conversation, and I can feel everyone’s gaze on me. Some with looks of contempt and others with looks of pity. I don’t need their pity, and I certainly don’t need their anger. I have enough of that from End to last a lifetime.
One look, in particular, has my stomach souring, and my heart shriveling. Freya Black is beautiful and has always been incredibly sweet, but the way she’s glaring daggers at me right now? You’d never believe it. She hates me. It’s written all over the soft planes of her face. I kept her brother’s daughter from him, deprived her of a niece, a cousin for her daughter to play with—I get it. I’m sure she thinks I’m the devil incarnate.
“There you are!” Aurora cheers, pulling me into a warm hug that takes me by surprise. “Ignore them. They have nothing better to do than gossip,” she whispers into my ear, trying to put me at ease. I give her a wobbly smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
“Thank you, Aurora.”
“Come. End and Luna are just over there.” She points over toward them, and my stomach drops at the scene before me. It’s like I’m reliving the agony of the past and the hurt of being invisible and insignificant in the eyes of Endymion Black. Holly Matthews is standing there with Endymion and our daughter. A sharp ache shoots through my chest. If things were different, this would be their story. Suddenly, the thought of sharing my daughter with Holly makes me sick to my stomach. I place a trembling hand over my gut, trying to inhale deep, stabilizing breaths, but my lungs have suddenly forgotten how to work.
Julia must sense my pain because she grips my arm, being the supportive friend, and drags me toward my daughter. She doesn’t say it, but I feel it in the squeeze of her hand on mine. “Everything is fine.” and “You’re okay.”
When Luna notices I’m here, a smile breaks out across her little face, and it slowly ebbs away the pain-filled throb I feel wreaking havoc in my chest.
“Mommy!” she yells. I close the distance between us and glance at Endymion and Holly once more. They’re both laughing with each other, looking like the perfect couple I remember from my teen years. My heart cracks open at the realization. At the sound of Luna’s excitement, they both glance my way just as I drop to my haunches and throw my arms open for my little girl. She squeezes me in a bear hug, peppering my face with kisses.
When she pulls back, she cups my cheek, staring into my eyes. “You look really pretty, Mommy.”
I smile. “Not prettier than you.”
Her laughter is like music to my ears.
Looking over her shoulder, I spot Holly with her hand on Endymion’s arm, and a surge of envy roars through my veins, knocking the wind out of me. It borders on possessiveness because as much as I hate to admit it, I wish he were mine. It’ll never happen, though, this I know. Ignoring the iciness that’s shooting down the center of my chest, making me feel numb, I coach myself through my breathing techniques.
Deep inhale. Long exhale.
This is what I wanted to avoid. This sick feeling right here. Holly smirks as though she knows exactly what seeing them together is doing to me. I avert my gaze, soaking in my daughter. She takes my hand and Julia’s hand, showing us how she goes down the slide. I welcome the distraction with open arms.
I feel eyes on me, and I know without looking who it is. There is that damn tension in the air, that thickness that makes it hard to breathe. It’s the Endymion effect. I feel his presence come up behind me. I can also tell by the squeak that leaves Julia at his nearness. I don’t bother turning. I don’t want to see Holly with her paws all over him in front of our daughter any longer.
“You came,” is all he says when he steps beside me. I have to fight the urge to turn and look at him and all his handsome glory.
“I did.”
“You know what? I’m going to say my hellos. I’ll meet up with you later, Selene,” Julia offers, sounding unsure. I curse her in my head the entire time.
So much for having my back.
In my peripheral, I spot him cross his arms over his broad chest. “You look nice.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, still refusing to look at him.