would have pulled even the closest of couples apart. She didn’t understand it, but now that she’d personally experienced the pull towards a man who’d burned you so badly the scars might never heal, she could at least empathize. Her sisters weren’t so forgiving.
Megan applied makeup for the first time in weeks and finger combed through her hair, hoping the loose curls looked purposeful. The only mirror in the apartment was barely big enough for her to see her face, so she hoped for the best as she slipped on the dress, stockings and heels. If being seen by her former friends was as mortifying as she feared, at least Evie would be with her. Megan had convinced her to come to the symphony soiree because she couldn’t stand the thought of going alone.
She buttoned her coat and scooped up Cash, grabbing her handbag and keys on the way out. She stalled on the stairs when she saw the crowd of teens hovering around her car. She beeped the alarm, which usually had them walking away, but today they stayed, one of them leaning on the trunk. It made Cash bark like crazy as she did her best to ignore them as she climbed in the car, pretending she didn’t hear the coarse words they threw her way.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she locked the doors and drove away. She couldn’t blame them for what they thought, the names they called her. Last week she’d been on a bus, and now she had a car worth more than their families brought home in a year. All because a well-dressed man had shown up on the street a few times. Her eyes stung with tears, but she wouldn’t let them fall.
Those boys had a point. In a way, she had traded her body for the car. Bile burned the back of her throat as she drove to the Carlton House to drop off Cash and pick up Evie. If strangers could see what she’d done, would she be able to hide it from those who had known her best?
Chapter Six
Brandon felt the electricity in the air even before he saw Megan. He tried to listen to whatever it was Gemma found so important, but her words passed through his brain as he scanned the crowd filling the ballroom of the Beverly Carlton. His gaze found Megan like a heat-seeking missile, though she had her back to him and seemed caught up in the tangle of people surrounding her.
There was something about the way she held her shoulders, something that wasn’t quite right. He’d always kept his distance from her at events, keeping up the veil of privacy they lived their relationship under, so he was very accustomed to watching her. And she was not herself.
“What are you looking at?” Gemma laid her hand on his arm and leaned into him.
In that brief moment, Megan turned and registered his presence. Or he thought she had, but she seemed to be looking down and to the left, her expression laced with poison. Brandon followed her dagger-filled gaze straight to Gemma.
He looked back to Megan, annoyance filling him. Megan could not possibly think anything was going on with Gemma. It was utterly ridiculous, and more than a little insulting.
He’d never given Megan any reason not to trust him. Gemma was his oldest friend, another lonely only child from the estate neighboring his parents. She was a sister, a fact that was awkwardly apparent the one and only time she’d kissed him. Something clicked in his mind, like the ignition on a gas stove, but nothing sparked.
“Megan Carlton?” Gemma straightened back up. “Your mother told her she needs to make an appearance at all the major events to build her reputation back up. If she wasn’t such a bitch, I’d feel bad for her, having to answer all the questions everyone must have about her father.”
“Megan’s reputation is impeccable. It’s her father who’s got problems.”
“Megan is a Carlton asking for money. I don’t think anyone will be signing up to give her more after how her father swindled so many people. Including you. Have you managed to find him yet?”
“Your fiancé is working on
Megan applied makeup for the first time in weeks and finger combed through her hair, hoping the loose curls looked purposeful. The only mirror in the apartment was barely big enough for her to see her face, so she hoped for the best as she slipped on the dress, stockings and heels. If being seen by her former friends was as mortifying as she feared, at least Evie would be with her. Megan had convinced her to come to the symphony soiree because she couldn’t stand the thought of going alone.
She buttoned her coat and scooped up Cash, grabbing her handbag and keys on the way out. She stalled on the stairs when she saw the crowd of teens hovering around her car. She beeped the alarm, which usually had them walking away, but today they stayed, one of them leaning on the trunk. It made Cash bark like crazy as she did her best to ignore them as she climbed in the car, pretending she didn’t hear the coarse words they threw her way.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she locked the doors and drove away. She couldn’t blame them for what they thought, the names they called her. Last week she’d been on a bus, and now she had a car worth more than their families brought home in a year. All because a well-dressed man had shown up on the street a few times. Her eyes stung with tears, but she wouldn’t let them fall.
Those boys had a point. In a way, she had traded her body for the car. Bile burned the back of her throat as she drove to the Carlton House to drop off Cash and pick up Evie. If strangers could see what she’d done, would she be able to hide it from those who had known her best?
Chapter Six
Brandon felt the electricity in the air even before he saw Megan. He tried to listen to whatever it was Gemma found so important, but her words passed through his brain as he scanned the crowd filling the ballroom of the Beverly Carlton. His gaze found Megan like a heat-seeking missile, though she had her back to him and seemed caught up in the tangle of people surrounding her.
There was something about the way she held her shoulders, something that wasn’t quite right. He’d always kept his distance from her at events, keeping up the veil of privacy they lived their relationship under, so he was very accustomed to watching her. And she was not herself.
“What are you looking at?” Gemma laid her hand on his arm and leaned into him.
In that brief moment, Megan turned and registered his presence. Or he thought she had, but she seemed to be looking down and to the left, her expression laced with poison. Brandon followed her dagger-filled gaze straight to Gemma.
He looked back to Megan, annoyance filling him. Megan could not possibly think anything was going on with Gemma. It was utterly ridiculous, and more than a little insulting.
He’d never given Megan any reason not to trust him. Gemma was his oldest friend, another lonely only child from the estate neighboring his parents. She was a sister, a fact that was awkwardly apparent the one and only time she’d kissed him. Something clicked in his mind, like the ignition on a gas stove, but nothing sparked.
“Megan Carlton?” Gemma straightened back up. “Your mother told her she needs to make an appearance at all the major events to build her reputation back up. If she wasn’t such a bitch, I’d feel bad for her, having to answer all the questions everyone must have about her father.”
“Megan’s reputation is impeccable. It’s her father who’s got problems.”
“Megan is a Carlton asking for money. I don’t think anyone will be signing up to give her more after how her father swindled so many people. Including you. Have you managed to find him yet?”
“Your fiancé is working on
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