Page 207 of Save You

“I would be delighted to accompany you to the Spring Ball, Ruby.Many thanks for your kind invitation!”declares Ember.When Ruby doesn’t respond, she exhales audibly.“All right, fine, I’ll stick to your rules, Ruby.”

“OK.”Ruby nods.“Then the three of us have a date.”

Ember cheers and digs her elbow in my ribs.“This is going to be amazing.”

I hope she’s right.

27

Lydia

The dress that Ember has conjured up is dreamy.It’s short-sleeved, with a bodice in a floaty, champagne-colored fabric.She’s attached a tulle skirt dotted with little flowers—similar to Ruby’s—that falls from right under the bust.It has a gentle drape and it’s cut to hide my stomach as much as possible.I’m fairly certain Ember knows but, weirdly, I don’t feel bad about that.

“I think we need to get going,” Ruby says, glancing at the clock on my desk.It’s dark wood with gilt patterns on the shimmering dial.Dad gave it to me for my tenth birthday.God knows why I still have it standing there.It’s not like it’s even particularly attractive, but I can’t part with it.

“Lydia?”Ember’s voice from right beside me snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Are you OK?”she asks cautiously.Ember has the exact sameeyes as Ruby: green and penetrating.Sometimes I get the feeling that both sisters can see right into a person’s heart.

“Yes, fine.”I beam at her.“James and Percy must’ve been waiting twenty minutes by now.We really should go down.”

Ember nods, but her expression is still thoughtful.

“Thanks again for the pamper session, Lydia,” Ruby says.“It was just what we needed after all the stress of getting ready.”She walks over to give me a quick hug.

“It’s thanks to you two that I have something decent to wear, so that was the least I could do,” I reply.

I booked hair and makeup stylists to get Ruby, Ember, and me red-carpet ready.A red carpet for fairies, of course.Or for Shakespeare in person.

We walk down to the hallway together, where James and Percy are waiting.They’re chatting, and I hear Percy laugh.The sound moves me.It’s the first time in ages that I’ve seen the two of them this lighthearted.

James turns and his eyes instantly rest on Ruby.They light up, as they do practically anytime he sees her or speaks to her.

“You all look beautiful,” he says as Percy holds my coat for me to slip into.

“You say that every time,” I tell James.

He just shrugs, his eyes still fixed on Ruby.She does a twirl and smiles widely at him.“I feel like a princess.”

“You look like one,” James replies, caressing her cheek, then bending to give her a gentle kiss.

“I still don’t know if I should find that sweet or disgusting,” Ember murmurs beside me.

“It’s sweet,” I say, almost without thinking about it.“It’s so much better than seeing the pair of them being miserable.”

Ruby

When we were watching the fifteen artificial trees being set up in Boyd Hall yesterday afternoon, I thought we’d made a huge mistake.By daylight, it looked weird, too big, anything but atmospheric.But as I look around now, I breathe a sigh of relief.

The soft light of the lanterns and candles, the scattered petals in blues and lilacs, and the gentle classical music being played by the school orchestra are creating a fairy-tale atmosphere, and the guests in their florals and pastels clearly feel at ease.

“Ruby, this looks amazing.”Lydia sighs beside me.

“It’s really beautiful,” Ember agrees.

She points to the wooden swing hanging from one of the trees.The photographer is standing beside it, ready to take a photo of the couple who are getting themselves into position.The girl holds on to the flower-entwined ropes, and her boyfriend stands behind her with his hands on top of hers.It’s dreamily romantic.