“Girl, you’re my ride or die—I am always going to have your back,” Nola said.
“You’re mine,” she said, hugging Nola and feeling that twinge of sadness come close to overwhelming her. Turned out she wasn’t like her mom. Love had just made her more determined to follow her dreams. She’d had a chance at love and it had walked away. She didn’t have to worry about losing herself to Conrad because he wasn’t willing to let her in.
Which was totally his prerogative. She knew that and respected it. But she was still mad, and also still in love with him. It seemed one of the great injustices of the universe that love wasn’t automatically a two-way emotion. Why had she been willing to take the risk when he hadn’t?
She swallowed, forced a smile and finished putting on her makeup. She was going to fake being okay until she was. Fake being happy with breaking the curse even though doing so had brought her heartache. Fake being her best self because that’s what both she and the town needed.
“I’m surprised that Dash agreed to have the gala at the manor,” Nola said.
“Me too. But it is a beautiful space and really should be used.” She steeled herself against going into that ballroom again. Even in her memories she still got turned on from standing on the balcony and kissing Conrad. Those moments were etched in her mind. Maybe she should back out.
“It is. Wow, you look like a princess tonight,” Nola said. “I’ve never seen you this dressed up.”
“I was a Southern deb and can look nice,” she retorted.
But she had pulled out all the stops tonight ordering a custom gown from the seamstress back in Lansdowne so it would fit her perfectly. The fitted bodice hugged her curves and then flowed out from her waist in a fall of tulle that ended at the floor. Her shoes were Manolo because they were her favorite, and she wore the tiara her mother had given her when she turned sixteen. She also had diamond studs that had been her great-aunt’s.
Nola was dressed in a tux with a bright pink tie. She’d died one strand of her red hair a bright fuchsia and had done her eyeliner and mascara heavy. Honestly, Nola always was the most eye-catching person which was one of the reasons why Indy loved her. Nola never hid her light, she let it shine.
And Indy wanted that.
Actually, she’d found that. She might be sad that Conrad couldn’t love her, but she wasn’t broken or less-than because he didn’t.
“Yeah, I didn’t mean it bad. It’s just I’m used to you in your glasses and cardigan in the bookshop. This is next-level. I feel like a schlub next to you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You always look gorgeous. I have no doubt that people will not even notice me when we both walk in,” she said to her friend.
“Ha. Ready to storm the manor?”
“Nothing daunts me—I’m the curse breaker.”
Nola laughed and when the Uber dropped them off in the porte cochere of Gilbert Manor, they both linked arms. “Thank you for coming with me tonight.”
“Like I said, ride or die,” Nola responded.
The foyer was decked out for the party with lights and a string quartet playing Vivaldi’sSpringfromTheFour Seasons. There were waiters carrying trays with champagne and Nola took two glasses before handing one to Indy.
Indy lifted hers to toast her friend when she felt someone watching her and looked up to see Conrad standing on the landing looking down. She tried to be cool and smile at him, but couldn’t. She still loved him, and it was heartbreaking to see him again this soon.
He put his hand on the banister and started walking down it just as she looked up. Their eyes met and his heartbeat became faster, his cock hardened and his mind went blank. God, she was gorgeous.
He’d missed her so much and thought he remembered every detail of how she looked, but he saw now that he’d forgotten about that tiny birthmark next to her ear. And exactly how full her mouth was.
Whatever it took, he was going to win her back. He was the Beast and this was his lair, and he wasn’t about to lose, not now when the stakes were so high and he’d found the love he hadn’t known he’d been craving all of his life.
He went down the rest of the stairs as she turned her back on him and linked her arm through Nola’s starting to walk away.
“Indy.”
She stopped, looking back over her shoulder at him, her chin held high as she stared at him.
“Yes.”
“Can I speak with you privately?”
She chewed her lower lip, which gave him hope and then she nodded and stepped away from Nola.
Conrad held his hand out to her and led her through the foyer and back up the stairs, toward the balcony over the ballroom. He looked so good in the tuxedo that she was tempted to just pretend that everything was okay. But that was old Indy and she couldn’t do that anymore.