Page 59 of Lovely Deceit

Through a thicket of trees, I spot water. I squeeze her shoulders in comfort. “This must be a recent photo.”

“Very recent,” she says, letting her finger drag across her sister’s face. “More recent than any I have.”

“He looks happy.”

Edie nods her head. “He certainly does.” She presses her lips together. “Maybe he loved her after all…in the end.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s not answering your calls. He doesn’t want to marry you as much as you don’t want to marry him.”

She sets the picture down. “None of that helps my dad, though. One, I don’t think Forbes will care what his son wants. Two, what else will my dad have to do? You didn’t see his face, Ollie. He was lost. I’m worried for him.”

Watching her tell me she suspected her father was thinking about suicide was a hard pill to swallow. Alistair Astor doesn’t seem like the type, but Delilah’s death has already changed him in so many ways... “Sounds like we have to tell your dad what’s happening. At least he can spin it that it’s not you who is refusing to get married. It’s Keegan.”

She places her fingers on the dresser, gaze searching her sister’s face. “I’m glad I saw this,” she says. “This is how I want to remember her.”

Everyone always said how much Eden looked like her sister. I never saw it. To me, they were two very different people, but in this photo, I can see the similarities loud and clear. Two beautiful, blonde-haired—and happy—women.

I kiss the back of Eden’s head, then help her down the brownstone steps and out into the present, where knowing her sister was happy hours or days before she died doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t change the end result.

The only thing it solidifies with me is that Eden will never end up the same way. I’ll make sure of it.

29

Leo

The doorbell chimes through the hall. I’m the only one home. It seems like I’m always the only one home as Eden and her royal, attached-at-the-hip pain in the ass return to classes and Alaric goes back to teaching.

I almost shut the door in the courier’s face as soon as I see who it is again. The guy shrugs and hands me yet another piece of mail.

The pristine, white envelope is addressed to Mr. Leonardo Jarvis in calligraphy. Just by the feel of it, I can tell it’s an invitation. Judging by the return address, it has something to do with my cousin’s marriage to the prima donna skank, Anne-Marie Kennedy. Three pieces of mail in a couple of weeks is overkill if you ask me.

As the courier strides away, I spot Oliver and Eden coming up the walk together. She’s ditched the crutches. I can tell she still struggles with pain, but she’s too stubborn to use those damn things anymore.

I open the door wider as if I’m their fucking servant, and Eden looks straight through me. She doesn’t dare meet my eyes anymore—hasn’t since I told her I was tasked with watching her before I was technically put into her little Knight grouping. I guess people really don’t get points for honesty, despite what others think.

“What’s that?” she asks, eyeing the envelope in my hand.

“Who knows.”

She smirks because we all know who it’s from. I’ve been expecting the wedding invitation because once a Jarvis’s path is set, it’s full steam ahead. No interruptions allowed. Vincent will get a lot out of this connection. Despite following my grandfather’s rules his entire life, he’s a bit of a dumbass. As Grandfather’s heir, though, he’s the most important one in our family, so in Anne-Marie’s case, she’s definitely doing this for the prestige and the money. I bet she can’t even stand to be in my cousin’s presence. She probably enjoyed her little moment with my grandfather more than riding my cousin’s cock.

Oliver moves into the kitchen to pull out his ridiculous tea set. I’ve thought about smashing that thing so many times, just to be an asshole. I’m so damn sick of those two flaunting their feelings for one another around me.

“You going to open it?” she prods.

She still doesn’t meet my gaze, but she’s talking to me, which is a positive. Because of this, I open the envelope in front of her. I roll my eyes at the stately, elegant invitation to their engagement party at my grandfather’s estate. Parties there have always stressed me out, all the way back when my father would be discreetly ridiculed in front of everyone.

Now, it’s me.

I’m kind of surprised Vincent even wants me there, to be honest. Though, our family is all about keeping up appearances. My absence would be talked about on end, I’m sure.

Which makes me want to say no.

“Engagement party, huh?”

I peer up, expecting her to be looking at the invitation, but she isn’t. She’s staring right at me, her blue eyes flashing. I swallow at the sudden lump in my throat. “I guess so.”

“Are you going?”

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