Page 57 of Glass Hearts
“Getting a surprise together for our girl. If you have finished moping, you could join us if you want.” Koi sits next to me on the other chaise.
“What kind of surprise?”
“Arabella is back in her room, though she says just for the night… like that’s going to happen. She is moving back up here. Anyway…,” Grayer rubs Jett’s belly as he continues. “She gathered her friends for a sleepover. She is so cute. Hopefully, I’ll get another sleepover soon. I have a few ideas.” He wiggles his eyebrows. I can’t help but laugh at the mongrel.
“What Grayer is trying to say, but keeps getting distracted, is that we put together a bunch of items to make her gathering extra special. Some snacks, sparkling wine, chocolates, this spa stuff that looks like liquid dirt, and other little things to enhance her ladies evening experience. Margie helped, of course,” Koi amends.
“Yes. We are looking to score some friend points. We need to make sure we are in the good graces of the friends of the woman we love.”
Love. They keep dropping that word.
“Arch, I am sure if you talked to Arabella, she may understand your hesitancy with her. The Vixen is quite level-headed, definitely more than the rest of us.” Sylas chuckles. I have never seen him so relaxed and happy, not since he startedto spend more time with Arabella. All my brothers have a lightness to them. A dull ache beats in my chest.
“Maybe you are right. I just don’t know what I am going to do if she doesn’t return the interest. It would be quite warranted with the words I have said to her.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Arch. When I dropped off Arabella in her room this morning, I saw the drawing you made of her by her nightstand. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have kept it,” Koi says.
I smile tightly, trying not to get too hopeful.
“Very well. Then I suppose we should get on with the surprise.”
“Oh, and another thing. You are going to have to wear this. And maybe smile more.”
He hands me the most insane outfit, and for the first time in a long time, I laugh out loud.
Arabella
After a long day of work, I am so thankful to be back in my old room now, enjoying time spent with new and old friends. Pillows and blankets litter the floor. Perhaps it’s a bit overboard, but Lo insisted.
“I have a confession, ladies. I have no clue what happens at a sleepover,” Bri says in her cute pink pyjamas with fuzzy slippers. Sylas, the considerate sweetheart, had bought us all matching pyjamas and slippers so that we could all feel special. Plus, I think he found out about Gray cutting away the only sleepwear I had ever owned. My body still tingles as I look at the brownies, remembering that stolen moment in the kitchen. Who knew I would have erotic feelings at the sight of brownies now?
“You have never been to a sleepover?! How?!” Lo exaggeratedly gasps as she trips into the pillows, falling over right beside me. Like a champ, she held her wine glass high, ensuring it didn’t spill over. A talent only Lo could possess.
“I was raised in the castle. The only peers I had were the princes. And the council didn’t like how much they hung out with me.”
“Were you ever romantic with any of them?” Winona asks. She is in a red pyjama set, her short, black hair held back with a matching red headband. At first, I thought she would not show up. I was even more surprised when she gratefully accepted the matching set to ours. Shame fills me for judging her to be uptightand shallow. Just because people I have known in high society are not the nicest, doesn’t mean they all are.
“Oh my gosh, never. Ew!” Bri chokes on her wine. “They are like brothers to me. That would be so wrong on many levels. Though I won’t deny that before I became close with them, I did have a tiny childhood crush.” Bri flusters as she decides to chase that confession down with another sip of wine, emptying the glass.
Winona laughs while she uncorks the half-empty wine bottle and fills both her and Bri’s empty glasses.
“What were they like as young boys?” I can’t help but ask about the men I am falling for.
“Surprisingly, a lot like they are now. Though they have always had this aura of sadness to them. I suppose I also would, if someone ripped me away from all I knew. I always thought the council put too much pressure on them.”
“I am really glad they had you,” I say as I clink her glass.
“Ella, do you think you are falling for your hunky princes?”
Lo asks, even though I am sure she has already figured out that I have. When I filled her in on all that had transpired since the ball, she said that it was like I had hearts in my eyes.
“Honestly, very much. It scares me. It’s one thing getting heartbroken by one man, let alone three!”
“Four,” Bri amends. I decide not to correct her, the thought of Archer’s drawing coming to mind as I push down the hope that he could fall for me.
“Sheesh, the way you are always blushing when it comes to them. You will save so much money on blush!”
“You know I don’t wear makeup, Lo,” I deadpan.
