Page 70 of Stick to the Deal
Anna is on her feet and sitting by me in a moment. “Oh, suga’, we would have still been proud as hell of you. Then we would have taken you out to get wasted until you felt better.”
“You said hell.” I smile at the show of strong emotion from the ever proper southern belle.
Bree sits on my other side. “We feel like we don’t even know you anymore. There’s this whole other life you keep from us. We want to be there for you, but how can we if you hide things?”
“I know you don’t like to talk about your parents or growing up with your grandmother. We get it, we don’t exactly like talking about our childhoods either, but we’d like to know all the parts of you. To understand how to be there for you.” Anna grabs my hand and holds it in hers.
“You know the real me, Nic your friend. Nicolette is fake, a persona I have to wear. Every move, every word carefully chosen, only speaking in half-truths and playing games. I’m more myself with you than anyone else.” Well, almost. Reginald has quickly become that one person I can be completely free with.
“We all have different personas we have to wear in our lives. We flex to fit the situation or group of people. But that doesn’t change who we are. We want to know that side of you better. The gala-attending, ballet-loving you that keeps appearing in the tabloids.”
I curl my lip. “What if I don’t want to be her?”
Bree grasps my arm until I meet her gaze, her cobalt blue eyes full of emotion. “You can’t split yourself in two like that. Lady Ravenscourt, Nicolette Kato-Atherton, the scared little girl who lost her parents—they’re all you. The good bits. The bad. It made you who you are today, and we love you. Just the way you are.” She wraps her arms around me in a rare hug.
Anna joins in from the other side. “Wouldn’t change a single bit of ya, darlin’.”
As we sniffle back emotion, a sense of peace descends. Being at odds with these women has felt like a missing limb. They’ve been there for me my entire adult life. Ever since I ran away from London for a normal college experience in the States.I was so desperate to distinguish myself from the outcast teen and the grieving child,; I tried to shove my past in a box and hide it from my friends.
When my time ran out and my past caught up with me, I threw up walls to keep those parts of my life from colliding. But in reality, I was only pushing my friends further away.
“How did you two get so wise?”
“Years of therapy. I’ll give you her card. Right now, though, I’m dying for some girl talk. What’s it like being married to a viscount? And do you have pictures on your phone from the exhibition?”
I laugh as I wipe my eyes.
Anna bursts up and towards the kitchen. “Hold up, now. I’m making snacks, and I don’t want to miss anything!”
“I’ll make drinks.” Bree hurries after Anna on her much shorter legs.
“Aren’t you breastfeeding?” I call after her.
She shrugs as she pulls out three highball glasses. “I have a stash of milk in the freezer. I’ll just pump and dump.”
It’s my turn to shake my head at her. “What are you making anyway?”
Anna and Bree both freeze and face the other. “ANGRY BALLS!” they yell in unison before breaking into giggles.
It’s good to have them back.
May
Well, well, well. Looks like our current ‘it’ couple may not be all that after all. Sources close to the pair have shared that appearances are not as they seem. The outwardly blissfully happy couple is in fact…FAKING IT.
Thanks to his father’s love of diamonds—and hearts, spades, and clubs—Lord Ravenscourt only had dollar signs in his eyes when he proposed. Before you start feeling bad for our Lady R, she was equally materially driven. Apparently, her rebellious youth inspired a marriage clause in the heiress’s trust fund and time was running out.
These two may truly be perfect for each other. Why the big show then? Is the money not enough so they wanted fame too? What do you think, faithful readers? Should we cancel #Reginette?
TTFN
Wendy
Chapter 36
Memes
Ipace as I chew on my fingernail. The incessant hum of the TV drones on in my ear, wearing my last nerve. The headline blares across the screen: Bancrofts—Fairy Tale or Fakes?
