Page 18

“It’s bad timing for a long-distance relationship, and I explained as much to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. However, he doesn’t like to take no for an answer.”
“I wonder why. He’s spoiled.” Weston rolls his eyes. “But when it comes to love, remember, the wrong time is sometimes right.” It’swhat’s inscribed on the bottom of my grandfather’s watch that Weston wears daily. “Except for when it comes to Josh. Fuck him. It was the wrong time for him.”
I chuckle. “Spare me theI told you so.”
Weston decided he hated Josh within the first five minutes of meeting him. In the end, my brother was right. Weston’s great at reading people and their intentions, and he never once trusted Josh, even when I begged him to. It’s why whoever I end up with has to have my brothers’ blessings, or it’s a no-go. They see red flags in people before I do and will not surround themselves with those who are problems.
After we’ve eaten too much pasta, we ask for to-go containers. Weston pays, and we stand.
“Did you get the laptop?” I ask, pulling him into a side hug.
“Yes.” He squeezes me tighter. “Thank you.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No,” he says with a smile and pulls away. He leads the way toward the exit. “Work with Asher. What he can do for you is worth begging for. Still attending the CEO ball tonight?”
“Yep, after I go home and take a nap,” I admit.
“Great. Showing your face publicly is enough to send a message to everyone watching. It tells them you’re not backing down or afraid. When someone wants you to disappear, the only option is to shine like a diamond. You’re a Calloway. Act like it,” he says, smiling as paparazzi snap photos of us leaving the restaurant.
“I’ll make you proud,” I whisper.
“You already have,” he admits.
The flashes continue, and I cover my face, wishing we still had our privacy. “I’ll never get used to this.”
“You will,” he says, squeezing my shoulder. “It’s just a matter of time.”
“Do not put that curse on me,” I snap back.
“See you tonight,” he yells over his shoulder, laughing as he walks away.
My driver arrives, and I escape into the back seat of the SUV, thankful to be alone.
Easton and Weston were raised in the limelight, and cameras were constantly shoved in their faces. My parents were more careful with me, and I was barely in the public eye because I was always over sexualized.
I look like my supermodel mother, with the same height and features, and teen magazines took notice of my style. I became the elusive diamond princess and was treated like royalty. My outfits were picked apart, fan clubs were formed, and accounts on social media started doing breakdown hauls of my clothes so others could copy my look. I became a teen icon without trying, which also put a lot of unnecessary scrutiny on me at a young age.
I was quickly given media training and a publicist, even if I wasn’t allowed to have social media accounts. I was isolated and lost myself in romance books, academics, and fashion. Harper was my only real friend, growing up.
I’d dream about the clothes the princesses and princes wore and started drawing at a young age. My mother wanted me to model, just like her. After a few shows during my teenage years, I knew I wanted to design the clothes, not showcase them. Watching my mother and her beautiful friends walk the runway in glittery dresses only inspired me to create them.
While I was kept in a boarding school away from the world, my brothers—mostly Weston—were splashed across every tabloid worldwide. Walking in the shadows of the diamond princes has always been difficult, but I’ve managed it gracefully. I was trained to.
Fifteen minutes later, the SUV slows in front of my penthouse. While I have several properties in the city, this is my escape, and it feels most like home. It’s full of things I love—from the vintage furniture to the pastel walls and high ceilings. It’s not Billionaires’ Row or the Park Towers, but I avoid that area as much as possible. I prefer to surround myself with artists and fashionistas who seebeauty in things that are often overlooked. Luxury doesn’t impress me. Authenticity does.
When I enter, I immediately strip out of my clothes and shower. I stand under the water, washing away the day and the dread creeping up.
I’ll be dateless tonight. The tabloids will discuss it tomorrow, especially if Josh has a twenty-something hanging on his arm. My relationship never mattered to anyone until I was with Josh Lustre, and now everyone’s concerned about who I’ll end up with next.
It’ll be a miracle if I don’t skip tonight.
5
BILLIE
My hairstylist, April, and celebrity makeup artist, Oliver, arrived ten minutes early. It’s known that I’m a stickler for time, especially with people that I pay. Even though they work for me and travel during press tours, I consider them my friends. They’re my fairy godmothers, and they have me fully glammed in less than two hours.