Page 32 of Ruthless Sinner
"Also,”—Harper twirls her finger in the air as if she’s about to cast some magical spell—“he saved you. In my book, no matterwhathe is or what group he belongs to, he's already proven he wouldn't hurt you. That's a big win and a good sign. Don't you think?" She hardens her stare.
"I agree." There’s nothing to argue about.
"So, come on, let's do the math. Are you going to spend theentirenight with Matthew and your family? Or are you going to find some way of going to the club?"
Pressing my lips together, I gaze out the window. The bright sunny day is still beaming down on us.
"I'll see what happens," I decide to say.
She brings her hands together and squeals in delight, "Yay! That's the spirit."
"Wait, I didn't say I was going." I laugh.
"But you didn't say no either.”
“I guess I didn’t.”
"Come on, let me do your hair."
I humor her because I know she won't stop insisting, but secretly, I like the idea of getting ready for him.
Dante Levitsky.
God.Even his name has me curling my toes.
* * *
Dad stands to give the toast for the evening. In his red three-piece baroque suit and cravat, he looks like the lord of the manor.
The idea of him being such fits as the catering staff standing by the wall with their arms behind their backs look like they’ve been pulled out of a scene fromDownton Abbey.
Dad pastes a smile on his face and looks around the room, appraising the guests who have gathered here for tonight’s engagement. There are fifteen of us sitting around the large rectangular table in the elegant dining room.
On Dad’s right are Melissa and Natalie, who both look like platinum-blonde barbies. With all the surgery and botox Melissa has done to herself, she hardly looks any older than her daughter, but she looks plastic.
On his left are Natalie's fiancé, Lawrence, and his parents. Next to them are Matthew and his. Placing Matthew directly opposite me.
He looks exactly like his pictures online—handsome, pompous, and cold-spirited.
I've done my best not to look at him, but he started to size me up like a piece of meat from the first moment he saw me.
This is the one time I wouldn’t have minded sitting next to Melissa and Natalie, but there are several people between us, as if I’m not a part of the family.
"Good evening, everyone." Dad raises his glass. “Thank you for joining us tonight. It's always a proud moment to celebrate things like an upcoming wedding. This is our first in our family."
Dad’s voice holds the sort of pride every girl wants to hear from her father, but it’s not directed at me.
Natalie is gazing fondly at my father, and he looks back at her with the same adoration.
I can't help the twinge of jealousy I feel watching them, especially when he smiles wider, giving her a real smile.
I don’t get that.
Sometimes, I feel like Cinderella. Except, I still have a father, and it’s him who’s given the step-family power over me. At least I can be grateful I’m not scrubbing the floors and waiting on them hand and foot.
Dad reaches his hand out to Melissa, who takes it. She smiles, too, but if she could move her face, she’d look more real.
"I'm very proud of Natalie for all she's accomplished, and becoming part of the Chesterville family is the epitome of everything we've worked toward."