Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Her mother handed her a light wrap, and Tildy slid it over her shoulders. The correction bruises had mostly faded, but Tildy’s elbow was still a greenish yellow. It was not broken though, as Deirdre crowed when they got the x-rays back, because a cast would be too unsightly. Tildy’s hair was arranged to cover the healing gash above her eyebrow, since her makeup didn’t quite cover it. She wondered at the necessity of having another party so soon after ‘The Incident,’ but her parents, it seemed, were determined to put the whole thing behind them. If they heard Tildy waking up in the middle of the night screaming for help, they never mentioned it to her.
Deirdre looked her over in the mirror, pursing her lips. “I didn’t know if we’d ever get to this point,” she muttered. Tildy wondered if she meant that she was surprised anyone would marry Tildy, or implying that Tildy had been deliberately sabotaging all of her mother’s efforts over the years. Deirdre seemed as anxious for Tildy to leave as Tildy herself was. It could very well be that she blamed her daughter for her own failing marriage. She may well honestly believe that getting rid of Tildy would bring her husband back to her, but Tildy knew her leaving home wouldn’t make her mother’s life any easier.
She had finally realized something that her mother might never understand: You couldn’t make someone love you.
When Tildy entered the living room, several people greeted her warmly. Tales of her harrowing experience had spread far and wide, despite her parent’s reluctance to talk about it. It wasn’t clear which upset her mother more: That Tildy had been kidnapped, or that she had been associating with “those people” in the first place. Acutely aware of her mother’s watchful eye, Tildy downplayed ‘The Incident’ and gave everyone her trademark-winning smile. Just because corrections hadn’t started back up again didn’t mean they wouldn’t.
Skylar trailed behind Tate as they emerged from the direction of the kitchen. Tildy was only surprised that they weren’t doing a better job of being discreet. Tate put a proprietary hand on Tildy’s shoulder; Skylar did not acknowledge her at all. Tildy noticed her friend’s nails were chipped on one hand. She smirked and looked away. Clearly zippers were tricky to negotiate in the dark.
Vera Simmons drifted to them and kissed Tildy lightly on the cheek. “Darling,” she proclaimed breathlessly. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
Tate smiled and squeezed Tildy’s shoulder. “Yeah,” he said, responding for her. “I almost lost her.” Tate seemed amused by it though, as if Tildy were a missing pet rather than someone who’d been in danger. “I’m determined not to misplace her again,” Tate said to Vera raising his voice to attract the attention of the entire room.
Tate reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. Vera, Julia, and Deirdre all gasped- giving very passable imitations of being surprised. Tate grinned at the crowd, reached for Tildy’s hand, and slid the ring on.
The small group applauded them. Skylar had disappeared to snag a drink during the “Not Proposal” and merely gave Tildy a half-smile. The older women moved away to discuss which of the local florists was the best while Tate headed to the hors d’oeuvre table. Skylar continued to sip her drink and grabbed Tildy’s hand. The diamond was large and brilliantly cut. “It’s beautiful,” she declared to Tildy, wrinkling her nose. “It’s not right for you though. It just makes you look even plainer.”
Tildy snatched her hand away and gave Skylar a hard look. After a moment, she smiled. “Really, Skylar,” Tildy mused quietly, slipping the drink from her hand. She finished off the rest of it in one gulp. “I can’t understand why you’re not happier. You really came out on top, when you think about it. You get to be the mistress, all of the fun and none of the hassle.”
Skylar gasped and glanced around quickly, though no one had heard them. When she determined she was safe, her eyes narrowed into slits. “You don’t deserve him,” she whispered fiercely.
Tildy laughed. “Oh, I agree. Trust me.”
“He only wants your money,” Skylar snapped, as though this was news. Everyone in the room knew it was more of a merger than a marriage.
Tildy laughed again. “Just think, Sky, if your father hadn’t gambled away half your family’s money, you’d be wearing this monstrosity.”
It was a shitty thing to say, but Tildy couldn’t convince herself to feel guilty. She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Skylar standing open mouthed.
Chapter 41
Shooter’s phone rang, and he dug it out of his pocket. He frowned at the screen then swiped a button. “ ‘Lo.” He listened intently, his frown ever deepening. Then he looked at Hawk. Hawk set his cards down on the table. “When you say bombed... ” Shooter said, “exactly how drunk is that?”