Hollow Hearts (The Harkwright Trilogy)

“I’m not into idle chit chat, please I just want to be left alone,” I can hear the quiver in my voice, I wonder if he can too?

“Have it your way,” that’s all he says as I return my gaze to the window and watch my life as I know it, just fade away.

We park a couple hours later and I’m confused, I don’t understand why we would be here. I also don’t understand why this parking lot was closed in by an electrified gate, it doesn’t make sense. I was here the other day so who are they trying to keep out or worse, in?

“This is the Harkwright office building, why would we be here?” I don’t care if I have to talk to this mountain man, my curiosity is winning out.

“They won’t allow you into the Academy until you’ve been selected. Don’t fret Snowflake, no one will see you until they're supposed to,” his gaze roams over me and my skin prickles, the sooner I’m away from him, the better.

“What happens now?” I can’t stop myself from wringing my hands in front of me and he scoffs at my nervousness.

“We’ll travel up in a private elevator where you will be escorted to your own room. That is where you will stay until the Harkwrights are ready for you,” he looks me over before saying, “after you,” he holds his arm out and I take a step forward and then another. I’m counting each one I take to distract myself from the dread that is pooling within me, but all too soon we arrive at the elevator. All I can do is enter and wait for our floor to arrive.

“Any advice?” I inquire as I watch the floor numbers pass by, quicker than I expected or I guess, wanted.

“Fuck me Snowflake, you’re definitely feeling more chatty now,” his eyes of steel cut straight to me and I gulp hard.

“I’m nervous and apparently I get chatty when that happens,” it makes sense, I can’t seem to shut up around Cole and I’m nothing but a bag of nerves when he’s close by.

“There’s fifteen guys and you only need to win over one of them, in theory. You are competing against a hundred girls and they will choose only half of you. If you get picked, watch out for the Harkwright prince. If the devil is the master deceiver, then he’s got some serious competition on his hands. No one deceives like Emmet Harkwright and I’ve heard a few people call him the devil,” that’s more information than I was expecting, but still nowhere near enough.

“What’s your name?” I should hang my head in shame right now.

“Not going to happen.”

“How many girls have you escorted to this place?”

“That’s your last question, you sure you want to ask me that?” I nod my head and he stares me straight in the eyes.

“Including you, two. Don’t ask me what happened to the other girl. You wouldn’t be able to sleep at night,” his entire being surrounds me and drains me of every last bit of warmth I possessed.

The elevator dings to let us know we’ve arrived, I step out but he doesn’t follow. He points at a door and gives me a grim smile as the doors slide close, I guess there’s nothing left to do but claim my room and wait to be summoned.

I turn the handle and push my way into the room, I wasn’t expecting to find a girl in here. Especially not the one who helped me pick out my clothes in that stuck up boutique, I swear they’ve done this to knock me even further off kilter.

“Hi,” I whisper, closing the door behind me and taking in the vanity table, stool and more makeup than I can name spilling out onto it from a bag.

“Yay, I was hoping I’d get you. Well, in all honesty I was hoping you wouldn’t be here at all but you are so, yay,” she claps her hands but despite her radiant smiles and bright eyes I can’t help but pick up on the slight tremble to her hands.

“I don't understand, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“Ms. Vanderbilt felt I would be the best fit for this room and I’ve never been assigned a girl before, I usually just drop the clothes off and wait around in case I’m needed. Because of that, I felt it may be you. I’m here to prepare you for your showing. It sounds barbaric I know, but we have to present you in just the right way. Numbers are against everyone and if you really want to be selected then I have just the dress for you,” she is talking really fast, I think she may be as nervous as I am.

“Okay, I’m ready,” I say as I pull my sweater over my head and we share a smile before she looks at the door for a long minute and shuffles off to collect a dress. I can’t tell what it looks like, but it’s blue and sparkly and I already think she may have chosen wrong.

“Hey, I know that look. Don’t doubt me hon, I’ve got this covered. So, idle chit chat or nervo

us silence?”

I like this girl, I want to choose quiet but I think she may need this and at least I’ve got a friendly face until my summoning.

“How did you get involved in this?” I ask and her eyes widen for a moment before she guides me to a chair and starts running a brush through my hair.

“That is far from idle, but okay. My aunt owns the boutique and there’s a long running agreement between her and the Harkwrights. Not only does she get exclusive rights on supplying the clothes for the duration of the girl’s stay, she also supplies the dresses that are required for today and any parties that they may be required to attend. In return, she helps the girls to get ready and look like the best version of themselves,” she sprays a sweet smell through my hair and her fingers drag over my scalp making me sink into the chair. “My mother sent me here when my Aunt offered her a generous amount of money to let me work here. Basically I was sold to my Aunt,” she sounds detached, and I hurt for her. “I get paid for my efforts but she’s… difficult at times. The thing is, I love fashion and working for her can only help me later.”

“I hope it works out for you,” I whisper as our eyes meet through the mirror.

“I hope the same for you.”