to the end of the table, taking the empty seat next to Eliza. I’m on the same row as Nathan and Valerie so thankfully, I don’t have to look at them unless I crane my neck forward–and I’m not that much of a masochist.
Peter is still smirking–no doubt very satisfied with my reaction–as he makes his way to sit in Marisol’s empty seat next to his father.
As the appetizer is served, I survey the table, trying to distract myself from the uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
Then my eyes land on Lucas sitting on the other side of the table. Lara is seated next to him, and the two of them are engaged in what seems like a pleasant conversation.
He looks calm and…normal. If I didn’t see it with my own two eyes, I would never believe that the man I saw two nights ago, that wild, savage being lost in the throes of lust, is the same person I’m looking at now.
As if he can feel my eyes on him, Lucas looks up–and our eyes meet. For that split second, I’m transported back to that terrifying moment when our eyes locked through the gap between the door.
I instinctively avert my gaze, my heart pounding wildly.
When I summon the courage to look back, he’s no longer looking at me, conversing once again with Lara.
I sigh in relief as I start to eat, content to talk occasionally with Eliza.
As empty plates are cleared and more courses are brought, I realize I haven’t seen Sarah at all this evening.
I wonder if her absence is intentional after that night. Despite her…extracurricular activities, I hope I didn’t get her into any trouble.
Regardless, I firmly remain in my seat, determined not to stumble upon any more exciting sights.
The dinner goes almost as the last one went, with the girls occasionally talking with Samuel or Peter or Lucas.
Noticeably though, Valerie doesn’t say much to anyone else, content to talk to only Nathan. She makes sure to giggle extra loud and even though
I force myself not to look in their direction, I just know she’s finding the littlest excuses to touch him.
The fact that he sat next to me during the last dinner and didn’t say a word but is talking so freely with Valerie makes me want to stab myself with one of the expensive gold forks.
Even with June, he was so open and friendly.
Is it me? Am I the problem?
Back in high school and now–what is it about me that repels him?
I didn’t stay until the end of the last dinner, so I don’t know if they did then, but at the end of this one, Samuel raises a toast before excusing himself.
Grateful that the dinner is over without incident, Eliza and I stand, deciding to head back together.
1/3
12:42 PM P P
Chapter 30
When we leave the dining hall and are out of earshot, she leans in and says lowly, “Are you okay?”
I force a smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”
She nods. “Do you think it’s true that Nathan specifically invited her to sit next to him?”
I don’t need to ask who ‘her‘ is.
I shrug, hating the topic of discussion. “Maybe.”
“I heard some girls saying that it’s because she gave him a gift.”
1 raise an eyebrow. “A gift?”
She nods. “Apparently it was so thoughtful and he liked it so much that he asked her to sit next to him at dinner.”
I wrinkle my nose. I can’t imagine Valerie doing something thoughtful for someone else. The information also sours my mood further.
I made him a thoughtful gift, too. Why wouldn’t he ask me to sit with him? Was the knee brace not as great as whatever Valerie gave him?
just as we reach the stairs to the east wing, I spot Isaac coming down the stairs from the west wing.
He spots us at the same time and waves cheerfully. “Hello, ladies.”
Despite my annoyance with his boss‘ favoritism, I smile at Isaac. “Good evening.”
He nods towards the direction we’re coming from. “Is Nathan still at dinner?”
I grit my teeth. “Yes.”
“I don’t think he’s ever going to be able to leave if Valerie has anything to say about it,” Eliza adds.
Isaac nods. “Tell me about it, and because of her gift, I’m sure ‘Nathan will feel obliged to accommodate her.”
I roll my eyes. “What did she give him that was so great anyway?”
“She hand–made a knee brace for him; it’s quite nice,” Isaac answers.
I blink. “What?”
Isaac nods. “It’s not common knowledge, but Nathan had a knee injury in high school. It still hurts once in a while and Valerie must have noticed. Apparently, she begged the tailors to use one of their machines and custom–made him a knee brace. He doesn’t look it, but he’s a sucker for thoughtful gestures like that.”
I glare down at my hands–at the tiny holes from when I pricked myself with the needle countless times.
“What strikes me as weird,” Isaac continues, “is that she even noticed his discomfort. His injury wasn’t made publiq and Valerie doesn’t strike me as the observant type.”
Isaac sees the thunderous look on my face and mistakes it for disapproval or something because he stumbles over his next words.
“Shit, I shouldn’t be talking about the contestants like this–or Nathan for that matter,” he says, as if realizing that he was basically gossiping in the hallway with contestants.
“It’s okay,” I find myself saying, forcing a smile for his benefit.
“Yeah,” Eliza adds, waving his concerns away with a smile more genuine than mine. “Don’t worry about it.”
Isaac smiles gratefully. “Thanks, girls. I’ll see you around.” Then he leaves, probably to find Nathan.
Nathan, who is wrapped around Valerie’s finger–because he thinks the little she–devil made the knee brace.
