“Some things you can’t stop. You can only brace for impact.”
She handed me the last of the paper towels and checked herself in the mirror once.
“Fix your dress, sweetheart. You’re a lovely girl, and you’ve yet to reach your full potential; never forget that.”
She was gone before I could respond.
I stood there for a moment looking at my own reflection. I wanted to run out of that bathroom and all the way home. But instead, I pushed back through the door. The cake with sparklers stopped me in my tracks. It wasn’t his birthday. My brows bunched together as I got closer to the table.
Congratulationswas written in script across the cake.
“Skye, you missed the news. Ruben is handing the Upland office to Ducane,” Bianca said, extending her hand to Ducane like she was Vanna White.
Upland?
Upland was four hours away. My throat tightened thinking about the distance and what it all meant before I could stop myself from going there. He didn’t look excited the way everyone else did.
I set my face and moved back to the table. Our eyes locked, mine softened.
“Congratulations, Duke. Upland is not ready,” I said, coming closer and kissing his cheek.
He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it before leaning back with his arm around my chair. His body shook slightly. He was fuming.
“I’ll be back.”
Soon he stood, and Ruben, his father, followed. I watched them from across the room, Ducane pulling at his tie while his father spoke harshly, prompting Ducane to step closer and do the same, even more harshly.
I turned back to the table.
“Mrs. Simmons, I’ll be moving to Upland soon as well.” Bianca smiled into her fresh martini. “You’ll have to text me all the hot spots.”
Dena looked at Bianca for a long moment before her eyes settled somewhere past her.
“Well, isn’t that convenient?”
“I know. Daddy said it only makes sense for the heirs to the kingdom to take over together.” Bianca smoothed her napkin. “I couldn’t agree more. Ducane and I will be the dream team. Like Johnny and June.”
“So crack heads?” I asked while his mother stifled her laugh.
I picked up my water glass and said nothing else.
Brace for impact. Brace for impact. Brace for impact.I chanted in my head to calm my nerves.
That was the second time my heart broke for real.
“Let’s go, Skye,” Ducane said, pulling me from my chant. I snapped out of it and stood with him.
He took my hand and led us out of the restaurant.
“Baby, slow down,” I said, trying to pull away. He was damn near dragging me, and these heels wouldn’t allow it. He turned and paced the sidewalk. I left him to it for a second.
“I’m about to explode, Skye. How do I get us an Uber? Is it an app?”
This man had never ordered his own ride in his life and was about to walk away from the people who made sure he never had to. I bit back a smile.
“We drove, Ducane.”
“I gave him that shit back. Fuck him and that car. The apartment, all of it.”