Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
The elevator opened behind me one more time, and I turned to see who else was coming to the event. I knew Camden had promised to show up, but he wouldn’t be here until the end.
Harmony stood in the elevator. “Hey, Katherine,” she muttered.
I frowned at her appearance. The usually perfectly put-together model looked like she had been through the wringer. Her platinum hair was up in a messy, high ponytail. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. She didn’t have on a lick of makeup. I was shocked that she was even here.
“Harmony.”
“Go ahead. Make some quip about my appearance,” she said, gesturing to her workout leggings and long-sleeved shirt.
I pulled her aside. “Are you doing okay?”
She warily narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”
“Harmony, remember when we went up together against Candice?”
“Yeah?”
“Pretend we’re doing that again.”
Harmony deflated. “Kurt and I broke up.”
My stomach twisted. I’d heard through the gossip groups that they’d broken up. No one had confirmed why, and only I could make a guess at what had happened. I hadn’t asked Camden what he’d done to Kurt or if he even had. But Harmony didn’t look this rough for no reason.
“I’m so sorry,” I told her. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “He was sleeping around with other people.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, he knocked some bitch up. Wouldn’t even tell me who.”
I winced. “What a dick. You can do way better than him.”
“I guess. I mean”—she shook herself out of her stupor—“I know that I can. I thought we had something real. You know?”
I nodded. I did know. She had been optimistic at Christmas. I’d even wanted it to work out for her.
“Maybe you should head home. You don’t have to do this today.”
“No, no, I want to help. I know I look… rough.” She rubbed at her eyes. “Let me put on some makeup. It’ll be good to see the kids. Make me feel less shitty.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” She ran a hand back through her hair. “And, hey, uh, thanks for being so nice to me.”
“You know… I think our whole petty squabble was pretty stupid,” I admitted. “What were we even still arguing about?”
Harmony laughed softly. “Yeah. All that shit happened in high school. I guess the Upper East Side teaches us to hold on to grudges.”
“It really does,” I agreed.
“Well, I’m glad it’s over.”
She squeezed my hand and then disappeared into the nearest restroom.
A weight seemed to have lifted off of my shoulders. Harmony and I had been at each other’s throats for so long. I hadn’t even known how heavy the grudge was. Not that I was ready to give up every argument I’d ever had with anyone, but the thing with Harmony was ancient history. She was my sister-in-law now. Wouldn’t it be better to be on good terms with her?
A small smile crept onto my lips, and then I headed into the fray to help the kids.
* * *
After two hours of playing dress-up, dancing, and taking pictures, most of the kids were back in their beds. The festivities had worn them out. Parents came by to thank me before leaving. Only a few stragglers stayed behind.
Jem was seated on a couch in the waiting area we’d converted for the dress-up event. I could tell that she was exhausted, but she refused to take off her princess dress. She’d chucked the wig within minutes, claiming she liked her bald head or scarf way better. And that princesses could have no hair anyway. That one day, she was going to be in her own princess movie without any hair to show everyone how beautiful and strong bald heads were.
I honestly believed her. Jem was going to take over the world. Rip those stupid beauty standards to shreds.
I wished that her parents had come for the party. I’d wanted to tell them how amazing their little girl was, but they’d never shown. Jem pretended like she didn’t care, but underneath, I could tell that it bothered her.
“It’s about time, Jem,” I told her, nodding toward her room.
“Can I keep the dress, please?” she asked, her eyes wide.
I laughed. I could afford it. Why not? “Sure.”
“Yippee!” she cheered. “I’m going to be a princess forever.”
Footsteps sounded down the hallway, and we both looked up to find English walking toward us with Court and Camden. Lark had left ten minutes ago on a mayoral emergency.
“Look what I found,” English said, nodding her head at the boys.
Jem’s eyes widened. “Whoa. You didn’t tell me you were friends with Cinderella.”
English laughed. She’d worn a blue dress for the occasion, and with her bright blonde hair, she really did look a little like Cinderella. She curtsied to Jem. “I’ve seemed to have lost a glass slipper. Have you seen it?”
Jem giggled. “I can help you look!”
“I think I saw it on the stairs,” Court murmured, pressing a kiss to English’s temple. He was dressed down in navy slacks with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He’d ditched the jacket entirely.