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His expression immediately softens. “Nothing would happen. Food is life, Princess. It’s warmth and joy and adventure. I know that for now, every bite is a battle, but you are a fucking warrior. So, fuck your mom, fuck the calories. You’re beautiful and fucking perfect, thin or fat, rich or poor, I don’t care. I’ll still want you. Now eat,” he orders, pointing at the bowl.
“Fuck my mom?” I ask.
“Fuck your mom,” he agrees.
A small smile tips at the corners of my lips as an unbidden, slightly hysterical laugh bubbles up from my chest and bursts free. Another laugh follows it, and before I can stop it, I’m giggling and smiling, and the spoon is at my lips. His full lips spread into a smile, and he laughs with me, and I swear the sun seems brighter and the food tastes better than anything I’ve ever tasted before. His eyes promise me that everything between us is so freaking real that I can’t believe I doubted it for a moment.
After we’ve eaten, we drive to Gulliver’s and climb into the limo, where the others are all waiting. The guys make small talk, but I stay silent, nervous butterflies swirling and swooping in my stomach. Warm fingers find mine, and Hawthorn links our hands together, his thumb rubbing reassuring circles across my skin. At his touch, the butterflies calm, and I squeeze his hand, silently thanking him for knowing exactly what I needed.
Ten minutes later, our limo pulls into the line of other cars at the school entrance, and we wait our turn to get out.
“Shit, I love this,” Davis announces, grinning maniacally and bouncing in his seat.
“That’s because you’re an attention whore,” my sister says with a smile.
The guys all laugh, and I find myself watching them with fascination. These people are a family, they love each other, and I’m not sure I really understand it, but even as I’m sitting here, a part of them, I’m jealous of them too.
When our car pulls to a stop at the bottom of the entrance steps, I inhale sharply, my fingers gripping Hawthorn’s hand like the lifeline that it is.
“Girls in the middle, united front,” Gulliver says, eyeing us all in turn.
I nod, then look to my sister, who smiles at me reassuringly. “Let’s do this,” she says.
The door opens, and Kip and Davis climb out first, then Gulliver and Izabella, until there’s only Hawthorn and me left inside.
“Come on, Princess, game face. You’re one of us now. You and your sister united,” he says, taking my hand and leading me out of the car to take our place with the others.
Like a scene from a bad teenage romance movie, Hawthorn guides me to stand beside my sister. Gulliver is to her left, his arm draped possessively over her shoulder, while Davis stands to Gulliver’s left. Hawthorn stands next to me, his hand still tightly holding mine, while Kip stands to his right, and we move as a group while the rest of the school watches us.
People stop and stare as we go, rushing to move out of our path so we can march as a group up the steps and through the huge entrance doors. The entire world is aware of my twin’s existence now, and although they’ve seen us together, we’ve never been together like this.
Turning to look at me, she arches her eyebrows and giggles, reaching out to take my other hand, like we did when we were really little. Her hair is up in a messy bun, curling tendrils falling free to frame her face. Her lips are bright red, and her makeup is flawless, but what shines the brightest is how happy she is. She’s in love and engaged, but more than that, I think she’s happy I’m here too.
Pulling me forward and away from Hawthorn, she giggles and winks at me as a guy walks straight into a bank of lockers because he can’t take his eyes off us. Together like this, for the first time possibly ever, I don’t feel insignificant, and in her shadow, I feel powerful by her side.
When we reach our lockers, she finally lets go of my hand and launches herself into Gulliver’s arms.
“That was one hell of an entrance, Little Ghost,” he whispers against her lips. “You look so fucking sexy when you’re this happy.”
“I am happy,” she says, biting her lip as she looks at us all, her gaze lingering on me.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I try to think of what to say to her. I know she wants more from me, but I just don’t know how to give it. The bell rings, saving me, and we all shove our stuff into our lockers and head to homeroom.
Gulliver arranged for me to be transferred into the same homeroom as the others, and I’m grateful not to be alone. Even before I walked away from my inheritance, I was never part of a group the way Hawthorn and his friends are. I had friends, but I never felt sheltered by them the way I have since I stepped out of the limo this morning.
My first class is Spanish, and after Hawthorn kisses me goodbye, I turn to head toward the classroom when Davis falls into stride beside me. “Err, hi,” I say, shocked that he’s walking with me. He’s the only one in the group who’s been open about his dislike of me. I know he’s on board with the whole revenge plan and that he’s prepared to be civil, but I hadn’t expected him to make any real effort beyond that.
“Can I talk to you real quick before we go into class?” he asks awkwardly, looking at anything but me.
“Sure,” I say, stepping out of the way of the door to the classroom.
“Look…” he starts, then stops, pushing his hands into his pockets as his shoulders curl forward and he rolls his neck from side to side uncomfortably. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”
My brow furrows as I stare at him in confusion. “Okay,” I say, elongating the word. “What are you sorry for?”
Sighing, he tips his head back and glances at the ceiling for a moment before dropping it back down and looking directly at me. “For being a douche, I guess. I love Izzy, she’s like my sister, and when we found out about you and her and everything with your parents, I…” He pauses and rubs at the back of his neck. “Well, I just assumed you were a fucking bitch and I was a dick to you. So yeah. I’m sorry.”
Blinking, I stare at him for a moment. It’s the first time I’ve seen him look anything but cocky and confident. “You don’t need to apologize,” I tell him bluntly.
