“Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” He runs a frantic hand through his hair, making the silver-white strands stand on end. “Please, Teddy … this is torture.”
“Then you finally know how it feels.”
He doesn’t have any smart quips to respond to that, so I leave him behind. He doesn’t follow.
Dana gives me an interested look as soon as we’re out of earshot. “He’s been after you ever since the incident in the dining hall. I don’t think he’s going to quit.”
I have to hide a small smile.
I hope he doesn’t.
Chapter 16
Saturday night arrives, and I finally get to wear the gifts Wills bought for me. The dress has been hanging on the outside of my closet all week, just so I could keep seeing it every day. I’m not sure what to expect from this upcoming dinner, but I know it’ll be alright with him by my side.
There’s a knock at the door as soon as Dana finishes zipping me into the dress. She leaps to the door and opens it, revealing Wills on the other side grinning like a kid. He carries a dozen roses in with him; six white, three dark blue, and three icy blue. They match my dress perfectly.
“Oh wow,” I say, eyeing him appreciatively. “You look like James Bond. A big, gorgeous, James Bond.”
He just stares at me. “You …” he begins, and stops, and I start to feel a little nervous. He finally finds the words. “You take my breath away. Literally. They may have to cart me out of here on a stretcher.”
As soon as we walk into the dinner, I spot Astor, Blair, and, of course, Victoria. Blair is sitting forlornly with Laura Brighton; Victoria’s minion who is the brunette version of the Malibu Barbie pair that she and Alisha make up.
Though many people in the room turn to look at Wills and me when we enter, theirs are the only reactions I care to see. Victoria’s eyes are burning into mine, but Astor and Blair both stare at me as if this is the very first time they’ve ever laid eyes on me. I look conspicuously away and smile wide at Wills, who beams down at me and gives me a kiss before pulling my chair out.
We’re seated near the others, and for just a minute, I’m reminded of the days back when we were all together—no strain or awkwardness between us. They were the three musketeers and I was D'Artagnan. Loyal. Inseparable.
I settle in and try to follow along with all the polite conversation, but it’s not long before I notice the man sitting across from me. He’s seated directly beside Blair and keeps looking at me, and then quickly away.
Once he realizes he’s been caught staring, he reaches across the table to me and extends his hand. “Hello, I’m Eli Hamilton. How are you doing?”
Oh, of course! I should have recognized him from the college fair. I give him a second look. He was the only recruiter who wasn’t outright rude to me, but he looks completely different now he’s in a proper suit.
He beams back at me, and I wonder how much wine he’s had to drink. “I’m glad to be here at this banquet tonight. It’s good to spend some time with the incoming students. There are a lot of legacy families here. Forgive me, I can’t remember if you’re one of them.”
Before I can answer him, Victoria, who is sitting on his other side, speaks up on my behalf. “No. She’s an orphan who came to Hawthorne out of foster care.”
Eli seems unfazed by her comment. “That’s interesting. You know, you just … you really remind me of someone I knew. A young lady who looked remarkably like you.”
I shoot Victoria a dark look and make sure I’m quick enough to answer before she does. “I’d guess you probably knew Sadie White, then?”
Eli looks surprised. “Yes! Actually. I thought for a moment that I was looking at Sadie when you walked in, but that’s not possible.” He leans in a little closer. “Poor girl passed away a year ago, so it couldn’t be her, of course.”
“You should have been here last year,” Victoria adds smugly, giving Eli a sidelong look.
Wills turns and looks at Victoria menacingly and tells her, in no uncertain terms, to hold her tongue. He practically swells in his suit, his shoulders and biceps threatening to pop the seams at any moment. To my utter surprise, Victoria does as she’s told and turns her attention to Astor, beside her.
I’m amazed that she obeys Wills, and I reach over under the table and give his leg a grateful pat.
Eli peers at me with keen interest. “Forgive me if I am prying too deep, but the resemblance between you and Sadie is just … striking, really. I know her family quite well.”
“Yes, well …” I say, “it’s not the first time I’ve heard it. We might share the same face, but I promise you—we led very different lives.”
He sets down his fork. “I imagine,” he says. “The foster system can be troublesome. Do you think you’ll reconnect with your parents now that you’re of age?”
I draw in a deep breath. This is way more personal than I wanted to get at dinner, especially with a stranger who clearly has no idea how rude he’s being. More than that, this is the last conversation I want to have in front of Victoria and Astor.
“I don’t know who they are. Now, I’d prefer not to talk about it if you don’t mind,” I tell him, giving the man a pointed look.