Page 43 of Knot What She Seems
From her stool next to me, where she’s busy creating roses out of strawberries, Harper leans over and whispers, “Do not let me burn my bread. I don’t want to be stuck here with Clara.”
Her eyes sparkle with gossip, and I can’t help myself. I lean closer and ask, “Why?”
“We’ve both briefly dated this one alpha group. Full disclosure: I was in an experimental phase then, so no judgment. They had a band. Bad decisions were made.”
I hold up my gloved hands, abandoning the small watermelon I’m trying to decoratively carve into a centerpiece. “We’ve all been there.” Me more so than most.
“Thanks.” She gives me a grateful smile before she leans even closer and whispers. “Well, I don’t think Clara is over them. And it’s nails-on-a-chalkboard painful to hear her talk about it.”
“Got it. Let Operation Open the Oven Every Two Minutes commence.”
She lets out a chuckle.
For the next hour, we diligently work together, helping each other turn fruit floral—which is a completely illogical task. “Mrs. Lotty realizes how hard these fruits worked to turn from flowers into fruit, right?” I grumble, when Harper has to help me recarve a section of my watermelon. “This is forcing them all to regress.”
My roommate laughs from where she’s bent over our shared countertop, using a small pumpkin-carving utensil to create some petals. “You know, I don’t think most people know how funny you are.”
I shrug, but the timer for our ovens goes off before I can come up with a response, and I don my oven mitts, rushing to save our creations from the same fate as Clara’s.
As class comes to a close, conversation feels natural and comfortable with Harper, and I’m smiling nearly as much as I do with Ted and Caran. It’s been a long time since someone else has been able to breach my defenses, but I stare over at her, glad she didn’t give up.
“What?” she asks when she notices my stare. Her hand immediately starts dabbing at her face. “Do I have flour on me or something?”
“No. I was just thinking you’re not half bad.”
An unexpected snort comes out of her perfect nose. “From you, I expect that’s a high compliment.”
“Highest I give,” I return.
She beams.
The bell tower gongs, letting us know class is over. I let out a sigh of relief as Harper and I start to pack up our materials and clean utensils, grateful we made it through the afternoon without burning anything.
But then, Mrs. Lotty claps her hands. “Ladies! Ladies! Before you go, I just wanted to let you know that we have a surprise for you this afternoon! If you all could just wash your hands—leave your supplies and some of our cleaning staff will wipe up and deliver everything back to your rooms. But you all get to head to the Blue Ballroom. We have some special guests waiting for you there. And they’re very eager to meet you all.”
My stomach drops like an anchor. A lead weight. A piano smashing into the pavement—wood splinters and harsh notes flying everywhere.
An unsettling certainty washes over me, because I can feel the machinations of my mother at work.
She did this.
I made a terrible first impression and she’s trying to keep those alphas on the hook. Trying to keep their favor and show them that I’m not…whatever they might think I am after that disaster of a meet and greet.
Clearly, Teddie’s efforts working on Dad have failed.
My tongue traces the edges of my teeth in frustration. I can’t go to this stupid function. I have plans. I’m supposed to have my first kickboxing class with the beta instructors in an hour.
I turn to Harper and put a hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry, but I have to abandon you to your fate. And it’s a terrible one. But sacrifices have to be made.”
Then I turn and plant both palms on my stomach. Hunching over, I feign weakness as I approach Mrs. Lotty. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t think I can go to this event. I struggled through class. But I’m just not feeling well. I fainted earlier. I don’t know if you heard.”
Mrs. Lotty turns a concerned face to me, murmuring all sorts of sympathetic things. From across the room, Harper subtly scratches her neck and flips me off.
I just give her puppy eyes as I let the professor lead me out toward the infirmary, where I’m given a juice for my blood sugar and dismissed to nap.
I’m so thrilled that I’m humming as I pack some workout clothes into a bag so I can sneak out of my window, and the noise keeps me from noticing when Harper pushes the bathroom door open.
She stands in the doorway with her arms crossed until I turn, scanning my floor for a tennis shoe, and startle upon seeing her. “Holy shit! Don’t do that to a girl.”
