Page 56 of The Ring
“Yes, I suppose we women like to take our time, to analyse what we’re wearing, like when we make all of our other decisions—and mendon’t,” I reply, sounding as innocent as possible.
“You are right, my niece,” he answers very firmly. I don’t think he understood; he just agreed with me that men don’t think.
I bit my lip to keep a laugh from escaping. I look around,and like me, everyone is holding back their laughter, even Aunt Lana. When I encounter annoying men, I can’t simply dismiss them. I like to play dumb and naive so I can drop snide comments without getting blamed for them. More intelligent men catch on to that, but my uncle doesn’t—he has three neurons, and two of them are on permanent leave, which makes it ten times more hilarious.
“Roland, isn’t that one of your friends from college?” Lana signals to a group of people across the room.
Roland squints, but in the completely wrong direction. “Where?”
“There,” Lana points again at the group, and I feel like she’s a second away from grabbing his head and guiding it in the direction she’s pointing.
“I’m not sure,” he mutters.
“Let’s go and have a look—if it is him, it would be rude not to say hello.”
Roland nods at her and then turns to me. “See you later, Niece.” I don’t know why, but whenever he calls me that, it sounds like a dig. Maybe it’s just that I don’t like being reminded I’m related to him. “But in case we don’t—our present is in your mountain of gifts. It’s probably one of the most expensive ones.”
His comment is wildly inappropriate, but he is likely right about the expensive part. He has a habit of giving extravagantly priced gifts, not so much out of generosity, but as if he’s competing with everyone else in the room to prove he is the wealthiest.
Lana takes him away, and as she does, she looks back at me and mouths, “Sorry.”
She shouldn’t have to apologise—it’s not her fault what her husband said.
When he’s well out of earshot, Annabelle, Laurie, and I burst out laughing.
Laurie shakes his head, smiling. “After all this time, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact you’re actually related to him.”
“Neither can I. I’m still waiting for someone to tell me he’s adopted—or I am,” I joke.
My grandmother constantly says we inherited the good genes—hers,of course. I only hope Roland’s genes are entirely eradicated from my gene pool.
Laurie and Annabelle keep shooting each other glances, and I start to feel like a third wheel. Is this how Annabelle and Laurie felt when they were with TJ and me? Because if it is, it’s really awkward. It’s a change from our usual dynamic, but one I welcome if it gets them together.
“I’m going to look for Anthony,” I excuse myself.
They both nod, but they barely seem to notice me. They’re too occupied with each other.
I leave them alone and set off to find my brother. A server glides past with a tray of champagne flutes, and I take one. This party has everything I could want, but it still feels lacking.
Chapter 30
TJ
The first of April is one of my favourite days of the year—more than Christmas or even my birthday. It’s the day the love of my life was born. The day when the world went from a place without Cornelia to a place with her.
I arrived early at Cornelia’s party, hoping to get some time alone with her. I’m not sure she even wants me here, but I don’t care. I’m like an addict when it comes to her.
She arrived late, though, when the place was already packed, and every time I tried to get close, she was surrounded by people.
She looked gorgeous in the dress she was wearing, but she would look gorgeous even in a trash bag.
“I’m going out for a smoke. Do either of you want to come?” I ask West and Laurie.
Laurie shakes his head, while West says, “No, I’m fine.”
Good.I didn’t want them to. I walk away from them, but instead of going outside, I make my way around the room.
After Cornelia blew out her candles at 10:27 p.m.—something she insists on, since it’s the exact time she was born—I lostsight of her, which is weird; I normally never do. That was about thirty minutes ago, and I want to find her.
