Page 50 of Someone Just Like You

I could feel their eyes boring into my back as I marched away with my heart slamming against my chest. Someone had to stand up for Jude, but did it have to be me? What if I’d made things worse?

I joined Timothy in the party room. Charley was at his side. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long. Family drama and all that.” I raised my palms in apology.

Jude came up behind me. “Same.” He darted his eyes to me and quickly back to his date’s.

“No worries,” Timothy said. “I’m actually not feeling so hot. Would you mind if I cut out early?”

I frowned. “Not at all. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.” He’d been all smiles and laughter when I approached, but I wasn’t going to accuse him of lying.

Charley gave Jude a contrite smile. “To be honest, I’m not feeling so great either. I think I’m going to leave.”

“Want to share a cab?” Timothy asked.

“Great idea!”

Beaming at each other, they said, “Bye!” in harmony before shuffling off with a renewed burst of energy. I stared after them, waiting for the tears to spring, to feel like my heart had been ripped from my chest. Having a date leave with someone else was the stuff senior prom nightmares were made of, but I felt nothing…for Timothy, anyway.

“That went well,” Jude said.

I resisted the urge to smooth down his hair where it was standing up from his frequent self-tussling.

We stared at each other unblinking.How long have you been dating my doppelgängers?Are you secretly attracted to me too?“So.”

“So.”

“Charley’s pretty.” I cringed, as one did when they essentially flattered themselves. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. For all I knew, no one had alerted Jude to the whole lookalike situation.

“Timothy’s hotter.”

My breath caught. Not what I was expecting. But then I laughed. “You never fail to surprise—”

“Sorry to interrupt you two. Molly, can I steal you for a moment?”

I cocked my head at my mom. “Is everything all right?” I was torn between annoyance and relief at the interruption.

“Your father and I need to speak with you and your sisters.” She turned to Jude. “You don’t mind, do you?”

He waved a hand. “Of course not.”

I followed Mom out of the party room into the hotel lobby where Dad, Michelle, and Nicole sat on two suede couches. The working fireplace and dim lighting gave it a cozy feel—perfect for a family powwow. I assumed they wanted to shower us with thanks in a more private setting.

Michelle patted the space next to her on the burgundy couch and studied me. “You recovered from your epiphany yet?”

“No comment,” I mumbled, sitting down. Jude had, in not so many words, acknowledged the peculiarity in our choice of party companions, but I wasn’t sure either of us was prepared to interpret the deeper meaning behind it.

Dad stood from the gray couch to join Mom. “Thanks for humoring us. Your mother and I have something to tell you and wanted to do it face-to-face, while we’re all together.” He passed the invisible baton to Mom.

She nodded. “First of all, thank you all for throwing such a wonderful anniversary celebration. The planning it must have taken. We know the Starks were thrilled…forty years! Can you imagine?” She laid a hand to her collarbone. “Wow.”

I glanced at Michelle from the side of my face. TheStarkswere thrilled? What about the Blums? And also, last I checked there was only a five-year difference between thirty-five and forty.

Dad continued. “We’d planned to have this conversation at dinner with just the five of us, but since that was just part of the hoax to get us here, the lobby is the best we can do, and we wanted to catch you before you left. We’ve put it off long enough.” He dropped his gaze down to his black Oxford shoes and back up again, then cleared his throat. “The thing is…well…there’s no easy way to say it, so I’m just going to—”

“Rip off the Band-Aid, David.” Mom eyed us one at a time and released a sigh. “Your father and I are separated.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

You could have heard a cotton ball drop to the carpet.

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