Chapter 5
Chapter 5
“Why didn’t you tell me that his attractive older brother came?” Eve chastised me in my room. “Are you trying to keep him to yourself for a particular reason?”
“I haven’t had a moment to myself. George has been following me like a lost puppy,” I retorted. George had always been in my space; that’s why he’d gotten a black eye when we were nine…and eleven.
Eve raised her eyebrows in amusement. “Nothing wrong with that.” I shook my head; she was impossible. Eve studied herself in my floor-length mirror, pressing her red dress against her body. “Do you think this shade goes well with my skin tone? I wish I had bought more than one dress.”
“You’ve asked me that question over a dozen times,” I replied with a chuckle. “Thankfully, Mr. Ryan had dresses already made, or you’d be wearing something in your closet tonight.”
Eve viewed herself at different angles in the mirror before sighing. “You didn’t tell me how handsome he was,” Eve pressed. “You kept that small detail to yourself when he was with you for a week.”
“Six days,” I corrected. Six short days.
Eve stepped into her silk dress, pulling it over her slim hips. “Ah, six days. Did anything else happen in those six days that you forgot to tell me?”
“I was engaged to his brother,” I choked out, forcing a laugh.
“Fake engaged,” she retorted, pulling her arms through the sheer long sleeves of her dress. “And I’m definitely not joking. One look from that man would make a girl go weak at the knees.”
“And I’ve never seen you so flabbergasted in my life,” I teased.
Eve peered over her shoulder, narrowing blue eyes at me. Pulling her curled hair away, she waited for me to lace the back of her gown. “I was busy observing.”
I walked over to her. “You were doing more than that.”
“Are you trying to provoke me, Ava Barlow?”
“Me? Darling, never. You are the epitome of style and feminine games,” I scoffed, beginning the tedious task of arranging the netted material.
“Getting what you want or don’t want is a game,” Eve retorted. “And since I play so well at it—”
“Don’t even think about it,” I cautioned, yanking at her laces to make my warning clear. She let out a small grunt. “Leave me out.”
“Of what?”
“Don’t play stupid. I don’t want any part of”—I waved my hand in the air—“whatever it is you’re planning.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Eve said. “Lord Ashton will do it all for you.”
I groaned. “Oh Eve, please, leave the man be. I don’t want to be wrapped in an awkward conversation with him tonight.”
Eve turned to look at me. “Let’s make the delicious Lord Cranfield jealous.”
I closed my eyes, bridging my nose with my fingertips. “Just leave everything be. I have neither the patience nor the energy to deal with men tonight. I just want to go to this event, which you begged me to go to, then come home.”
Eve turned me by my shoulders and buttoned up my navy-blue dress. “I promise. I won’t do anything out of the ordinary.” I turned to face her, but she stopped me by my waist.
“Interfering is the ordinary for you,” I complained.
Eve huffed. “All right, fine. No games. Just best friends enjoying the night together. Am I allowed to make comments, or is that off limits as well?”
“Just don’t go out of your way to do anything, okay?”
“Fine, I promise.” She paused. “There. You look magnificent. Lord Cranfield will be beside himself.”
I admired my attire that snug fit on my hips; the silk flowed freely to the ground.
“Why do you think I’d want to impress Cranfield?” I asked her, pulling up the front of my dress to not show so much cleavage. “This is just a normal night at a party, nothing more.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to impress him? Can you imagine the handsome children you’d make?”
“Can I leave Telliva once in my lifetime before you start talking about children?” I objected.
Eve stood in front of my vanity mirror. “May I ask you a serious question?”
I eyed her suspiciously. “Maybe.”
“If things were different, would you consider him?” She eyed our dresses, contrasting mine with hers. Sheer red fabric covered her chest, circling her neck, while mine dropped low, sleeves hugging my shoulders. She wore her hair up in curls, while mine was down and straight, pinned to the side of my head.
“George?”
She rolled her eyes. “No. Garrett.”
“Maybe,” I confided. “I enjoyed his company. He made me forget that I was away from home.”
Eve placed a hand on my shoulder. “No tricks. I won’t interfere, I promise. I know I can be pushy. I want you to enjoy life, flirt a little, be reckless”—she winked—“have fun.”
“I know.” I placed a hand on hers. “I’ll interact more.”
Eve went to the door and waited for me to follow her. “Let’s go make the gorgeous brother speechless.”