Page 4 of Somewhere Without You
They were always flawless. But even if the petals hadn’t begun to wilt, the sentiment behind them had long since withered. Once the fallout from last night settled, the cycle would start all over again.
Iwassurprised to find a slim white box, wrapped in a velvet ribbon waiting beside the vase. I hesitated before lifting the lid.
Inside, nestled on a bed of crisp, white tissue paper, lay an elegant nightshade gown. The sequins caught the morning light, glittering like fallen stars. I held it up, letting the silk cascade over my hands. The dress was breathtaking. But it felt. . . wrong.
“Wow,”a soft voicebreathedbehind me.
I whirled around to face Rita’s niece. She looked no more than fifteen, her dark hair falling loosely around her olive-toned face. Her wide, curious eyes blinked at the dress, full of quiet awe.
I swallowed and clutched the gown to my chest as she stared, the envy in her gaze as clear as day.
“What’s your name?”Iasked.
She blinked, hesitated, thensaid,“Mia.”
“Pretty,”Ioffered, though I wasn’t sure if it came out genuine or hollow. I tried to smile, but it felt tight on my face.“How old are you, Mia?”
“Sixteen.”Her voice was small but steady.
I nodded, folding the dress back into its box with careful hands, the sequins catching one last glimmer of light before disappearing.
“Do you like it?”Iasked, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe I just wanted to hear someone say yes to something Jackson touched.
She nodded, doe eyes wide.“It looks like something a queen would wear.”
I let out a dry laugh.“Maybe. But crowns can be heavy.”
Mia tilted her head, not quite understanding, and I instantly regretted saying it. I didn’t want to ruin her illusions, not yet. She had time for reality to catch up.
“Is the rest of your family working here?”Iaskedinstead.
She nodded again.“Mr. Bishop said if we finish early, my brothers and I can swim in the pool.”
Of course he did. Always the savior, always the hand extended—just long enough to remind you who it belonged to.
I gently closed the box, tying the ribbon back into a neat bow.
“Well,”Isaid, straightening,“I hope you like it here. If you need anything, come to me, not him.”
She looked at me, startled.“Okay.”
An awkward silence settled between us.
“You should go now. Rita’s probably looking for you.”
She gave a quick nod and slipped away without another word.
When she was gone, I let my shoulders drop. My fingers lingered on the velvet ribbon. The dress, the flowers, the fragile illusions. It was all so practiced now—a performance.
And I was so very tired of playing the part.
Three
Before
Thefirstthingthatstruck me was how bright everything was. Beyond the towering glass windows overlooking the bay, an endless stretch of cerulean sea melted into a brilliant horizon.
The airport hummed with the clatter of rolling suitcases and the rhythm of hurried footsteps. I was still jittery from the flight, my nerves a tumbled mess in my stomach as I rolled my pink suitcase alongside me.
