Page 30 of Awestruck at Dusk
“Oh, nonsense,” she replied with her crisp British accent, waving a relaxed hand at him. “I wouldn’t want to impose. I’ll be fine with Will.”
She rummaged through her bag, took out a brand-new pack of cigarettes, and tapped it on the palm of her hand a few times.
Ooh,cigarettes.
“Ciggie?” Zara waved the box around. “Anyone?” She shrugged at the silence.
“I’ll have one,” I said, swallowing down my pride. A part of me didn’t want to cave into Zara’s charm; to like her. What if I grew fond of her? And what if seeing her with William was painful? That’s why I needed a smoke.
“Why don’t we go to the rooftop?” I suggested. “We can’t smoke in here.”
“Let’s go, sis,” she said, placing an arm around my shoulders. Zara calling mesishit me like a clean jab to the gut. For several reasons. “You guys coming?”
“Yes,” Nathan said with a sour face. Dealing with Zara wasn’t going to be easy. It took me three ridiculous minutes to realize how strong-willed of a woman she was. She wasn’t one to take orders from anyone. I’m sure Nathan knew that too, and probably the reason why the exasperation began to draw on his face.
“I’ve got some things to do right now,” Lily said. “But I’ll call you later.”
She grabbed the dress I gifted her after I reminded her to take it. Then, we all walked together toward the elevator and stepped in when it arrived.
“I won’t let you go to sleep until the clock hits midnight, okay?” Lily approached me for a hug when the elevator stopped at her floor. “I want to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday, even if Nathan objects.”
“I’d like to see you beat me to it,” he played along, holding the door.
“It was nice seeing you, Zara,” Lily said to her. “I’ll see you around.”
“Likewise.”
Lily walked away after a quick wave of her hand, and the elevator shot up to the fourteenth floor.
“So, tomorrow’s your birthday?” Zara asked with a raised brow. I nodded with a tight smile. “Twenty-one?”
“Mhm. You’re twenty-one, too, right?”
“I am. My birthday is in February,” she replied.
We moved out of the elevator, and she lit up a cigarette as we climbed the flight of stairs to the rooftop. Smoking wasn’t allowed inside the building, but again, she wasn’t one to follow the rules.
Nathan pushed the heavy door and held it for us as we stepped on the rooftop. Zara gave me a cigarette and lit it up for me.
Oh,yes.
“I’ll have one too, please,” Nathan joined in. Zara smiled and tossed him the box. Nathan took a cigarette out, and Zara helped him with the lighter.
I walked toward the far end of the rooftop, and they both followed me. It’d been months since I last came up here. Memories flooded my mind. So many things had happened in this place. And then I realized it was the first time I’d come up here with Nathan.
“And do you have any plans for today or tomorrow? I’d love to celebrate with you,” Zara said, taking a slow puff.
“About that,” Nathan intervened. “I didn’t know how to tell you, love, but Mr. Chapman wants me to attend an important dinner with a big client tonight since he won’t be able to make it. It’s a rather fancy event, and since you’ve mentioned a few times how you don’t want to celebrate your birthday, I was wondering if you want to come with me.”
“You’remad!” Zara said to him. “Will and I can take her out someplace fun while you go to your corporate zombie event.” Zara lifted her brows a few times. “You can catch up with us once you’re done. I’m sure Lily, Joel, and Tobias would love to come along. Does Eric have a fake ID? I guess we can find a way to sneak him in.”
Zara needed to be sat down for a briefing. It worried me how oblivious she was to everything. Didn’t Zara know about Nathan and William’s conflicted relationship?
Nathan took a long, steady whiff of his cigarette as he stared at Zara.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said to her as a chilly spring breeze swirled around us. “I—I’m not in the mood for a big party, but thank you. Really.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Billie. I get it.” Zara licked her lower lip with a frown and took another puff.
