Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,136

and Eugene aren’t awesome, but they’re not horrible either. Just really deluded in some ways and hard to talk to.”

They never asked about Maddy, thankfully, and neither did I. After that day at their house, they didn’t compare me to her either.

“Then we’ll kick him to the curb like we did them,” Jake said softly. “But what if he turns out to be cool and supportive and the kind of man who would be proud to call you his daughter? I mean, have you looked at you? You’re pretty fricking awesome.”

I laughed. “You’re biased.”

“Damn straight, and you’re perfect. Can’t convince me otherwise.”

I sighed. I had two brothers and a sister I’d never met and who had no idea I existed. Or at least I didn’t think they had. Maybe he’d told them. And he had a wife. I had a stepmother.

My track record with mothers wasn’t stellar.

I groaned and snuggled closer to him.

“You don’t have to decide right now, Baby Girl. When you’re ready, you tell me or any of us. We got you.”

That, more than anything, was something I could hold onto and believe.

“I’ll think about it.”

I kept turning his name over in my head.

Henry Jackson. Hank. Professor of humanities at Harvard University.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns. He was a professor at the one school I’d always wanted to go to.

Made sense why Maddy hadn’t wanted me to go there. Even if she’d graduated from it herself.

Bitch.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I Never Wanted the Fairy-Tale

I never dreamed of being the princess in the tower. In fact, the only princess I ever wanted to be was Princess Leia ’cause she kicked ass. The first time we watched Star Wars, Jake wanted to be Han, I wanted to be Leia, and Coop wanted to be Luke. That worked, until Luke turned out to be Leia’s brother. Something Jake used to tease him about. Still, I never changed my mind about Leia. She was a badass.

That said, as I got dressed for prom, I couldn’t help but think about those fairy tales and movies. All the princesses wanted to find their prince. Blegh. I had four of them right now, and they weren’t what I dreamed of, they were who I dreamed with. The only rule for today had been no homework and no studying. Rachel and I had gone out to get our hair and nails done. My shoes were glittery and had open toes so better to have my toenails a matching shade with my dress. It was ridiculous and fun.

We laughed. We relaxed. And for the first time in weeks, Rachel seemed like her. She wasn’t going to prom though, or she hadn’t been until I begged her to go. I’d even dance with her if she came with. Part of her didn’t want to deal with the whole prom court and expectations. It was too heteronormative, and I got that.

“But you’re important to me, and I want you to be there too. You don’t have to stay, and if it gets too uncomfortable, you tell me who is being bad to you and I’ll sic Jake on them. Or I’ll punch them myself.”

Rachel laughed. “You’d do it too.”

“Damn straight. C’mon Rachel, do you know how much you’ve saved my life this year?”

“You saved yourself,” she scolded. “I got to be there to cheer you on, and if we’re being honest, you saved mine too.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Her smile held all kinds of secrets. “That you know of, but you did plenty. Trust me.”

“You don’t have to come tonight if you don’t want to.” I still didn’t know what had happened with her girl or her guy or both of them.

“I’ll be there. I don’t see the guys throwing their usual end of the school year blowout, and this might be our last time to party until we get to college.”

“You have to come to New York for that.”

“Funny, I accepted my admission to NYU…” I didn’t let her finish as I pitched myself at her, and they had to fix my nails ’cause I messed them up.

We were going to have so much fun.

I’d asked the guys to pick her up, and Archie promised we’d swing by in the limo. Of course he ordered a limo. Then again, the last time he’d gotten us one was for going to Homecoming…

No, this would be nothing like Homecoming. First, we were all firm and together. We’d still been on uneven ground then, and Ian and I had broken up.