The Sinners - Ruby Vincent Page 0,61
sharing a holiday greeting took the place of centerpieces. Fall leaves decorated the tablecloths and hung off the chandeliers in colorful garlands.
Servers weaved through the tables, alert and on duty regardless of the lack of people. One headed for us and another approached a group of short-haired, ball gowned, diamond-crusted ladies gathered before the stage. He held his tray out to us just as she spotted me.
“Sir. Ma’am. Would you like a stuffed brussels sprout or cranberry brie hors d'oeuvre?”
“Ember?”
Aunt Violet bore down on me as fast as her heels would take her.
Royal slid off my arm.
“Roy— Wait!” I hissed at his back. “Where do you think you’re going?”
The ass tossed me a wink, salute, and a smirk as he headed for the terrace.
“Ember, what are you doing here?” Violet grabbed my arm in a painful grip, yanking me to the door.
“Hey, stop!” I cried.
Violet’s friends snapped their heads around. She immediately let me go.
“I apologize.” Violet collected herself—smoothing her hair and fixing a neutral smile for the wide-eyed waiter. “Ember, step over here with me, please.”
We left the waiter behind, moving into the corner.
“What are you doing here?” she tried again. “Harrison told me you and your brother were staying at school.”
“I signed myself out for the night. My friends told me about the party. Couldn’t miss it.” The lie fell easily.
“Signed yourself out?” She sounded like that was the most scandalizing thing she’d ever heard. “You can’t do that. Is Eli here too?”
“Eli is at the academy. But I’m eighteen,” I reminded. “I’m allowed to leave campus when I choose.”
“You don’t have a car.”
“I got a ride from a friend.”
“Which friend? That boy?” She twisted. “Who is he?”
“Just a friend who was coming to the party too and offered to drive me. What’s the big deal? I thought this party was for the families.” I gave her a sickly-sweet smile. “Like me. Your darling niece.”
“Don’t get fresh with me,” she snapped. “You know exactly what the big deal is. You can’t just spring these things on us last minute. We weren’t expecting guests at the house. Harrison and I leave for the Hamptons tomorrow and you absolutely cannot stay in our home alone.”
Guest. That’s what I am. An unwanted houseguest.
I had to give my aunt something, she never pretended to like me. My earliest memory of her was Violet unloosing my pigtails and saying they made my head look big. Unfiltered honesty from day one.
“It’s fine, Aunt Violet. I’m not staying at the house.”
If possible, her brows shot up even higher, disappearing into her hairline. “Excuse me? Just who are you staying with? Your friend?”
“Yes.”
I braced myself for denials, lectures, and demands to live under her rules.
Aunt Violet paused, raking me with a shrewd eye. “I should assume your mother took care of this, but are you on the pill? Do you carry condoms?”
I choked. Talking about sex with Aunt Violet did not make it on the list of things I planned to do that day. “I— Yes,” I said. “But I never said we—”
“Don’t treat me for a fool. I know what eighteen-year-old girls get up to. Someone with such a smart mouth should have a lick of common sense too.” She tapped my skull. “Use it. Because I have no intention of caring for a baby.”
“Understood,” I gritted out.
She nodded, lips pursed. “You may stay. Do not cause trouble and return to the academy first thing tomorrow morning. I will check.”
Violet walked off before I agreed. A good thing since I wasn’t entirely sure if an agreement was coming or another comment to support my smart mouth.
I escaped the suddenly suffocating room and found Royal leaning against the ledge, rolling a cigarette between his fingers.
“Seriously?”
He tucked it into his pocket. “You look like you’ll slap me anyway.”
“You took off like she was the cops.”
“The key is to not attract too much attention.”
“You just didn’t want to deal with my screwed-up version of meet the parents.”
Royal grinned but didn’t deny it. “What did she say that pissed you off?”
“She made it clear she wouldn’t raise our baby.”
The grin was gone in a blink. “Baby?”
“Don’t look so scared,” I said. “The three of us have nothing to stress about on that front.”
“Okay.” Royal squinted at my stomach like he was trying to x-ray my womb. “Good.”
“Thinking back to how many times we went bare?” I teased. “Out of curiosity, what would you do if I got pregnant?”
Taking hold of my wrist, Royal drew me in and kissed me.