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TASHA

“ W hat are you going to say to your parents tonight?”

I sighed through the phone at Josie’s question. I had absolutely no clue what I was going to tell them when I saw them. I'd been ignoring all their calls the past two weeks since the pictures of Trevor and I came out.

So far, they had called me every other day, more than ever before, but I didn’t pick up. The thing was, I knew exactly what they were going to say when I saw them. And I knew they’d somehow try and guilt me into doing what they wanted, but they were going to be surprised tonight. I wasn’t going to be a pawn in a game for them to use to help their firm. They’d gone too far this time.

“I honestly don’t know,” I replied. I still had a few hours to figure that out.

“Don’t let them get to you. You owe them nothing,” Josie said fiercely through the phone. “Want me to come? I can be ready in an hour.”

Even though she couldn’t see me, I smiled. If I said yes, she would drop everything and come to the gala with me. And as much as I would love her company tonight, I wasn’t going to make her go. Not after how rude my parents were the last time.

“I’ll be okay. Trevor will be there.”

The only reason I was okay with going tonight was because I knew I’d have Trevor by my side. When I finally got the nerve to ask him if he wanted to come with me last week, he didn’t even hesitate. I did try to tell him he didn’t have to, but he wouldn’t hear a word of it.

While him coming to the gala meant he’d have to meet my parents, and the world I grew up in, I was relieved he was coming. Having him there would help me get through the night with most of my sanity still intact.

“He’s going to make it in time, right?”

“I hope so.” I worried my lip between my teeth. The team was flying home, currently in the air as we spoke, but he was going to be cutting it close. He was gone for over a week for away games.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be there,” Josie assured me.

I wasn’t going to lie, I was a bit nervous that he wouldn’t make it tonight and I’d have to endure the night alone. Being in a room full of people who would stab you in the back at any chance was not all that fun. Neither was knowing that the second you turned around they were talking about you behind your back.

I did warn Trevor about tonight. Warned him of the type of people he was going to have to interact with. I also had to caution him about the type of person I’d be tonight. I learned over the years I had to act a certain way around my parents’ friends or else they’d pick me apart.

I just wanted him to be prepared, even if he assured me none of it would drive him away.

“I still can’t believe two of my best friends are in love,” Josie swooned. “I knew the moment you two met this would happen.”

“No, you didn’t.” I laughed, entering my bathroom to get started on my makeup. “Uh, yes, I did. I even told Wyatt when we first met that you and Trevor would be good together.”

When I first met Trevor, I never once thought I’d be in love with the cocky hockey player who did everything in his power to annoy me. Obviously, there was an attraction there, but I hadn’t allowed myself to even think of anything more. And now here we were, spending almost every waking second together and in love.

Crazy how things turned out.

“Taking credit for my relationship.”

“Obviously. Without me, you wouldn’t have met.” I mean, she wasn’t wrong. If she hadn’t been stuck in that elevator with Wyatt none of us would be here right now.

“Also, I was thinking next week we could go check out some wedding venues.” Her voice echoed around my bathroom as I put her on speakerphone.

“Aren’t you supposed to look at venues with your fiancé?”

“Wyatt said he’s fine with anything. He’d be okay if we went to Vegas and eloped.”

Ever since we first met back in uni, the two of us talked about our dream weddings—a beautiful venue, big cake with the cute figurines on the top, and wearing a gorgeous gown and a veil with the perfect guy next to us.

“You are not eloping. I won’t have it. You two are going to have the prettiest wedding, and I’ll make sure of it.”

“That’s why you and I are going venue shopping.” Josie laughed.

“I better be there for the cake tasting as well.” The best part of weddings was trying tons of cakes for free.

“Oh, hell yeah. We will have to do multiple tastings just to be sure.”

“See, this is why I love you.”

The two of us talked on the phone for a bit longer as I got ready, helping to keep my mind off of tonight. As much as I wanted to stay on the phone and postpone the night, the clock ticked closer to the time I had to leave.

With words of encouragement and a plan to hang out in two days, Josie and I said our goodbyes. While I hated knowing that I had to go, I was looking forward to the gorgeous gown I picked out.

Last week, I convinced all my girls to go shopping with me—took five stores and many, many dresses to find the perfect one— but if I was going to be forced into going to an event I didn’t want to attend, then I was going to go all out and turn heads.

Heading to my closet, I reached for the long black bag holding my gown. The thing was heavier than I would’ve ever expected, and so I struggled to pull it out. Maybe it was a good thing that I was working out with Trevor the last few weeks. It gave me the muscle I needed to carry this damn dress.

Laying it out on my bed, I slowly unzipped it, once again wonderstruck by its beauty. It was stunning.

Stripping out of the PJ’s I’d been sitting around in all day, I grabbed my other new purchase. The burgundy thong had a matching bra but with the strapless dress I didn’t need it tonight. I wanted to give Trevor something fun to slip off later, and this one left little to the imagination.

I grabbed the heavy fabric and stepped into it before tugging it on. It took a lot of maneuvering and twisting to get the thing zipped on my own, but once it was on, the dress fit me like a glove.

Grabbing the sides, I walked over to my floor length mirror, the fabric of the dress swishing on the floor.

The gorgeous deep red color made my tan skin glow. I loved the off-the-shoulder style of it and the cinching at the waist before it flared down to the floor. It showed just enough cleavage to not be too revealing. No one wanted to get me started on the high slit on one side either, exposing my leg with each step.

It was honestly one of the prettiest gowns I'd ever worn.

Time flew by as I touched up my makeup and before I knew it, I was slipping on my heels, ready for the gala, the car my parents sent minutes away from pulling up downstairs.

Smoothing my hands down my dress, I looked at my reflection one last time. Even with the added height from my heels, my dress brushed along the ground, but in a way, it almost looked like I was floating. I felt powerful in this dress.

My blonde hair was curled, hanging around my shoulders with a few pieces pulled up. I matched my eyeshadow to the dress, going for a smokey appearance. I paired it with a dark red lipstick. Not to toot my own horn, but I looked pretty damn good.

“Don’t let them affect you, Tasha,” I told my reflection. I wasn’t about to let my parents or any of the people there get to me. I could play the game just as well as they could.

Pushing my shoulders back, I flashed myself a smirk before turning on my heel and grabbing the clutch I packed with my keys, phone, lipstick, and gum. It was time to get this thing over with.

The ride to the fancy hotel where my parents held the gala wasn’t bad. The car was nice and big, so I didn’t have a hard time getting in with my gown. The driver was quiet and left me alone as I sent texts in the girl's chat. Josie, Lydia, and Mila sent encouraging messages and memes.

I did send Trevor a few texts, even though he was in the air and wouldn’t see them until he landed. I wished he was next to me, but at least he would be here soon.

When the car pulled up to the hotel, the first thing I noticed was the paparazzi lining the black carpet that led to the front doors. Of course there was a carpet to walk on and pose for pictures. The socialites were nothing but vain when it comes to cameras. Always wanting their pictures taken and shared for everyone to see.

I planned it so I would arrive late but not late enough to be considered rude. The last thing I wanted was to show up early and be stuck here any longer than I had to be. I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents were already looking for me.

“Ready, Miss?” the driver asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror. With no other choice, I gave him a nod.

While he got out and came around to open my door, I took a deep breath. You can do this, Tasha. It’s just a few hours.

As soon as my door opened, I was met with the sound of people yelling and the clicking of cameras. Swinging my leg out, I slowly slipped out of the car, making sure to move at a pace that got everyone’s attention. With a steel spine, I stepped onto the pavement, my dress falling to my feet.

Plastering on a fake smile, I prepared myself to pose for pictures. Lifting the sides of my gown so I could walk, I headed for the black carpet ahead of me. An odd choice.

As I walked, flashes blurred my vision. Photographers yelled, finally catching onto who I was. Most of the questions thrown at me were about the relationship I had with Trevor Hall. Even with Josie and Wyatt’s engagement announcement, we were still a hot topic.

Having done this before, I knew to stop and pose a few times, giving a few smiles and smirks over my shoulder as I went. These pictures would be all over the internet in a matter of minutes .

Leaving the photographers behind me, I stepped into the hotel, following the trail of people to the ballroom. As soon as I stepped through the doorway, I swore I felt every head turn in my direction. Squaring my shoulders, I walked farther into the lion's den, keeping my eyes open for my parents. I had yet to see them but knew they were here somewhere.

The giant chandelier hung from above was beautiful. Casting a warm glow over everyone standing in the ballroom. I only made it halfway through the room, weaving between tables, when I was stopped by someone calling my name.

“Tasha, dear!”

I tried not to groan at the sound of the voice. Mrs. Hans was the biggest gossip and every word out of my mouth would be repeated to everyone. Of course, she’d be the first one to come talk to me.

“Hello, Mrs. Hans.” I turned around to face her, a fake smile on full blast. “Nice to see you.”

“You look wonderful, dear.” The expression on her face was just as fake as the rest of her. Coming up behind her was her husband.

Mr. Hans was your typical older white man in his late sixties. He made his money by investing in small companies then flipped them for millions. He wasn’t the worst man I'd ever met, but he rarely kept his eyes to himself. They dropped to my breasts and then jumped back to my face. He was harmless for the most part.

“Thank you. You look beautiful as well.” Like everyone else around, her dress was probably worth a fortune. No one would be caught dead showing up in a gown less than a few thousand dollars.

“You are too kind.” Mrs. Hans touched my arm. “So happy to see you tonight. We weren’t sure you were going to show. ”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“We saw that you are with that hockey player.” Ahh there it was.

“Hall is a fantastic athlete,” Mr. Hans chimed in. “Hopefully they bring home another championship.”

“Is he coming tonight?” I didn’t miss the glint in her eyes. She was dying to share something with the grapevine.

“He is. He’s on his way, actually.” This time the smile on my face wasn’t fake. It never was when it came to Trevor.

“We would love to meet him.” Oh, I bet you would.

“Hopefully, he gets here soon,” I said politely. “I better go find my parents. It was nice to see you guys.” I quickly made my exit, wanting to get away before she could try and get more information out of me.

Another thing I learned over the years was that you could talk to someone for a few minutes but then you had to make your leave. If not, you’d be roped into business discussions and gossip all night long.

Weaving between people, occasionally waving or flashing a smile to someone who said my name, I made my way toward the bar. If I was going to get through this night, I needed a drink. And I needed it ASAP.

Ordering a glass of wine, I grabbed my phone, hoping to see a text from Trevor saying he was on his way. I tried not to let my heart sink when there was no notification, my last message left on delivered.

He was most likely on his way and hadn’t had time to text me back yet.

After a few minutes of wasting time by the bar, drinking half my wine, I knew it was time to face the crowd again. And my parents. With one last glance at my phone, I put it back in my bag. The bartender sent me a sympathetic smile as I grabbed my drink.

For the next thirty minutes, I bounced around from person to person. As soon as I was done talking to someone, another was right there to take their spot.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when every conversation steered toward Trevor and I’s relationship. Although, I doubted half the people in attendance ever saw a hockey game.

I knew our relationship had been the talk of the town these last few weeks. I'd ignored a lot of what was being said about us, but I guessed it was big enough news for everyone here to know. News travels fast in socialite circles.

I politely answered some questions but easily switched the topic to business, which helped get the attention off of me. I long since mastered getting people to talk about themselves, something everyone in this room loved to do.

I politely excused myself from the conversation and made my way to the bar, needing a break. The entire time, I felt the weight of eyes on me. I caught a few comments about my dress, which just made me smirk. A lot were from old hags who didn’t appreciate me showing so much skin. Not my fault their pervy husbands couldn’t keep their eyes to themselves.

Having a second to myself, I pulled my phone out yet again. There was still no word from Trevor. He should have been here by now. My stomach twisted at the thought that something happened.

With a knot in my stomach, I sent him another text. I’d wait a little longer before texting Josie to see what was going on. Even if Trevor couldn’t make it, I just wanted to make sure he landed safely.

I had to refrain from biting my lip in worry, not wanting to ruin my lipstick or get it on my teeth. As I was standing there looking at my phone, someone slid up beside me. A quick glance from the corner of my eye had me silently groaning. God, not her .

Of course, it was Alexa Blackwood, daughter of millionaire Patrick Blackwood, who owned the hotel we were currently standing in. As well as thirty others across the world.

“There you are, Tasha. Hiding out by the bar, I see.” Her fake, nasally voice made it hard not to cringe when it hit my ears.

“Just taking care of work things.” I turned to lean my arm against the bar, not bothering to put on a fake smile as I looked over at my ex-best friend. “You do know what a job is, right?”

The glare she sent me had me smirking. She didn’t work a day in her life, her daddy having paid for everything she desired. While others were out working, she was jetting off to different countries doing whatever she pleased.

“Still being a disappointment?” The cruel smile she sent me made my jaw clench.

Back in the day, we were best friends. At one point, we were so close that I would spend almost every day at her house. We told each other everything. At eighteen, I considered her my truest friend. Obviously, that was not the case.

“If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you have a big scandal a year ago and your parents almost cut you off?” I acted like I didn’t see the headlines about her getting caught snorting coke in Italy a year ago. The thunderous look on her face had my lips curling up.

As Alexa glared at me, I looked her over. She wasn’t wearing her usual style. Typically, her dress threatened splitting open with her cleavage. Instead, she was wearing a black gown that was…plain. Interesting. Her parents probably forced her into a simple dress to show off her new good girl act.

Alexa Blackwood was pretty, even with her natural brown hair dyed blonde. Years ago, she got her nose redone, and it was clear she had a bit of lip filler. But she wasn’t ugly by any means, which was a shame since her personality was shit.

“I've heard a lot about your newest boy toy.” She completely ignored my earlier question, switching the topic back to me. I didn’t say a word at her implying Trevor was my boy toy. He was anything but that.

“Where is he? You’ve been telling everyone he’s coming.” She looked around trying to spot him, knowing full well he wasn’t here.

“He’s running late.”

“Mmhmm.” The way she said it had me narrowing my eyes at her. Alexa was a snake and anyone with eyes could see it. She might’ve pretended to be a good girl to get her image back, but she was as vindictive as they came. She was someone who would stab you in the back and not bat an eye.

“Who’s husband are you going to sleep with tonight?” I asked, nonchalantly taking a sip of my wine. The cruel part of me revelled in the way she blanch at my words, head snapping in my direction.

Alexa stared at me as if asking how I knew that little bit of information. Little did she know, I knew a lot more than I let on. I may not have been active in social circles, but I knew what went on.

“Have a good rest of the night.” I sent her a fake smile that said, “ Fuck with me, I dare you. ” Letting her freak out on her own, I pushed off the bar and walked away.

Okay, maybe the night wasn’t all that bad.

Ignoring people, I headed for the tables lined on one side of the ballroom. The reason why we were all here. The table was filled with different items to bid on for different charities. This was my favorite part about coming to this event.

Every year, I would go through the charities listed and pick one to donate to. I’d sign the sheet as if to bid for the item, but I never put enough to win, not wanting to claim the prizes that went along with the bid. Instead, the next day, I would find the charity and donate anonymously every year choosing a different one to donate to.

What no one but Josie knew was that I had a huge chunk of money in a separate account. Money my parents set aside for me when I turned twenty-one. It was…a lot of money. More than I knew what to do with. I’ve never wanted any of my parents' money and every time I saw the amount, it was like a slap to the face. So, instead of using it for myself, I used it for charities. What was the point of having it just sit there?

Walking down the line, I came to a pause when a specific one caught my eye. Toronto’s Women Clinic. With a tight chest, I didn’t even hesitate in writing a number down, making the biggest bid so far.

“Tasha.” Once more, my name was called, but this one made my back straighten. My luck ran out as I turned around to face my parents.

It had been a bit since I last saw them, close to six months since we sat awkwardly at a dinner table together while barely talking, and when we did, it was all about my parents’ law firm.

I kept the surprise off my face as my mother stepped forward and hugged me, followed by my father. I could count on one hand how many times they hugged me over the years. I knew their affection was only because there were thousands of eyes on us. Wouldn’t look good on them if they didn’t greet their daughter.

“Well, you look…lovely.” My mother, Jennifer, looked me up and down, clearly scrutinizing my choice in gowns.

“You do too.”

I had always been told I looked like my mother, which was a compliment. Jennifer Davis might’ve almost been fifty, but she could easily pass off as being in her late thirties. Her blonde hair was cut short and pulled into a tight bun, her cheekbones high and sharp. There was an air of regalness about her that almost made you feel like you were meeting the Queen.

“I see you’ve been making your rounds,” my father, Robert Davis, added. I took note that his dark brown hair had more gray in it than I remembered, as well as his beard. Even with it, my father was the most intimidating man in the room alongside my mother. While I had my mother’s blonde hair and face structure, I inherited my father’s eyes. Cold, crisp, and gray.

One look from them was enough to get me to behave when I was a kid. And it wasn’t just me that shrunk under his gaze. I saw how my parents' employees worked their asses off so they didn’t get that look directed at them. My mother was no better.

“I have. I got stuck with the Pattersons for a while.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth did silence settle on top of us. It was awkward as hell. On a good day, we didn’t know how to speak to one another but everything that happened in the last month made things even worse.

“So, where is this boyfriend of yours?” I didn’t miss the tone my mother had. The same tone she always inflicted on me when she disapproved of one of my choices.

“He’s on his way. He had a game today.” I forced myself not to look away from their gaze. When it came to my parents, I always caved. In everyday life, I was the last person to let others walk all over me but when it came to them it was like all my willpower disappeared and I became a little girl again, trying to gain her parents’ approval and attention.

I always knew my parents resented me to some degree. They had me at such a young age while trying to balance law school. I was a baby they didn’t really want yet kept. They managed, of course, and grew to be successful in their careers, but once they had enough money to hire someone to take care of me, I became someone else’s problem.

“So, he plays sports.”

I clenched my jaw at the way my father said it. Like playing hockey was the worst profession to have. If you didn’t own a successful business or law firm, you were nobody in his eyes.

“He’s one of the star players for the Toronto Knights . You know, the biggest hockey team in the league.” I defended Trevor. To my dad, he was the biggest scum on the earth because he didn’t wear a suit everyday for work.

Trevor might’ve played hockey, but he was a better man than my father would ever be. A better man than any in this room.

“Showing up an hour late says a lot about a person.” My mother sniffed, looking around the room. The grip on my wine glass was so tight I was afraid I’d shatter the thing.

I wasn’t going to let it show that Trevor being late hurt. It had been well over an hour since the gala started. With no text or phone call, it was safe to assume he wasn’t going to show. My chest squeezed tightly at him not coming to the one thing I truly needed him to be at.

“He’s a busy man and is making time to be here for me,” I answered through my teeth.

“Hmm.”

The three of us stood there in tense silence, letting everyone glimpse the happy family together. How wrong that was. Every part of me wanted to turn and hightail it out of there.

As a few more minutes passed, I opened my mouth to make up an excuse to get away, even for just a moment. I was on edge, dreading when they would bring up the topic of the arranged marriage—a conversation I had no intention of having with them, especially not here .

Just as I was about to walk away, I heard the faint sound of whispering. Even my parents stopped, turning to see what the murmurs were about. I watched as heads turned, but I couldn’t tell what they were looking at.

Slowly, the crowd seemed to part. Everyone moved to the side just enough for me to finally catch sight of what that had their attention. Well, more like who had it. Standing between my parents, I watched with wide eyes as the one person I loved most on this earth appeared.