everything—but she was cute, and Jewel had this theory about artists and tumultuous relationships: that if she didn’t have afrustrating girlfriend, she’d run out of things to write about.
Viv was not a fan. “I didn’t know you had company,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
Jewel gave her an amused half smile. “If you want to know that, you should call first.”
“Do you want us to go?”
“No. Get in here.”
Viv and Henley followed Jewel inside. The condo’s floor plan was open—the living room and kitchen were right there when you walked in. Shot glasses filled with rubies, diamonds, and other precious stones decorated every flat surface.
“You guys want anything?” Jewel asked, heading toward the kitchen. The light from the wide back windows caught the gems in her ears and made them sparkle.
“A shower,” Henley said.
Jewel pointed down the hall. “It’s all yours.” He headed to the bathroom and Viv went with Jewel into the kitchen, grateful to have a chance to talk to her alone. Her feet were still sore, so she sat down at the breakfast bar and let them dangle.
“What happened this time?” Jewel asked.
“I don’t even know how to start talking about this.”
“You never told me who died,” Luxe called out.
Luxe was sprawled on the couch in front of the TV, her T-shirt pushed up to show her stomach, her skirt short enough to give all three bears a heart attack. Wet flower petals clung to Luxe’s cheek and neck, and the couch cushions were littered with gems—a sure sign that Jewel and Luxe had been making out. They made out all the time.
Viv wasn’t sure if Luxe was perpetually horny or just a gold digger, since Jewel let Luxe keep the gems that fell during theirmakeout sessions—but she tended to assume the worst about Luxe. The girl had been breaking and entering in grade school, after all.
“No one died,” Jewel called back.
Luxe sighed dramatically and flopped into a new position on the couch. “Jewel, all your furniture is so lumpy.”
“You’re the only one who thinks so. Go hang out in the bedroom if you want.”
“I would, but your mattress is too hard. You need a new bed.”
“I’m not getting a new bed.”
“Unnnnh, I guess I’ll try this chair.…”
Viv rolled her eyes.
“So,” Jewel said. “Tell me what the big crisis is today. Before he gets out of the shower.”
“I met my prince,” Viv said quietly. “The prince from my curse.”
Jewel just stared. “Did I miss something? Like, your enchanted coma?”
“No, he hired a fairy to find me. He lives in the underworld.”
“The
underworld
?” A pink rose blossom tumbled out of Jewel’s mouth.
“Shh.” This was information for Jewel’s ears only. Viv didn’t want to share it with Luxe. “His brothers have a Twelve Dancing Princesses curse, but he’s a Snow White prince. His name is Jasper. He wants me to come back tonight. He asked me to stay there with him.”
“Are you serious? Does Henley know?”
“He knows I met my prince. But … that’s it.”
“You’re not really considering moving to the underworld.”
“I told Jasper I’d think about it. He says he can keep Regina away from me. And … Henley.”
Jewel snorted, and coughed up a few violets. “Yeah, I’m sure he’d
love
to keep Henley away from you. What’s this prince like?”
“Uh … nice? I don’t know. He wants to protect me, so I guess he falls somewhere on the hero scale. He doesn’t strike me as the spoiled playboy type. Or the creepy pervert type.”
“Too bad. I know you were looking forward to that.”
Luxe had been sulkily flipping channels, her legs draped over the arm of the chair. Now she was digging around in a cereal box, dangling pieces over her mouth and then dropping them in like she was feeding a seal. “Jewel,” she called, “these aren’t sweet enough. Don’t you have any good cereal?”
“I have cookies,” Jewel said.
“I tried those,” Luxe said. “The
Viv was not a fan. “I didn’t know you had company,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
Jewel gave her an amused half smile. “If you want to know that, you should call first.”
“Do you want us to go?”
“No. Get in here.”
Viv and Henley followed Jewel inside. The condo’s floor plan was open—the living room and kitchen were right there when you walked in. Shot glasses filled with rubies, diamonds, and other precious stones decorated every flat surface.
“You guys want anything?” Jewel asked, heading toward the kitchen. The light from the wide back windows caught the gems in her ears and made them sparkle.
“A shower,” Henley said.
Jewel pointed down the hall. “It’s all yours.” He headed to the bathroom and Viv went with Jewel into the kitchen, grateful to have a chance to talk to her alone. Her feet were still sore, so she sat down at the breakfast bar and let them dangle.
“What happened this time?” Jewel asked.
“I don’t even know how to start talking about this.”
“You never told me who died,” Luxe called out.
Luxe was sprawled on the couch in front of the TV, her T-shirt pushed up to show her stomach, her skirt short enough to give all three bears a heart attack. Wet flower petals clung to Luxe’s cheek and neck, and the couch cushions were littered with gems—a sure sign that Jewel and Luxe had been making out. They made out all the time.
Viv wasn’t sure if Luxe was perpetually horny or just a gold digger, since Jewel let Luxe keep the gems that fell during theirmakeout sessions—but she tended to assume the worst about Luxe. The girl had been breaking and entering in grade school, after all.
“No one died,” Jewel called back.
Luxe sighed dramatically and flopped into a new position on the couch. “Jewel, all your furniture is so lumpy.”
“You’re the only one who thinks so. Go hang out in the bedroom if you want.”
“I would, but your mattress is too hard. You need a new bed.”
“I’m not getting a new bed.”
“Unnnnh, I guess I’ll try this chair.…”
Viv rolled her eyes.
“So,” Jewel said. “Tell me what the big crisis is today. Before he gets out of the shower.”
“I met my prince,” Viv said quietly. “The prince from my curse.”
Jewel just stared. “Did I miss something? Like, your enchanted coma?”
“No, he hired a fairy to find me. He lives in the underworld.”
“The
underworld
?” A pink rose blossom tumbled out of Jewel’s mouth.
“Shh.” This was information for Jewel’s ears only. Viv didn’t want to share it with Luxe. “His brothers have a Twelve Dancing Princesses curse, but he’s a Snow White prince. His name is Jasper. He wants me to come back tonight. He asked me to stay there with him.”
“Are you serious? Does Henley know?”
“He knows I met my prince. But … that’s it.”
“You’re not really considering moving to the underworld.”
“I told Jasper I’d think about it. He says he can keep Regina away from me. And … Henley.”
Jewel snorted, and coughed up a few violets. “Yeah, I’m sure he’d
love
to keep Henley away from you. What’s this prince like?”
“Uh … nice? I don’t know. He wants to protect me, so I guess he falls somewhere on the hero scale. He doesn’t strike me as the spoiled playboy type. Or the creepy pervert type.”
“Too bad. I know you were looking forward to that.”
Luxe had been sulkily flipping channels, her legs draped over the arm of the chair. Now she was digging around in a cereal box, dangling pieces over her mouth and then dropping them in like she was feeding a seal. “Jewel,” she called, “these aren’t sweet enough. Don’t you have any good cereal?”
“I have cookies,” Jewel said.
“I tried those,” Luxe said. “The
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