Page 93 of The Charade

Just like a scene from a movie.

Only in this movie, when the princess was in the middle of falling in love with the prince, she failed to realize that she'd also made the tragic mistake of falling for her brother.

What kind of writer would be deranged enough to write a story like that?

I sighed as I glanced around, looking for a place to sit among the fairytale trees so I could kick off my heels and rest my feet for a few minutes. I found Elyse sitting next to Nash who wore the old-fashioned suit and cravat he'd talked about wearing tonight. I was just about to head in their direction when Carter suddenly appeared at my side and tapped on my shoulder, saying, "My dad just went into his office with your mom and Dr. Aarden."

"My mom's here?" My hand went to my throat, and I felt the blood draining out of my face. "With your dad?"

Carter nodded, his gaze looking out the big windows that showed the main part of the house. "They just went into his office."

Oh no.

I let out a low breath. "You think this is it?" I asked.

Carter’s jaw was clenched, and I couldn't help but think he looked as anxious as I felt. "I think we'll find out what's been going on very soon."

The last thing I wanted to do was face the music and find out the truth, but I said, "I'll tell Elyse."

Carter nodded. "That's probably a good idea."

I took two steps toward my sister and Nash before Carter's hand gripped my arm, stopping me.

I turned to face him, wondering what he'd have to say after speaking so little to me and glaring at me all night.

"What?" I asked, my heart in my throat.

He looked at his hand on my arm briefly before stepping closer, close enough that his chest brushed against my shoulder. He said, "I'm probably not going to be able to say this after tonight, but…" His words trailed off and he searched my face for a few heart-pounding seconds before swallowing and saying, "But you look really beautiful tonight. And…" He sighed and looked at the trees behind me before meeting my gaze again. "And I wish it could have been me with you on the dance floor."

When I searched his eyes, the sincerity in them completely melted the ice that had frozen around my heart during the past two hours.

I pressed my lips together, trying to figure out how I should respond to his admission. And before I could think better of it, I found myself saying, "I wish I could have danced with you, too."

At least once.

Just one last memory like that would have been nice to have before the whole world found out that I'd fallen in love with the one guy at school I could never have.

40

Ava

"What arethey doing in Mr. Hastings’s office?" I said to Elyse, but mostly to myself as I sat on the chair beside her, my legs bouncing as I waited for our mom to come out.

It had been over thirty minutes since Carter told me that he'd seen my mom go in there with his dad and Dr. Aarden. She wouldn't have slipped out another door without saying anything to us, would she?

"I'm sure they'll be done soon," Elyse said, putting a hand on my leg like she was trying to stop me from bouncing out of my seat. "They probably just have a lot to talk about."

"Well, I wish they'd just get it over with already," I said. "Just rip off the Band-aid." I sighed and pushed myself off the chair, needing to walk around because just sitting here was going to make me crazy.

I paced back and forth in front of my sister as the string quartet played the song “In My Blood/Swan Lake” by The Piano Guys. It was an angsty song, and it was the perfect theme song for my current mood.

I walked to one of the ballroom’s columns and then turned on my toe to pace back in the opposite direction. I'd never really paced before, but I had so much pent-up tension in my body that I finally understood why stressed-out people did it.

When I made it to the refreshment table, I turned around and headed back the way I'd come again. I went back and forth about six times, but on the seventh time, Elyse stood and pulled on my arm, saying, "Everyone is starting to look at you." She looked pointedly behind me at the dance floor. When I turned to see what she was talking about, there were indeed several sets of eyes staring at me.

One of those sets belonging to Carter.

He was standing on the opposite end of the room, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed in front of him.

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