“I’m fine. I’m sorry I came into your wing. It…” She took a breath, struggling to talk as she got to her feet. “It won’t happen again. I was trying to find a charger.”
Sweat beaded her brow.
I could barely stand to look at her.
I hate her for what she did to me.
And I hate her for what she’s made me.
“You can come into my wing. I owe you this much at least.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” The wrinkle in her brow deepened.
“You weren’t at dinner,” I said.
The only reason it bothered me was because it had brought undue attention on me.
“I…” Lottie swallowed, tugging at the sleeves of her dress. “My dress ripped. I had to find a new one…and I couldn’t in time.”
“You should have fucking told me. I’m—” I broke off.
What? The father of her child? The one planning to leave her and her child forever.
We sat in sticky silence.
“Why are you still standing?” I snapped. “Are you trying to kill the baby?” I went to her, holding her elbow as I carried her to her side of the wing.
Her face collapsed; I could physically see every muscle cave in. “Lottie, I’m—”
But all she said was a soft, “Right. You’re right.”
I led Lottie to her bed, and said no other word as I moved to leave her.
When I was with Story, I felt hope. Hope that we could get out of this gilded cage. When I was with Lottie, I felt hopeless.
“Grayson, I need to talk to you. I have to tell you something. I…” She bit her manicured thumb.
“Okay,” I promised, turning away from her. “Later.”
I was at the door when her voice stopped me. “She was murdered, wasn’t she?”
A lone seagull that hadn’t flown away for winter cawed outside somewhere in the blustery white.
“Josephine,” Lottie pressed. “She was murdered? I heard what happened. What’s going on, Grayson? Why do I feel like I’m the only one not in on the joke?”
I rubbed my forehead, turning back around to face Lottie. Whatever happened between us, she at least deserved to know the truth about this.
“We can talk to my mom,” Lottie said. “She’ll help us. I know she will.”
But then she went and said shit like that.
“Your mother?” I took a step to her. “What has your mother helped you with, Lottie?”
She flinched, hand covering her stomach. “They’re doing it for us. For our protection. This baby will unite our two families.” She spoke robotically.
There was a time when I thought Lottie was the purest soul on the planet, and now I didn’t know what the fuck she was.
“Your mother is one-fourth of the reason we’re here. If you think she doesn’t know Josephine was murdered, you’re not naive, you’re fucking stupid.”