Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
I’m not used to getting dressed up because I avoid it at all costs. I even skipped prom my senior year to get out of it. Besides that, I always wore school uniforms until college, and then it was shirts, sweaters, and yoga pants with sneakers. Whatever was most comfortable.
When I was accepted to Bryn Wellesley College, I almost fell over. It’s an all-female campus that has fewer than 2000 students enrolled each year. None of us ever gave a crap what we looked like, and it was kind of nice. We all knew what a privilege it was to be there, so we weren't going to parties on the weekends. In fact, we were fighting over claims to open lab times on the weekends.
My first thought when I’d gotten the letter was that I wanted to tell Keaton. Then again, I wonder if I would have applied there if he’d still been around. I bet we would have applied to all the same schools, not that a Lone would really have to apply to college. I think that's the kind of name that gets an automatic acceptance with a full scholarship.
“Don’t fear the dress. Put it on and own that shit like it was made just for you. Because it was.”
“You know I’m not great in heels,” I remind him.
“I’ve got you.” He snaps his fingers, and two women come rushing in with an array of items. “There.” He motions toward my bed for them to lay them out. Once they’re finished, they disappear as quickly as they’d appeared. “Sit,” he orders and points to the chair in front of my vanity. I do as I’m told because it’s easier not to fight Oliver, and as I sit down, more people appear. “I want to keep her natural. She doesn’t need to be overdone.”
“Her bone structure is perfect,” one of them says.
“Thanks?” I say, wondering if that’s a compliment.
“There are a few single men on the guest list. I might have done a little research on them too.” Oliver's fingers slide up and down the tablet in his hand. I’m sure he’s checking over final details.
“Honestly, I’m not sure who my parents invited.” The last I heard it was around a hundred guests.
“The Lones are coming,” Oliver says, and I tense. Everyone knows who the Lones are, and I’m sure seeing their name impressed even Oliver, who throws parties for celebrities.
I’ve seen Shelly in passing a few times over the years, but I’ve only seen Dr. Lone in news articles about new advances. I had to read a lot of his research in college.
They both have always been friendly with my parents, but that was before. I’ve heard nothing about Keaton, but I stopped trying after that last attempt when I showed up at the gate begging them to let me see him. Dr. Lone told me if I came back again it would be trespassing and that if Keaton wanted to see or contact me, he would.
He never did. Hell, he didn’t even show back up at school. I heard whispers that he went off to a boarding school in Europe, but I didn’t believe it at first. As time passed, I started to question what I’d seen that day.
“I haven’t seen them in a while.” I bite the inside of my cheek as I recall my parents being pretty upset with how things went down. They hated to see me cry, so since then, I learned to hide it and pretend I didn’t care.
“It says three guests for the Lones.”
“Three?”
Oliver glances up from his tablet, and I know it’s because of the high pitch in my voice. “Yes, three.”
I swallow. I’m sure it’s a friend, or maybe Shelly’s sister is in town. There’s no way it would be Keaton. I hate the spark of hope that tries to light up, and I smother it down. It doesn’t matter if it is Keaton. He can go fuck himself at this point.
It’s been years and nothing. My broken heart still hasn’t healed even though I wish I could say it has. I’m not going to lie to myself, but it’s not sorrow or denial I have anymore. I’ve moved past that and right into anger, where I’ve been simmering for a long time.
Protect the queen. I’ll never forget those words. It’s the one and only time I can ever recall Keaton being full of shit.
Chapter Four
KEATON
“We have security on standby with a car out front,” my father says as we climb the stairs of the Walkers’ mansion.
How many times did I take this same route to see Elsy before everything changed? How many times have I wanted to do it since that day? The answer is about the same because it’s too many to count. I’ve been training for tonight, but I feel the nervous energy coming off my mom and dad. They’re worried, and deep down, I am too. I just know that I have to take this next step, because if I don’t hold Elsy again, I’m not sure I have anything left to live for.