Page 77 of Foes & Cons
“What do you mean?”
Roxy frowns at me, then nods.
“Sorry, I forgot you weren’t there. I went back down after I’d tucked you in, Sleeping Beauty that you are.”
“You left me here,alone?” I exclaim.
I don’t care that I was alone, it’s just pure FOMO.
“Perfectly secure, babe. You zonked out after I de-hair-gripped you, but I was still pumped, so went back down and found the others in the bar.”
“What others?”
“Fake McKinley, Dorothy,” she says, fiddling with her coffee cup. “A few others.”
“What . . .” I cough, flakes of pecan pastry caught in my throat. I take a sip of coffee and try again. “What others?”
Roxy shrugs.
“Convention people, Eliza, OK?” She blinks at me, then rolls her eyes. “Charlie was there, and Sadie.”
I fold my arms and turn my nose up. My coffee suddenly stinks of betrayal.
“You were hanging with Charlie Chamberlain?”
“Nothanging,” she says. “He needed help with Sadie.”
My cheeks feel very warm, but the mention of Sadie pulls me out of the grey cloud I was in danger of festering in.
“So . . . she loving her first convention?” I say.
“She didnotstop talking the entire time I was down there,” Roxy says, shaking her head and smiling. “I know about every exchange she’s had with all the guests through each minute of the day.”
“Aww, I’m so glad she’s enjoying it,” I say.
“Yeah, and she made me promise I’d sing with her at karaoke. I swore you in on a pinkie promise as well, by the way.”
“Cute,” I say, no intention of subjecting that child to my shrieking, but still.
“Guess what her favourite thing has been so far?”
I pull up my legs and eat another pastry. Pain au chocolate; jackpot.
“Um, probably sitting next to Amber Anderson on stage? I know she loves her.” Roxy shakes her head. “What then?”
“It was watching you. Last night. She wouldn’t shut up about it.”
Tears materialise from nowhere and prick my eyes. My emotions must still be very high from my performance.
“Really?” I say.
“She’s already texted her mum requesting drum lessons.” Roxy smiles at me. “She says you’re her hero.”
I blink at Roxy then rest against the headboard, my heart swelling with validation I didn’t even know I needed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
THE CURATOR
