by Cassie James
With that in mind, I hang the dress bag back on the door and reveal what’s inside. My eyes bulge out when I get a good look at the dark lace inside. This dress falls somewhere between formalwear and lingerie. There’s no way I can walk out in this thing. The most modest thing about it is the long sleeves, but even those are see-through lace.
I don’t want to wear this. But I also know if I walk out without putting it on that Sadie is going to drag me right back in here. “Is this really the kind of shit you wear, Juliet?” I say it quietly, not wanting Sadie to know I’m in here talking to myself. It seems silly, but it does feel a little easier thinking of myself as someone else when I say my new name out loud to myself for the first time.
The thing is, the longer I stand there staring at the dress, the more convinced I become that this is something Juliet would wear. I slide it off the hanger and carefully pull the dress over my head. It gets points for being surprisingly comfortable. I take a deep breath before I look in the mirror. When I do, what I see looking back surprises me. The deep v-neck borders on inappropriate, but not quite. The length, too. The look is a gentle combination of sweet and edgy that seems to mesh my old life with my new one in a way I wasn’t expecting. I add the shoes, leaning on the counter to keep my balance.
Of course, Sadie was right about them, too. The shoes fit like a second skin. I didn’t think I would be able to walk in them, but it’s almost like they balance themselves out without needing my help at all. Maybe that’s another rich person thing—shoes that do all the work. This new look, it doesn’t erase the Nikon Park inside of me, but it feels like armor. Like now I’m ready for whatever is coming for me.
Chapter 4
I’m not expecting for three sets of eyes to be waiting when I open the bathroom door. Four blue eyes and two so dark they’re almost black. It’s the same guy that was bothering me outside. The three of them are standing close, and even though I don’t want to be paranoid the way they go silent when I walk out makes me think they were talking about me.
Sadie lets out a low whistle. I hold my hands up in a weird shrug, uncomfortable with the way all three of them are staring at me. Sadie crosses her arms as she gives me a once over, nodding her approval all the way down to my feet. “I knew you would look good, but wow. Now this is what a Lexington looks like.”
“Still looks like white trash to me,” Dark Eyes interjects. He gives me a once-over, too, but his expression is bored like he isn’t the least bit impressed by my transformation. His words sting more than I want them to, probably because that’s exactly how I’m feeling deep down.
“Do you always have to be such an asshole?” Sadie glares at him, clearly no love lost between the two.
He straightens up, taking a menacing step closer as he talks directly down into her face. “Do you always have to be the neighborhood welfare office?” Sadie lunges like she’s going to hit him, but Smith is quicker. He steps between the two of them, holding his hands up for Sadie to calm down.
“Do you really think you’re going to hit Jax Woods and not regret it later?” There’s a clear warning in his voice, but I don’t know the dynamics around here well enough to understand it myself. The obvious implication is that she shouldn’t hit Jax Woods. Which I now know is this dark eyed asshole’s name. “Why don’t you take Juliet back to the party. I’m sure Pearl’s getting impatient.”
Sadie’s eyes narrow like she’s still considering taking the hit, but after a brief stare-down between her and her brother, her shoulders slouch just slightly and I know she’s giving in after all. “Let’s go.” She takes me by the hand and we start down the hall back towards the party. “Don’t look back,” Sadie mutters as we leave the boys behind. I give her a blank look that she returns with exasperation. “You’ll see.” I don’t see, not right away. We make it all the way to the top of the staircase before Jax calls after us.
“Enjoy this while it lasts, Cinderella.” I can’t help it, I do look back. Jax smirks as our eyes meet and I instantly regret it. “I don’t think you’ll be here long.” Sadie shakes her head, but it feels like the words are an echo that follow me all the way down to the party.
Pearl waits for us at the bottom of the stairs, her face pinched as she watches us descend. The noise seems amplified from earlier, or maybe I was just too distracted to notice it before. I notice a collection of photos in the huge entryway that I didn’t notice before, either. They’re mostly in black and white, but I can’t quite make out the details from that distance. I’m itching to get close and see if there are pictures of my real parents. It’s obvious though as soon as my feet hit the main floor that Pearl has expectations that don’t involve me exploring this insane castle of a house.
“Sorry it took so long. What do you think?” Sadie steps away so Pearl can get a good look at me. I grit my teeth, fully expecting the woman’s disapproval. What woman her age would want to see this much skin on display. She purses her lips and I’m so nervous waiting for her reaction that I start to think I should have stayed in hiding until everyone was gone.
Finally, Pearl nods. “Cross your ankles when you sit down. And for God’s sake don’t bend over more than an inch.” She eyes the hem of my borrowed dress. “Maybe two.” It’s awfully strange to listen to her lecture me on modesty even as she gives her seal of approval on this slightly skanky dress. I do not understand rich people.
“I’ll try not to embarrass you.” I sound dry and sarcastic, exactly the way I’m feeling at the moment. I might not come from money, but I do know how to avoid showing everyone my ass. Pearl tilts her head down, staring at me hard like I’m an unruly child and she’s trying to decide how to handle me.
Sadie shifts uncomfortably on her heels as the silent standoff with my aunt starts to move into full-on awkward territory. I glance towards her, hoping she’ll see the plea for help in my eyes. I’m ready to move on with this whole clusterfuck of an evening. She turns away from me, and I can’t believe she’s seriously about to abandon me right now after that whole friendship thing I thought we were developing upstairs.
She stops a few feet away, at the entrance to what looks like—I don’t know, a ballroom? Is that actually a thing people have in their houses? “Thank you all for coming!” She raises her voice loud enough to be heard over the crowd, heads turning towards her from every direction. I take a few tentative steps closer so I can get a better look into the room. I seriously think this might actually be a ballroom. Sadie beckons me forward, leaving me no choice but to step front and center to everyone’s attention. Just as she’s opening her mouth to speak again, Pearl steps in. Sadie winks at me like it’s exactly what she was expecting to happen. She knows these people better than I do, so I’m sure it is.
“I’m sorry for the bit of a delay, but now I have the great honor of formally welcoming you to the return of my great niece, Juliet Lexington.” She puts an arm around me, her hand settling on my shoulder again like before. This time I’m not surprised by the feel of her chilled skin.
A wave of applause rattles through the room, as if my new name—new life—is some kind of prestigious award I’ve won. I guess to them, it is. I plaster on my no-I-don’t-hate-my-job-that-much smile and send up a silent prayer that it doesn’t make me look too much like a serial killer. Apparently, I miss the mark, because from a few feet away Sadie signals to me to show way less teeth. When I mimic her, she throws me a discreet thumbs up.
Sadie wasn’t joking about being in my corner. I wonder what protocol is for thanking a rich person. Do I send her a Lamborghini or something?
Pearl leans close to speak next to my ear. “You’ll never hear me say this again, but stick close to the Harrington girl for tonight. She’s a meddlesome little thing, but she’ll keep you safe.” Alarm bells ring in my head. I start to ask what she means by that, but I lose my chance when Pearl gets swept away into the crowd. Sadie is hot on her heels, dragging me along for the ride.
“Are you ready to meet the neighbors?” Sadie wagg
les her eyebrows, making it abundantly clear that I am absolutely not, under any circumstances, ready for this. “The parents and the spinsters are only here to get a glimpse, so we won’t worry about them. The focus tonight is to prep you for school. The less you stand out on Monday, the better.”
I let out a low groan, flushing when a couple nearby people turn to stare at me afterward. “I guess I don’t have a choice do I? Lead the way.” I hate that everyone suddenly thinks I’m somebody, because it turns out being somebody is a whole lot harder than being nobody.
The next few hours become a whirlwind of small talk with a blur of faces. I lose track of how many times I’m forced to nod along while someone rambles on about yacht parties and summer homes. Did these people all forget that I made my entrance in cut-off shorts and a faded tank top? I want to roll my eyes so hard they get stuck in the back of my skull and Pearl’s forced to end the party and take me to the hospital. Okay, I’m maybe being a wee bit dramatic.
I feel like I’ve aged years and years by the time we make it to the kitchen. Which happens to be nicer than the commercial kitchen at work. Ex-work? I never actually quit, I realize as I stand to the side watching Sadie spike drinks for the both of us. It’s crazy to me that with all of the people around here—caterers, it looks like—no one stops the teenage girl from touching the liquor.
“Corrupting the new girl already?” Sadie’s face completely blanches at the voice. The single most attractive guy I’ve ever seen has joined us in the kitchen. I feel myself go completely braindead as I admire his beautiful dark skin and honey-colored eyes. He looks from her to me, and I swear I just melt when our eyes meet and he smiles with two rows of perfect, bright white teeth.
Sadie makes a disgusted noise low in her throat. “You’re obviously so much better. Stop doing that whole bedroom eyes thing you do.” She looks at me. “Don’t let Patrick fool you with his sweet talking, either. You’ll definitely catch something if you come within ten feet of that dick.” For a split second the caterers all come to a screeching halt to stare at her outburst, but just as quickly as they stop they start again. I’m just glad to see them react to something. I was starting to think they were all highly lifelike robots.
“You wound me,” Patrick tells Sadie, grasping his chest dramatically. “And here I thought we were finally getting somewhere.” He reaches out and twists a strand of her blonde hair around his finger, creating a fascinating display of light on dark.
“Oh, fuck off, Dupont.” She’s obviously not nearly as enamored as I am. She jerks out of his grip, and he turns his attention back to me. “Don’t even think about it,” Sadie warns him, stepping closer to my side as she hands me one of the drinks she’s made.
“What, are you jealous? You might actually not be the prettiest girl in Patience anymore. How’s that feel, Sadie?” He’s talking to her, but he’s looking at me. Seriously, did it get a thousand degrees hotter in here or what? His eyes trace the dip in the front of my dress. “Don’t worry, though, sweetheart. You’d still be the smartest. Jessica barely passed her sophomore year at public school.”
I blink hard, my mind struggling to catch up with this new development. “How do you even know that?” I’m trying not to show it, but I’m absolutely horrified to hear him announce that. Of course I barely passed—I rarely showed up. But I’m not stupid, my priorities were just elsewhere. Like paying the bills my parents couldn’t seem to keep up with. Even when that meant odd jobs like cleaning Mr. Morrison’s house in my swimsuit. I shudder just thinking about it.
“His father is the headmaster.” Sadie’s eyes narrow. “Though, the Board of Trustees might rethink that if they knew Dupont’s son was taking advantage and looking at private student documents.” Even to me, the warning sounds a little hollow, but it’s nice to hear someone sticking up for me. At this rate, I’m not sure how much backbone I’ll have left at the end of the night. Not if people keep chipping away at me like this.
“I guess if someone wanted to keep their transcripts private, they should have stayed home.” Patrick isn’t even looking at me anymore, talking about me as if I’m no longer standing right there. Note to self, avoid all unnecessary contact with the guys of Patience. No matter how hot they are. They’re apparently all forged from some deep, dark hell where they’ve been personally trained to cut people like me down.
I’m out of patience for these people. No pun intended. “Okay, cool, well this has been fun and all but I’m out.” Sadie starts to protest, but I can’t take any more introductions. I slip out the back door I noticed while the two of them were talking, into the backyard where I follow a stone wall around to a set of stairs. Peering up, I see a darkened gazebo at the top. That’s exactly the kind of privacy I’m looking for.
I take the stairs two at a time to the top. The fresh air feels so good out here, so much better than the stuffy air inside. In the ballroom. Because this house has its own freaking ballroom. It’s dark at the top of the stairs, so much so that I don’t realize there’s someone else up there until I’m practically right in front of him. I can only vaguely make out his features as he sits casually on a wood swing hanging inside the gazebo.
He’s huge. There are actually two loveseat sized swings facing each other, which I can see clearly because they’re bright white even in the low light. The guy takes up a whole seat by himself. My eyes start to adjust and I realize how weird it must be for me to just stand here staring when obviously he came up here for the same reason I did—to be alone.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was up here.” He doesn’t say anything. “I’ll go.” His silence is a little off-putting, but I remind myself it could be worse. He could be treating me like crap instead. I retreat, making it back to the top of the stone staircase before I hear him sigh.
“You can sit,” he says, “if you want.” I freeze with my hand on the railing, weighing my options. What are the chances this guy’s going to end up with the same razor sharp tongue as all the others? It’s nice of him to offer to let me sit, though, since he was here first. But Smith and Patrick, those guys both seemed okay at first, too, and look how quickly I learned my lesson with them.
I shake my head, then stop when I realize he probably can’t see me. “That’s okay. Thanks anyway.”
“You’re Juliet, right?” His low voice lulls me into a false sense of security that I’m terrified I’m going to regret. I take a few steps back towards him anyway. I’m like a stray dog desperate for any scraps of kindness anyone will give me tonight. “I’m Ace. You really can stay, it is your house after all, so if anyone’s gonna go it should be me.”
I purse my lips and blow out a rush of air. “Can we sit in silence?” All I want right now is some quiet time, even if I have to share it with a stranger.
“Absolutely.” He sounds relieved, like he’s just as reluctant as me to have to make conversation. I try not to let it hurt my feelings. It might have nothing to do with me. Though, after way most people here have treated me so far, it’s hard not to take everything pretty personal.
I walk back under the protection of the gazebo and climb onto the unoccupied swing. I pull my legs up too, curling in on myself the way I’ve always done at home when I was overwhelmed. It’s kind of funny how I make myself as small as possible while sitting across from someone who naturally takes up so much space. I keep my head turned towards Ace, watching him in the dark. I see just enough of his eyes to tell he’s looking away, not at me at all. It makes me feel safe to keep staring at him, even though he can probably still tell that I’m doing it.
We both stay silent when a door opens from below and someone walks out shouting my name. It’s Sadie. I expected her to follow me out here sooner, but maybe she had unfinished business with Patrick. He seemed awfully interested in her, or maybe he just likes teasing her. He wasn’t nearly as harsh with her as he was with me. I don’t know what it is about my presence that affects everyone here so much. Even the people that weren’t outright rude to me weren�
��t all that welcoming either.
I’m only three months away from being seventeen. Fifteen months away from being eighteen. If I can survive that long, then I can go wherever I want. Back to Nikon Park, or somewhere else entirely. Maybe it would be enough time to convince Jake to go, too. Or maybe I’ll realize I don’t need Jake as much as I think I do. I try to picture him here in my new life but it’s impossible. If he heard the way some of these guys have talked to me he would end up landing himself in jail. Jake’s one of the calmest people I know, but he’s also got the worst temper I’ve ever seen when something really riles him up.
My freshman year one of the seniors tried to trap me in the stairwell between classes and Jake nearly killed him when he got ahold of him after school. There were no repercussions that time, because that’s how Nikon Park believes in handling problems. I can’t imagine the same would be said of this place. Some of the guys here have better manicures than the girls—I can hardly picture them wanting to get their own hands dirty.
Sadie calls my name one more time before she must decide to give up, because a door opens then closes and then the night air falls silent. I feel a little bad for not answering her but I also really don’t want to be dragged around that party any more.
I can’t imagine why Pearl thought it was a good idea to host the whole damned town for a welcome party my first day here. Having a chance to settle in first would have been nice. I’ve been here now for… I try to check the time on my phone before I remember it’s broken. It’s been several hours at least, long enough for the sun to go down. So I’ve been here that long and I still have no idea what life here is going to be like, aside from that most of the people my age already seem to hate me. I don’t know where I’m sleeping. Or what the expectations are. The shoddy group home I had to stay in for the time between the revelation about my real parents and Sherry dropping me off here even had more structure than what I’m currently being subjected to.
