Inevitable and Only(67)

“And I wanted to tell you,” Zephyr continued, “but I was worried—”

“Whoa.” I held up my hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s fine. I just need a minute here.”

Robin. Was Zephyr’s dad. Zephyr Daniels’s dad was Robin … Goodfellow?

“But he’s a Goodfellow and you’re a Daniels,” I pointed out, feeling thick.

My brain was doing somersaults, trying to wrap itself around this new configuration of reality. And some little voice was going, Is there one single adult in my life who is who I think they are? Is there anyone I can trust?

“It’s my other dad’s last name,” Zephyr explained.

“I didn’t change my name because of stage business,” Robin said, “and it took us forever to get legally married, anyhow.”

“Oh!” I said, then realized that sounded pretty inadequate. “Congratulations!” I added.

Robin laughed. “Well, thank you.” He tousled Zephyr’s hair. “Now, if we’re past all the awkwardness, I’d like to say officially, on the record, that you two smashed it through the park tonight.”

I felt my whole face break into a grin. “We kind of did, didn’t we?”

Zephyr grinned back. “Indeed, milady Beatrice.” He stepped toward me, as if he were going to give me a hug.

But just then, I heard footsteps in the corridor behind me, and I turned to see two people coming toward us—a man with dark skin and hair, dressed in a blue pinstripe suit, and a slim white girl. The man threw himself at Zephyr and Robin, wrapping them both in his arms. “Zeph!” he said. He had a strong British accent. “You smashed it! I mean, right through the bloody park!”

Zephyr extricated himself. “Cadie, this is my dad Julian.”

Julian turned and noticed me. “Oh, and you! You! Perfection, Beatrice, you were simply perfection.” He grabbed my hand and pumped it up and down. “So pleased to meet you. Robin talks about you all the time, now I know why.”

I felt my cheeks grow warm. “Thank you. Pleased to meet you, too.”

“And this,” said Zephyr, clearing his throat and putting his arm around the girl who’d followed Julian down the hallway, “is my girlfriend. Ava, this is Acadia.”

Ava gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her very beautiful large blue eyes, outlined in dark eyeliner. She was pale, even paler than Raven, with dyed-black hair cut stylishly just below her chin, and she was wearing a very low-cut black dress and white go-go boots. She looked like everything I’d imagined her to be: sophisticated, chic, gorgeous. She had New York written all over her.

“You did an excellent job,” she said to me. “Congratulations.” She did not extend a hand to shake.

“Thanks,” I said. “Well, I’d better be going. I have to change and then we’re all going out to dinner, my family and my fan club. You know, just my friends, but they’re calling themselves my fan club tonight. They’re being silly.” I willed my mouth to stop talking.

Ava turned to Zephyr and flung her arms around his neck. “Baby, you were amazing,” she purred, and kissed him full on the mouth.

I backed away, then ducked into the dressing room and leaned against the counter. My head was spinning. Probably from low blood sugar. I had to get something to eat. Robin is Zephyr’s dad. Focus on that.

Micayla banged through the dressing room door. “Cadie! There you are, I’m collecting costumes. Holy Moses, did you see that girl out there wrapped around Zephyr? She step out of Glamour magazine?”

I grimaced as I stripped off my costume and grabbed my street clothes. “That’s his girlfriend. From New York.”

Micayla nodded. “And I guess that’s Robin’s boyfriend out there with them?”

“His husband.” I pressed my lips together. Robin and Zephyr’s secret was safe with me.

“Love his accent. And that suit!” Micayla continued to chatter away, about the show, her plans with the tech crew that night. “And any word about the party on Sunday?”

I shook my head and groaned. “Don’t mention it. Maybe everyone will forget.”



No one forgot, though. In fact, it seemed like the cast party at my house was all anyone wanted to talk about the next night, after our second performance. People kept asking me what they should bring, where I lived, what time they should come over.

I almost wanted to cancel it—to tell people that my parents had decided to stay home after all, or that I was going out of town too. But by now it seemed too late. Everyone would know that I was lying, that I was chickening out. Besides, a tiny part of my brain said, so what if Mom and Dad find out? What are you so scared of, Acadia Greenfield? So what, if Mom and Dad trust you to be a perfect little daughter—what have they done to deserve your good behavior?

Friday night, I’d had a nightmare that I was driving down a steep ice-covered hill and the brakes weren’t working. The car went faster and faster, and I kept stomping on the brake, but the pedal had turned into a sponge that just squelched under my foot. I’d jerked myself awake, sweating and freezing at the same time, to find that I’d kicked all the covers off the bed.

Ava wasn’t at the Saturday performance. I didn’t want to ask Zephyr about it, but I felt a little lighter when I saw him standing with only Robin and Julian backstage after the show. “Hey!” I said. “I think a bunch of us are going out to the Charmery tonight, want to come?” I’d addressed the three of them, but Robin and Julian shook their heads.