over the years, but it’s always been subdued by the circumstances of our family. The required distance between us.
Now he’s here, and I don’t have to pretend that the affection between us doesn’t exist. There’s actually no one, short of Maximus, I’d rather be my date tonight. I smile wide and give him a hard hug, internally demanding that I keep my tears at bay lest I ruin the work of art my face has become after two hours in the makeup chair.
“I’m so glad you’re here. It’ll be okay, Gramps, I promise.”
When we pull away, he slips his arm through mine with a little flourish. “As long as I know you’re safe, it will be. And that’s all that matters to me.”
As the clock creeps toward midnight and my shoes are killing me, Kell sidles up to me at the after-party.
“So what did you think?” Her gaze floats across the crowd.
“I think I’m ready to be home.”
The night feels like it started three weeks ago. An hour working the step-and-repeat out front and another round of hug-and-pecks in the lobby before two hours of struggling to stay still during the film. Layers of tulle aren’t forgiving in a quiet movie theater.
“About the movie,” she clarifies with a soft laugh.
“It was decent, actually. I think it lived up to the book. Piper did really well.”
Kell grins and takes a sip of her champagne. She looks sleek as ever in a one-armed Armani gown with provocative angles of sheer fabric over parts of the bust. We’ve been schmoozing with people for hours, but she’s still flawless and radiant.
“Wow,” she says with a perky smirk. “A five-star review from one of the biggest literary snobs I know. Color me shocked.”
I wave my hand at her. “Just because I’m serious about school doesn’t make me a snob.”
“We’re all snobs, Kara. That’s the allure of the Valaris. We just have our own specialities. Jaden’s the adrenaline guy—anything that goes fast is right up his alley. And you have the market cornered when it comes to books and art.”
I slant my head. “Fine, I’ll play. What is your speciality?”
She looks away into the bustling party, her lips curved into a broader grin. “Men, I think.”
I laugh. “Can you be a snob in an area where you’re forbidden?”
She glances back to me, her dark brows drawn together. She doesn’t offer anything else, so I decide to change the subject.
“Have you talked to Gramps?”
She follows my gaze to where he’s chatting animatedly with a couple of other gentlemen in tuxedos. Maybe old friends, or perhaps he’s making new ones. But he seems happier than I’ve seen him in ages, an observation that has my heart swelling with pure joy for him.
“Hmm. Looks like Gio has plenty of people to talk to.” Kell’s voice is cold and clipped. “Plus, we all stood for the photo opp. Treasured family memories, right?”
As she punctuates it with a fake smile, my senses shiver. Despite my mental push at her rain on my parade, this is no sprinkle of snark anymore. She’s a storm front of antagonism.
“Standing next to each other for a tabloid photo isn’t a family memory.” I narrow my gaze as she wrinkles her nose. “Why are you being so cold? What did he ever do to you?”
“I’m not interested in pissing Mom off. That’s all you, Kara.”
Her steady sarcasm does nothing to quell my rising surge of righteous anger. “Gio—our grandfather—is a good man. He took care of us when we were little—”
“You mean he took care of you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, Jaden and I always got fed, cleaned, and walked. But you were always his favorite. We were young, but I still remember.”
My jaw falls open. “Are you kidding me?”
She finishes off her glass of champagne and hands it to one of the servers without a word or a look. Her energy, still radiating like lightning jolts from a roiling cloud, confirms what her body language is already saying. She’s upset about something, but I can’t believe it’s because Gramps is here, especially with our mother’s blessing.
“You’ve never said anything about this before,” I press.
“It never mattered. It still doesn’t matter.”
“Still…maybe we should talk about this.”
She cuts in with a laugh. “Right.”
I hesitate, my head suddenly spinning over her mood shift. Kell can be haughty and indifferent at times, but this is more than a fleeting feeling. A black cloud she’s been toting around for years…decades? No. This seems hooked in even deeper than that, and I need to