Page 67 of Bound By Stars

“Unfortunately. It’s tradition. A crowd always forms outside the doors to watch us make an entrance. This is not my favorite part, either.” Skye twists her mouth, rolls her shoulders back, and descends the stairs, holding the skirt of her long dress. She doesn’t pause when the clapping starts again but nods politely to the onlookers below.

I press my back to the wall and my hands to my stomach, staring at the floor. I can’t do this.

A hand reaches out, palm up, fingers open. Jupiter stands in front of me with his other arm tucked behind his back. His eyes wander down and back up the dress.

“I feel ridiculous.” I pull at the low-cut neckline again, but it doesn’t move. Stopping my hands just before I touch my face, I remember Asha’s warning and hug my stomach again.

“Weslie.” His voice is low and soft. “You look anything but ridiculous.”

I roll my eyes and take his offered hand.

His expression goes serious. Pressing his lips together, he searches my face and inhales sharply like he’s preparing to say more. He huffs out a breath and smiles reassuringly. “Come on,” he whispers, “I’ve got you.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Weslie

Eighteen days to Mars

Leading me down the staircase, Jupiter moves slowly, a step ahead, like he’s prepared to catch me. Below, gathering partygoers clad in gowns and tuxedos greet each other in the foyer outside the open dining room doors. Every head turns as we step into view.

I hold my breath, prepared for jeering.

They applaud. Instead of “Earther” and “dust mite,” they shout words like “lovely” and “radiant.”

Jupiter grins up at me.

When we make it to the door, the cheers erupt again. Behind us, someone with smoothed-back black hair glides down the steps in tails and pearls, bowing midway down the bottom half of the staircase.

Inside, Jupiter interlaces his fingers with mine, guiding me through the crowded room. The walls glow gold, bursting with a pattern of long-pointed stars. Along the high ceiling, more chandeliers seem to have been hung since lunch, their light filtering through strands of crystal. The tables curve around an empty stretch of floor where a full band is assembled on a stage I’d never noticed before. Soft, cheerful music lingers in the backdrop of the murmur of conversations.

We wind through the crowd, finding his friends congregated around a table close to the open floor.

Curran nods once as we approach.

“You look nice, Weslie,” Tar says.

“Who knew you could clean up a dust mite so well?” Hale raises his eyebrows and takes a long sip from his champagne glass.

“Enough.” Jupiter scowls at his cousin.

The music changes, growing louder and more upbeat. People flood the dance floor. Each pair takes the same position, hands clasped on one side. One half of the pair holds their partner’s shoulder while the other takes their waist. Then they move together in the same orderly circles as every other couple around them. Even their dancing is organized.

Curran clears his throat, shifting his eyes behind Jupiter.

Gianna weaves between tables and people, heading straight for us.

Jupiter groans without turning to look, not reacting when she grabs his shoulder.

“Your mother needs you.”

He squeezes my hand before letting go. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but it’s hard to ignore the tugging sensation urging me to follow him.

Someone checks my shoulder as they pass, nearly knocking me over, and Meridian wraps her arms around Hale, spinning him toward the dance floor. Her ruby-red dress shimmers under the soft chandelier light.

I sink into a chair, unsure of what else to do.

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