Page 155 of Lessons In Grey
I straightened, glancing to her lips and back, my eyes narrowing.
She laughed lightly. “You truly thought you could wear that and not assume I’d want to stay home too?”
I glanced to my suit, studying it. “I wear a suit every day,” Ireminded her.
She shrugged, turning to me, setting her glass down only to find my tie. “Yeah,” she said, smoothing it out, “but this one is new.”
God fucking dammit.
I grabbed her chin, nudging her head up until her eyes met mine. “You shouldn’t have said that,” I mumbled, leaning down until my lips brushed hers.
“Hey,” Ash said suddenly.
Emily sucked in her lips, leaning back, and I reluctantly straightened. Goddammit.
“Hey,” she greeted, turning to the two. “I thought you both left before us.”
“Parking is a bitch,” Ash replied, looking around the room. “I don’t remember everyone being so uptight, do you?”
Emily glanced around and shrugged. “Everyone seems the same to me.” Her eyes lingered on one spot for a second too long, pulling my own gaze over as she slipped into conversation with her friends.
Harold was standing at the far end of the room, locked into conversation with a group of men and his wife Helen. She hadn’t said a word to me about whether or not she was worried about seeing her father here, but I knew she was. Especially after that letter.
I had read it myself when everyone parted ways to change. We hadn’t had a moment alone since yesterday evening, so she hadn’t had the opportunity to really talk to me about it.
After reading it, I had felt my own anger grow at the words he had used. How could he possibly still blame her for Jordan’s death? It was cruel and horrific, and I just wished he would do something stupid, give me a reason to put a bullet through his eyes. Alas, his only sin was being a shitty ass father.
Sin.
Look at me talking like Azrael. Fuck, I needed to spend someprolonged time away from him.
“Grey.”
My eyes shifted back to hers, the green so bright under the black eyelashes, it made my heart ache for her.
“Come with me?”
Shit, I hadn’t been listening. “I’m sorry, Snowflake. Come with you where?”
She nodded towards the crowd. “Syn said it would be good to try and separate myself from the Glass family. The only way to do that is go out and mingle, maybe talk about the publishing business I want to open.” Her eyes found mine again. “I can’t talk about selling the company yet, not until Jack get’s back to me, but I can introduce them to you.”
Ash and Syn had disappeared, which I had expected. They needed to mingle too. “Of course, baby,” I said, kissing her head. “Come on, show me the world you’re trying to escape from.”
A smile of relief touched her eyes, and she slid her hand into mine. “It’s not as gory as yours but it is pretty ugly.”
I chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze. “The wealthy are more terrifying than anything else in the world. Some men fear clowns, I fear the rich.”
She giggled and turned to the room. “Okay, let’s go ruffle some faux feathers.”
~~~
When the actual event began, Syn and Ash joined Emily and I at the far right of the room near the drinks table, although they were the only ones to have indulged.
Emily had done well. Walking around with that confidence, her words soft but clear. She spoke of her thoughts in entering the publishing world, stood her ground when the elites spoke against her.
Many people tried to bring up Charlie and her mother orJordan, and she easily shut them down, switching subjects with an ease I was amazed by.
I didn’t think I could fall deeper in love with her, yet here I was, unable to stop touching her, staring at her, as she took on this world by storm.