if I go by her place instead?
And do what? She might be 19, but she’s still just a child. She’s not ready for all I want to unleash. And with everything happening with her dad’s company, is it really fair to put her in the middle of it?
Still, before I’ve even completely thought it through, I’m dialing her number and holding the phone to my ear. Lately it feels like she’s the only person I can really talk to.
She doesn’t pick up, though, and I hang up before I can hear her silken voice on the message again.
I lean back against the wall and drop the phone to my side. Probably for the best. I look around the darkened offices and a chill goes up my spine. I can’t leave well enough alone. I need to have some sort of contact with her. She’s my touchstone right now, though it might freak her out to know that.
But if Adam and her father have anything to do with it, she and I will never have the future I dream about together. If Dr. Laurel fires me and I don’t get a chance to say goodbye to her, if Adam tries to poison them against me with his lies—
My fingers are on the phone, tapping out a text on the glowing screen in the otherwise darkened hallway. If anything ever happens, please know you’re my best friend. Give me a chance to explain. Meet me at Thornhill, beside your mom’s grave. Don’t mean to freak you out. Just in case anything ever happens.
It’s an ominous message and part of me feels regret at ever hitting send. But then again, it’s been six months since her mother died. I’ll give her all the time she needs and maybe she’s not ready for everything I’m into, but…
I can’t deny it anymore. My thoughts are full of her, night and day. Whenever she’s ready, I want to try. I can go slow. As slow as she needs.
And in spite of everything, the terrible day, finding out what a snake in the grass Adam is and Dr. Laurel turning out to be such a disappointment—I smile.
Because for the first time, I let myself dream of a future with her.
I fall asleep happy and I wake up happy.
In fact, I’m still smiling when I head into work and pull on my lab goggles the next morning.
I’m smiling until my skin starts burning.
Until I’m screaming and clawing at my face and begging for them to tear it off me. And what I mean by it is my own skin.
Twenty-Five
Present Day
Daphne
My courage lasts for exactly six strides into the lushly appointed ballroom. There’s so many people. All of New Olympus’s high society, all in one room. Maybe if I just back out quietly, no one would even notice that I’ve—
But some wanker with a mic catches sight of me before I can make up my mind about retreating and announces, “Here she is! Adam Archer’s fiancée and belle of the ball, Daphne Laurel!”
“Doctor Daphne Laurel,” Rachel growls under her breath. “Just because a woman gets engaged doesn’t mean she’s stripped of all her titles.”
I squeeze her hand, partly in gratitude, partly for support, and partly so she doesn’t head off to strangle the stupid MC. The band strikes up a jazzed up version of Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” that devolves after several bars into some sort of disco riff.
Hordes of glittering guests turn to greet me. Like a tennis match, all heads swing in my direction. There must be over a hundred people in the ballroom. I’ve never felt so exposed. I swallow my grimace at the music choices. At my side Rachel mutters, “Oh gods, disco? Why?” and pretends to gag.
“Rachel,” I murmur through a gritted smile. “Will you be a dear and find my godsdamned fiancé?”
“Gladly, Doctor Laurel,” she murmurs back and glides away. Once she’s gone, I relax. I thought I’d want to put off meeting with Adam, but the sooner I drag him to a private meeting, the sooner I can end this farce. And then Rachel and I can take turns whipping him across the face with our opera gloves.
I fantasize about this for about three seconds before the first guest steps into my personal space. Fortunately, it’s one of my favorite people. Cora Ubeli.
“Dr. Laurel,” she hugs me like I’m a long lost friend from summer camp. When she steps back, huge diamonds at her ears and around her neck blind me. Her beauty