“I know I don’t have to, but I’m going to. We are going to drink and eat ice cream while we go on an online shopping spree. We still don’t have anything to wear to the launch party. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go talk to your best friend.”
Cole got up and kissed the top of Jules’ head since she refused to look up to give him her lips.
“I’ll go talk to him.”
“Cole, don’t try to convince him to forgive me. Just make sure he’s okay.”
Cole stood above us for a second before leaning down and kissing the top of my head. “It will be fine, Rach. He loves you.”
Another round of body-jolting tears tore out of me. Jules poured enough vodka down my throat to make a seasoned Russian drunk. I wasn’t positive, but before I blacked out, I think Jules convinced me to purchase a gnome with his little pudgy middle finger sticking up in all its gnome beauty.
Chapter 27
“You look beautiful,” Aurora said behind me in the mirror.
It was the day of her launch party. One week since I talked to Easton. One week since my heart beat. One week since I felt normal.
When I recovered from my hangover, I made the most unpleasant call I’d ever had to make. I let Kelly Ann know that Easton found Gnomen and he knew about our failed unicorn experiment.
Kelly Ann and I texted every day. She hadn’t heard from Easton, but she told me not to lose hope.
That was easy because I had no hope to lose.
The Marketing Madams was the one thing that was going perfect in my life, and I hung onto it with both hands, fingernails digging in for good measure. Most nights, Jules or Cole would come pick me up so I wouldn’t sleep at the office.
One thing about heartache is how productive you become. Anything to keep my thoughts off Easton.
Jules, Aurora, and I were getting ready at Cole’s house. The three of us went for massages in the morning. My poor massage therapist had to deal with me sobbing on the table for my eighty-minute massage. She kept telling me it was normal. I tipped her well.
Jules hugged me tightly when she saw my face walking out of the massage room. “That bad, huh?”
I laughed because I knew that was what she wanted, but I felt wilted inside.
“She was wonderful. We can never come back here,” I told her.
“There are plenty of spas,” Aurora said, throwing her arms around us.
Jules did my makeup for the launch party. I insisted my hair be down and wild, not admitting that was the way Easton liked it. Cole confirmed that Easton would not be in attendance, and he was still in Japan. He told me to give him time, that he would pull his head out of his ass, but I refused to believe him
We dressed. Jules in a black form-fitting dress that made her pink hair pop. Aurora wore a deep purple dress that made her appear like the grownup she was evolving into. I was in a dark green dress. It was corseted on top, pushing my breasts up to where they used to be in high school. The bottom flared out in a voluptuous skirt that made me feel like a Hollywood starlet.
“We look fabulous,” Jules said, staring at us in the mirror.
“Yes, you do.” Cole walked in beaming at us. “I’m so proud of all of you.”
I smiled next to Jules and Aurora. I knew he wasn’t just talking to them. Cole and I had become close since I was a permanent fixture at Jules’ house the last week.
He winked at me as if he could read my mind. “Tonight is going to be magical.”
“Like a unicorn,” I said.
Jules and Cole burst out laughing. Aurora- sweet, innocent Aurora- looked confused. “Okay, I guess that was funny,” she said, making us laugh even harder.
The limo pulled up to the venue. Jules and I were there earlier that morning to make sure everything was set up before we went to our massage appointment. There were paparazzi everywhere. We told Faith we would keep the JackholeS a secret, but sheexplained there was no reason to have a famous family if she couldn’t use them for good.
Faith and the JackholeS made appearances on talk shows gushing about Aurora’s indie author project.
“Look how many people there are.” Aurora craned her neck.