Deacon sighed. “My mother is always on top of things, isn’t she. But yes, let’s brainstorm.”
“Perfect!” She gestured for us to follow her. “So, I was thinking…”
But I didn’t hear it. My brain was mush. I was still reeling over Chris’s arrival. Did I royally screw that up? Is Deacon mad? What is he gonna want to know? Is it gonna be weird?
Why am I panicking? This isn’t a big deal. People have exes. Shit, Deacon had a ton – but worse, because he never actually dated the girls he hooked up with. Besides, I love Deacon. He has nothing to be worried about. We’re soulmates for Goddess’ sake.
But I was panicked. My pulse was racing through my veins faster than hummingbird wings. Deacon held my hand and led us down the hallway next to Headmaster Muller. The two of them were chatting away but I was trapped in the turmoil of my own mind.
My phone buzzed in my hand, when I looked down I found about forty unread text messages from Tegan and Bettina. I opened up the group chat thread as my footsteps echoed in the hall and thundered through my veins. Tegan and Bettina were still going on about naughty videos and torturing Cooper, but I couldn’t play with that anymore.
GUYS. EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY EX-BOYFRIEND IS HERE? I typed quickly. Tell me now. EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.
You had a boyfriend??? Bettina shot back.
Wait…as in Mr. Captain of the football team who gave you your first kiss under the bleachers?! THAT GUY? My twin asked and it made my stomach roll.
YES T. THAT GUY.
Deacon glanced down at me. I knew he had to be sensing my panic, but I didn’t know what to do about that.
I turned back to my phone. WHAT DO I DO?!
Send pics. Obviously.
Yeah, what Tegan said. PICS!
I glanced up again and my stomach tightened into knots. He was watching me like I was about to detonate. Then again, with the speed of my pulse I just might.
NOT HELPFUL. IM FREAKING THE EFFF OUT RIGHT NOW. THEY INVITED US TO DINNER TONIGHT!!!!
So….say no? Bettina suggested.
I CAN’T! DEACON SAID YES BEFORE I COULD!
Ohhhhhhh LOLOLOL Deacon is up to something.
TEGAN NOT HELPING.
Hey, twin, can you live stream this dinner?
Or at least get us audio? Bettina sent the winking emoji. Just set your phone to record then put it upside down on the table.
See THIS is why you’re my best friend.
TEGAN.
Don’t worry, twin. I’ll hit D up, see what he’s planning and help.
I swallowed the urge to scream and shoved my phone in my back pocket. Just breathe, Em. You can handle this. You’ve summoned demons. You’ve KILLED demons. You can set this whole city on fire in the snap of a finger. You can handle one ex-boyfriend.
Chapter Twelve
Emersyn
I stood in the middle of Deacon’s closet wearing only his silk robe and on the downward slope of a full-on panic attack…because we were going to dinner with my ex-boyfriend.
And my current boyfriend.
No big deal.
My plate was full enough without this added to it. But Deacon agreed – even if he hadn’t asked my approval first. There was nothing I could do now. If I let Deacon know I didn’t want to go he might think I had feelings for Chris still. I didn’t. I hadn’t in a long time, long before I broke up with him. Actually, I wasn’t sure I ever really had feelings for him. I thought I did, but then Deacon came into my life. In fact, I hadn’t even thought about Chris – I mean Christian.
I just didn’t understand why Deacon had agreed to this dinner.
Unless…wait…he has to know how I feel about him. He has to. Right?
“Shit.” I groaned and scrubbed my face with my hands. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”
“Are you okay?”
I gasped and spun around at the sound of Amelia’s voice. “Umm…”
She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her violet eyes. “Ah, so that’s a no. Why are you in D’s closet panicking?”
“Because…” I threw my head back and sighed. I was being dramatic, and I knew it. “I am panicking.”
“Oh, well. That’s nice.” Amelia strolled inside then stopped next to me and looked around. “Ah, I see. Your clothes are in here now, too. That clears that up. So why are we panicking?”
“Because Deacon agreed for us to go out to dinner with Chris’s family tonight.”
Amelia frowned and looked up at me. “Who is Chris?”
“My ex-boyfriend.”
Her eyes widened. “Stop it. Really?”
I nodded.
She gasped. “This is juicy. Dinner with your ex and your soulmate.”
“No, this is awkward as hell.” I plopped down on the ottoman in the center of the massive-sized closet. “Chris’s parents will be there. Chris will be there. Deacon will be there. What am I even supposed to wear?”
“Something white with ripped jeans?”
I snorted, because apparently that was a new trait of mine.
Amelia pursed her lips and eyed my selection of clothing in the closet. “Okay, so why are you having trouble picking an outfit? You seem to pick clothes out well.”
“Because Deacon wants to go to some place called Marriciana’s or something? I don’t know, it’s super fancy sounding—”
“OH, it is. The food is delicious, but it’s fancy even by Aunt Heather’s standards.” Amelia giggled and shook her head. “It can’t be a coincidence. Deacon is sneaky and definitely making a point.”
My stomach sank. “You’re saying my boyfriend intentionally picked the fanciest restaurant he could to make my ex-boyfriend feel like crap?”
She grinned. “Sounds like it.”
“That doesn’t make me feel good about myself.” I hung my head. “He can’t possibly feel threatened, can he? I mean we’re soulmates. He has nothing to be worried about.”
“I don’t know about dating, I’m only eleven.” Amelia shrugged. “But I do know about clothes and that restaurant. So, let’s get you dressed.”
“Yeah, that’s where I was when you came in.” I pushed up onto my feet and gestured around me. “But like…what do I wear?”
“Well, who are you dressing for?”
“That’s my problem!”
“Okay, we can do this.” She strolled along my clothes, pulling things out then shoving them back in. “What are you thinking about your options?”
I groaned and pulled a little red sequin dress off the rack. “This is sexy. I bought it because red is Deacon’s color and I know he’d die to see me in this, but if I wear it tonight he might think I wore it for Chris. AND Chris might think that, too. But if I go the other way…” Then I pulled out a little black lace number that covered neck to toes.
“You’d look gorgeous in it.” Amelia frowned. “You look like you’re going to a funeral. Or a séance in a graveyard. But yeah, not the goal.”
“See? I’m hopeless.”
I made a weird little hiss and started yanking clothes off the rack and tossing them into two piles: too sexy or too conservative.
“You’re Goldilocks and the three dresses.” Amelia giggled. She flipped through some of the things hanging before finally pulling out a sleek black dress. Her eyes widened with excitement. “THIS. It’s perfect.”
I frowned and grabbed the hanger. “I have no memory of this dress.”
“We did a ton of shopping that day, I don’t blame you. But I remember this one.” She winked and skipped over to the door. “Put it on and come out so I can see.”
Then the door closed, and I was alone in the closet with my nerves.
Okay. Time to put on my big girl boots and get this over with. I threw the robe on to the bench in the middle of the closet then slid the dress on. This is no big deal. Just somebody that I used to know. Once I had it on and buttoned the collar behind my neck, I spun around to the mirror — and gasped.
Ok, maybe this is a big deal. Despite that it we
nt from my collarbones all the way down to my calves, this dress was somehow the skimpiest dress I’d ever owned. Most of my body was covered, yet I felt like I couldn’t let my father or brother catch me in this. It was black, which was okay, but the material was a silky, slinky type fabric that clung to the body like spandex. The halter top buttoned once behind my neck and left my back entirely bare. But Amelia had excellent fashion sense and I needed to stop overthinking this.
I turned and walked to the door then threw it open. Amelia’s jaw dropped.
“Are you sure about this dress?”
“OH MY GOD YES.” Amelia squeaked and clapped her hands. She skipped into the closet and pulled a pair of red-soled, glitter and spike encrusted high-heeled shoes off the shelf. “That dress calls for Louboutins. Put these on.”
These shoes were incredible, so I didn’t argue about them. After I had them on, she gestured for me to spin in a circle, so I did.
“Emersyn.” She chuckled and shook her head. “You can’t wear a bra with a backless dress.”
I gasped. “What?”
She pointed to me, then to her chest. “Bra. Take it off.”
My cheeks warmed. But I took it off, I couldn’t help it. She was so commanding — like her aunt.
I looked down at myself and bit my lip. “Amelia....this dress is—"
“Classy enough to get Aunt Heather’s approval yet sexy enough to drive Deacon crazy.” Amelia winked at me then turned and began looking through the winter coats hanging there. “But it’s also going to make your ex wish he could time travel without you looking like you want him to.”
I narrowed my eyes at the back of her blonde head. “Aren’t you eleven? Why do you know this?”
She frowned and shrugged. “It’s different for rich kids, we spend a lot of time alone or with older kids. Especially here in the city.”
My heart hurt for her and the loneliness she hid so well. “I’m sorry—"
“Don’t be. Here.” She handed me a black wool coat with shiny gold buttons. “Thanks to you, my aunt and uncle have realized how distant they became and they’re actually hanging out with me. AND I have SOMA, with a ton of new friends. Plus, I have you now. You’re like the sister I never had.”
That made me smile. I slid the coat on then pulled Amelia in for a big hug. “You’re like a sister to me, too. And ya know what? I’d love for you to join us tonight at dinner.”
Amelia gasped, her violet eyes widened. “Really??”
I nodded. “Yep. Really. So go get dressed, I’m going to go invite Heather and Sebastien.”
“THANK YOU!” She did a little happy dance then sprinted out of the room. “I’LL BE READY IN FIVE MINUTES.”
I chuckled and shook my head. Now time to invite Heather. My stomach flipped, but I couldn’t take it back now. So without letting myself overthink it any longer, I turned and headed out of Deacon’s room. My stiletto heels clicked and clacked down the hall, echoing off the walls as I walked. When I got to his parents’ suite, I stopped and knocked on the doors.
Then waited with my heart in my throat.
You’re doing the right thing.
You’re showing her no hard feelings.
This is how it should be.
The door opened and I sucked in a deep breath.
Deacon appeared in the doorway.
My breath left me in a rush. “Deacon.”
He grinned and leaned against the door frame. “Hello, my love. You look ready to go...and we match.”
I glanced down at his outfit and my lips curved into a smile. We did match. He wore all black - which wasn’t his norm - and he was dazzling in it. His shirt was definitely silk. I’d gotten used to noticing the difference with Royce. The buttons and cuff links were gold, as were the studs covering his black dress shoes.
“You look ravishing.”
He chuckled and shrugged one shoulder. “Why, thank you. Right back at ya. So, were you looking for me?”
I bit my lip and shook my head. “I wanted to invite your parents to dinner tonight.”
“Oh, really?” Sebastian leaned in beside his son and grinned. He was wearing a gray three-piece suit. “Where are you going?”
“Marriciana’s,” Deacon answered.
Sebastien’s face lit up. “Ohhhh. Yep. We’re coming. Or at least I am. HEATHER GET YOUR SHOES ON!”
I chuckled. “Where is she? May I?”
“Yes, of course. Go ahead.” He tapped Deacon’s arm and stepped into the hall. “Son, let’s go look at that before we leave?”
“Meet you at the elevator.” Deacon kissed my forehead then followed his father.
Once they were halfway down the hall my nerves came rushing back. But I couldn’t let myself linger in the hall or they’d get the best of me. So I charged inside with my pulse hammering through my veins.
“…yes, thank you. I’ll check back in first thing tomorrow morning.” Heather hung up her phone while pushing papers around like she was searching for something in particular. Without looking up, she said, “what did you say, Sebastien?”
“I believe he said for you to get your shoes on.”
She gasped and looked up. “Oh. Emersyn. Sorry, I thought you were my husband. I didn’t hear you come in — well, you look lovely this evening. Those shoes suit you well.”
My cheeks flushed. I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Oh, thank you.”
“Where are you off to — wait, why did he tell me to put my shoes on?” She frowned.
I chuckled. “Actually, the answer to both of those questions is the same. I came in here to see if you and Sebastien would like to join us for dinner this evening. Sebastien asked where we were going and then decided he was going whether you did or not.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she was smirking. She leaned back in her seat. “Where are you going?”
“Marriciana’s.”
“OH.” She pushed her chair back and stood. “That makes sense given his reaction. Though, it’s usually for special occasions. It’s rather fancy, and that’s saying a lot coming from me.”
My stomach dropped. “Yeah, I’m scared now. Amelia helped me pick a dress but maybe it’s not nice enough —”
“The Chanel?” She asked. I must’ve made a face because she smiled and pointed to my legs. “I can see the material below your coat. It’s the backless black one, right?”
I nodded.
“I remember you getting that one last month, I assure you it will be perfectly acceptable for Marriciana’s.” She stepped around the table and I saw that she was, in fact, barefoot. “Although I am not dressed accordingly. I would love to join you. I can be ready in five minutes – just need to change my dress. That okay?”
“Yes. Yes, of course.”
She smiled. “So, what is the occasion? I’m assuming my son picked the place, and he wouldn’t have done so without a reason. He is my son, after all.” She chuckled.
I tried to laugh with her, but it came out as a sigh. “Honestly? My ex-boyfriend. The one I broke up with back in early August before I officially joined The Coven, back when I thought I was human. Today at lunch, Deacon and I ran into him and his parents at SOMA. Apparently they’re shifters. They invited us to dinner, and Deacon said yes.”
She shook her head, while grinning. “Oh, this will be fun. My son is clearly experiencing some jealousy. It’s good for him.”
I cursed. “Fantastic.”
“Really, Emersyn, this is good for him.” She smiled. “Though I’m surprised you want us to meet your ex.”
I shrugged. “Well his parents are coming so I just…I don’t know…thought it’d be nice to have my family with me. I mean, Deacon is my soulmate so y’all are kinda my family now, too.”
Heather’s smile widened to a full-on grin. She walked up beside me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a very motherly fashion. “We are your family now, Emersyn. Happy to be so, too. And if this ex of yours is a shifter attending school in my city then it
’ll be nice to meet him. Now, why don’t you go make sure Amelia hasn’t destroyed her closet while deciding what to wear, and I’ll meet you by the elevator in five minutes?”
“Okay. Great. Thank you. See you in a few.”
Chapter Thirteen
Emersyn
“Wait, Em…” Amelia frowned up at me. “Are you wearing your hair like that?”
I ran my fingers through the ends. “Um…yeah? Why? What’s wrong with it?”
Amelia rolled her eyes and hopped over to the seat beside me. She dug into her little sequin purse and pulled out some bobby pins. “I know what dress you’re wearing. Your hair must be up. I’ll do it.”
Deacon narrowed his eyes on my coat like he was trying to see through it. But I tried not to pay attention to that or I’d never be able to take this coat off. I was having major second thoughts about this dress despite both Heather and Amelia’s approval. Except Deacon wasn’t taking his eyes off me and the heat of his gaze was too distracting for my own good. Amelia was busy pinning my hair up and his parents were discussing some work matter.
I pulled my phone out and opened up the group chat with Tegan, Bettina, Lennox, Royce, and Henley that I’d started earlier after seeing Chris. UPDATE. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO A RESTAURANT THAT HEATHER THINKS IS TOO FANCY FOR NORMAL OCCASIONS AND IM NOT WEARING A BRA.
My kind of gal, Henley sent back with a winking emoji.
Lennox sent the emoji of a brunette girl shrugging, I haven’t worn a bra in two years.
DID I MENTION ITS A HALTER DRESS? BACKLESS?!
Tegan and Bettina sent a stream of GIFs full of Cardi B, eyebrow wagging, and various types of dancing.
What are you trying to do to my poor cousin? Royce asked. Followed immediately by, asking so I know how to advise you to proceed...
Then he sent emojis of an eggplant and a peach. I frowned. What does that mean - OH. Oh, Lord baby Jesus.
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