ChapterFour
Felipe
“How long do we have to stay?” Glenda asks as she holds tighter to my arm.
“Just long enough for me to speak to a few people.” I glance down at her and see she’s biting her bottom lip. “Why are you suddenly so nervous? You were excited five minutes ago.”
“The crowd is making me anxious.” I know my sister isn’t used to being around a lot of people, so I can see how this might be overwhelming.
“Come on, let me take you into the ballroom. It’s less crowded, and the room is bigger.”
“Okay,” she says softly as she walks closely to me through the sea of bodies.
“The entrance is always the worst. People want their pictures taken and then stand around and talk about how wonderful they are.”
She snorts, and I feel her relax by a fraction. She’s wearing a pale pink gown that has long lace sleeves and a high neck. It’s like she didn’t want to expose any part of her body if possible. I’m not sure why she’s always covering up, but she seems to feel more comfortable in big baggy clothes and gowns that go to the floor. It doesn’t bother me one bit because she’ll always be my baby sister, even if she’s now of age.
“Felipe?” I hear Beckett say from behind me, and I turn around to see him standing there. “Thank god, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, but everyone has these damn masks on.” He glances at Glenda and goes in for a hug. “And it looks like you’ve got the belle of the ball on your arm tonight.”
“You’re only saying that because you want me to like you more than Felipe,” Glenda teases.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll always be my little sister too.” Beckett holds out his arm, and she takes it after releasing mine. “Come dance with me, I don’t want any of these old ladies pinching my ass.”
“Great, now who am I supposed to talk to?” I look around the room, but Beckett is right. With all these masks, it’s impossible to tell who’s who, and I don’t want to end up talking to someone I don’t want to.
He’s in a black tux with a mask that looks like some kind of bird, and Glenda’s is pink and resembles a butterfly. The theme was nature, and some people went all out. Mine is simple and solid black with eyes cut like a panther. If Beckett couldn’t tell who I was, that means nobody will. I should take advantage of this while I can.
“The poor prince is lonely.” Beckett and Glenda laugh as they walk to the dance floor, and I scowl at their backs.
“Traitors,” I say, more to myself, as I make my way back through the crowds and to the bar near the terrace.
This one is less busy, maybe because it’s darker over in this corner. The music is still loud enough to hear, but they’ve begun the auction, so everyone that isn’t dancing is occupied with that too.
After I grab a drink, I step outside and see that it’s empty and blessedly quiet. There aren’t any lights out here either, and I can’t say I hate it. For a long moment, I stand there sipping my drink and thinking about how many more days I have until I marry Amelia. Sweet, sweet Amelia.
A noise in the dark to my right has me turning to see what it was. There’s movement, and I take a step toward the sound.
“Who’s there?” And as if I’ve conjured her out of thin air, Amelia steps into the light in all her curved glory. “Fuck,” I whisper as I take in what she’s wearing and what she’s got on display.
Her mask has her face hidden, but I’d know it even if I was blind. I could pick her out of a crowd of a thousand just by the line of her neck. She could be on the other side of the ocean, and with one sway of her hips, I’d know she belonged to me.
The dress she’s wearing is something made for husbands only, and seeing her with this on out in public makes me livid. How dare she put what belongs to me on display for every man in here to crave? She’s mine, goddamn it! Well, she will be. She’s mine in every sense of the word, even if the ink hasn’t been put on the paper.
“Hello,” she says sweetly as she steps closer. “I wasn’t trying to hide; I just didn’t want to disturb your thoughts.”
I open my mouth to tell her I was thinking of her when she steps closer.
“I should probably introduce myself, but I think the masks are a little freeing, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I have to swallow hard as I say the word because I’m hit with the scent of her. I was close enough to her to catch it only once before now, but that scent is tattooed on the inside of my lungs.
“Oh well, I guess I should get back to the party. It was nice talking to you.” She goes to turn away, and I reach out, touching her fingers with mine.