Page 28

“Stop making her so nervous,” Declan hisses, appearing out of nowhere. His hazel eyes scan my face, concerned. “It’s not that bad, Lucky. There are only two bad apples.”

Her eyes are still burning into my face. “Two very bad, very rotten, poisonous, disgusting apples.”

“Fuck this,” I mutter. I don’t ask, I just reach forward, grab her straw, and suck back the rest of her drink. She nods in encouragement, eyes still locked on me like she’s seen some shit before and doesn’t want me to endure it sober.

“It’s really not that bad,” Declan promises me. “Just steer clear of them and?—”

“Penelope! Arden!”

I squeak, whirling around. Penny curses at her empty drink and doesn’t bother to plaster a smile on her face. I’m pretty sure she tells her ice cubes to ‘fuck off’ under her breath, though.

“Morgan,” she says tightly when Morgan forces her into a small hug.

Morgan’s dark eyes flicker to me. “That’s a nice dress, Arden. Very simple.”

I stare at her, refusing to look down to gauge my outfit. I will not show a girl like this any form of insecurity, even if she’s trying to create some in me. Carter said I’m the most beautiful woman here and I’m going to believe that for the next two minutes.

I smile, gesturing to her puffy sleeves. “Thanks. Yours is cute, too. Very Cressida Cowper.”

Penny turns her head to hide her smile, attempting to suffocate the laugh that is lodged in her throat.

Morgan’s eyes pinch a bit. It was a backhanded compliment, and I think she knows that, but she cannot pinpoint the reference to be certain.

“We try to make statements when we’re out at these events,” she says with a little shrug. Emma hesitates beside her, shifting awkwardly in her baby blue dress that is elegant and quite pretty on her.

“Ah, well, a face this pretty is a statement in itself.” Lips find my head, a hand finds my back, and a glass of red wine is being shoved into my grip.

Thank god. Carter stands beside me, protective and secure.

I exhale a breath. “I took one look at her in this dress and we almost didn’t make it here. ”

I catch Penny’s eyes with a knowing smile, and she flashes me a wink in return. I’m glad she’s in on the ruse; it alleviates some of the pressure. We have an inside joke. It somehow makes me feel more like I belong here. With them.

“Right,” Morgan says with a stiff nod. She glances at Emma with the ghost of a mocking smile on her mouth. “We were about to go grab a drink if you ladies want to join.”

Penny rips Declan’s bottle of beer out of his hand and takes a big swig, wincing at the taste. “We’re all topped up! See you in a bit.”

Declan runs his hand over his mouth, smiling behind his palm. The second that Morgan and Emma slither away, I pass my glass to a grimacing Penny, who takes a big gulp to wash down the beer, still cringing with her entire body.

“I’ll get you another Long Island,” Declan says immediately, heading back toward the bar.

“Those women are the she-devils,” I hiss, whirling on Carter. “You should have warned me about them!”

“I don’t know much about them,” he says, lifting his hands in defence. “That’s Penny’s area of expertise. I just say hello and goodbye when they’re around.”

“Lucky little shit,” Penny mutters. “I find it very hard to put up with people I don’t like. It physically pains me. Do you know how difficult this has been on my own? Those girls are monsters.”

Carter and I both look at her, and what seemed a bit amusing just moments ago is now setting alarm bells off in my head. I study her shaking hands and her squirrely eyes. This is more than just a little joke. She truly appears to be losing her mind.

“Why do you put up with them?”

Her eyes meet mine. “Because this is Dec’s career. Plastering a smile on my face and pretending to be nice is the least I can do.”

Carter glances at me. “Since we are what we are, you have permission to be a bitch if you want.”

I smack his arm. “I don’t need your permission.”

“Good girl.” Penny nods, but she’s still slightly off-kilter. She brings her trembling hand to her chest. “Fuck, I hate those girls.”

“Okay, Sweets.” Carter seems to be catching on to what I’ve noticed. He places a hand on her shoulder. “What the fuck has gotten you so worked up?”

“Nothing,” she bites out. “They’re just stupid. ”

“Penny,” I say carefully. There is more to it, and that much is obvious.

“Here. It’s a double.” Declan reappears then and hands her a new Long Island. She rips it out of his hand and starts gulping it down Dec’s brows knit forward as he slides his hand to her back. “Lucky, you have to take a breath, alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Carter stares at Penny for a long moment. “You know, we have some serious pull here, right? If something happened, we can handle it for you.”

Declan’s eyes are burning into Penny’s face. “I’ll say something if you want me to say something.”

“We can’t, so let’s drop it.”

I’m an expert at reading people. I think it’s my best talent.

It’s only for a second, a literal blink, but her mask falls for a moment.

I see an explosion of pain in those dark blue eyes.

A myriad of sadness in the look she gives Declan, and by the way he nods, eyes all soft—it’s clear that something much worse than Morgan being insufferable is the reason for her mood.

She swallows, and her eyes glaze over with tears.

“Alright, what the fuck is going on?” Carter’s voice is low, but stern now. He steps toward them both.

I reach for his hand, squeezing it, trying to calm him down. I don’t think he realizes this isn’t his fight, even if he wants it to be. This is something private to them. Hurtful. Important.

Declan blinks, tearing his eyes away from Penny. He lets out a long breath, shaking his head. “Morgan just made some stupid comment. You know how she gets. Always in everyone’s business.”

“About what?” Carter asks, insisting.

Declan scratches the back of his neck, his throat bobbing when Penny’s gaze falls to the floor.

“About Wy,” he mutters.

Carter’s brow furrows, but I don’t know who this person is. Penny has mentioned him before, but not enough for me to understand what we’re talking about.

“The fuck did she say about Caulfield?”

“Declan,” Penny pleads in a whisper. When he looks back at her and those tears are still brimming in her eyes, she shakes her head. She’s about five seconds away from breaking into pieces or taking her glass and smashing it into Morgan’s head. It’s all over her.

She needs an out, and Carter is a dog with a bone right now.

“Do you want to go to the bathroom?” I ask her.

“No, I’d actually like to do a shot of tequila,” she says, eyes snapping to mine. “You in?”

I blink. Oh—uh. I hate tequila.

But I take another look at those glassy eyes.

I think about all the kindness she’s shown me since the very moment that I showed up at her house, and I remember that her other half, the one who isn’t Declan, is sitting in another country right now.

Penny can’t call Avery in the middle of a gala full of mean girls. She can’t run to her.

I nod at her, gesturing to the bar. “I’m in.”