Cruel Fortune (Cruel #2)(34)

“Yeah, sure,” she said absentmindedly. “You should go.”

“See you later, baby.”

It took every ounce of my willpower not to ruin his face right then and there. The smirk he shot me as he walked out of Lark’s office did nothing to help. I shoved the door shut behind me.

“What the hell, Lark? Why are you seeing him? You broke up weeks ago!”

“I know. I know.” She leaned back in her desk and covered her eyes with her hands. Her dark red hair fanned out around her face, and she managed to look even smaller than normal. “He just…you know what? I don’t even want to talk about him.” She brushed her hair back and met me with her solid green gaze. “So…you saw the picture?”

“Of course I saw the fucking picture.”

It was all over fucking Crew. Lewis and Natalie together in front of the Rockefeller Tree. He had his arm around her, and she was leaning into him with a wide, sincere smile on her face.

“Why didn’t you send it to me?”

“I mean, sure…I’d love to ruin your week. Also, you’ve been offline and basically unreachable. You’ve been out. And I’m hardly in anymore. You’ve finally accomplished what you always wanted. You’re separate from the Upper East Side. You sure you want to know?”

“About her…yes.”

Lark sighed. She seemed to dread having to be the most levelheaded and down-to-earth member of my high school crew. The only other one with a real job, following her dreams of running a political campaign. “Looks like Natalie moved to the city this week and has a place on the Upper West.”

She’d moved to the city. Natalie, who had told me she didn’t want to be here or anywhere near me. Who had run back to Charleston as soon as she could. This didn’t make any sense.

“Are they…together?” I clenched my hands into fists, anticipating the blow.

“Penn…it’s been a year.”

“I know it’s been a goddamn year!” I shook my head and paced the small office space. “But she said that she didn’t want this life. Maybe she’s changed her mind. Or maybe she’s dating Lewis out of spite because of that goddamn bet.”

Lark looked at me evenly. It was why I’d come to her. I might have been pissed, but she usually kept me on the straight and narrow. Saw the logical conclusion in the middle of my flame.

“Does that sound like Natalie?”

“How should I know?” I spat. “I fucked everything up, and then she left. It’s been a year. Anything is possible.”

“Penn?”

I sighed and slouched down into the chair in front of her desk. “No, it doesn’t. She holds a grudge, but dating Lewis…that sounds like a purely Warren move.”

“It does,” Lark conceded. “Maybe you should find out what’s really going on.”

“I’m not going to ask Lewis. That’s what he wants. You know he’s only doing this to get to me.”

Lark arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t suggest that you talk to Lewis.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin to get to Natalie.”

“You just stormed into my office and nearly knocked my ex-boyfriend on his ass. Where’s that fire for yourself?” she spat. She rose to her feet and threw a pen at my face. I dodged it but just barely. “She wants you to fight for her, you idiot.”

I couldn’t help but scoff. “I tried that once. Didn’t exactly go as planned, did it?”

“Boohoo, you tried once. The only time you’ve had to try for anything in your whole life. Guess that’s over. You’ve been in love with this girl for a year, even when she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. You know that you didn’t manipulate her and that what you felt was real. That’s what matters. Now that she’s here, you’re not going to do anything?”

Lark’s words hit me fresh. I remembered that rush of adrenaline when I’d found out she was in the city and hurried down to see her at The Strand. I’d thought that I was doing the right thing by staying away. But I should have seen her. I couldn’t stand by and watch this happen. Watch her be with someone else. Let alone Lewis.

“How do I find her?”

“Now we’re talking.” Lark pulled something up on her phone and handed it to me. “I assume that you got this invite.”

I glanced down at her phone and saw the invitation to Harmony Cunningham’s house party. Harmony and I had a long, varied history that had mostly ended up with major disappointment for her. I’d only had interest in her at one point because it drove Katherine crazy. She was the exact kind of person I tended to avoid at present.

“Yeah. Not going to that. Talk about a land mine.”

“Well, I’m ninety-nine percent sure Lewis will be there.”

“Great. He can deal with Harmony.”

“I’d guess he’s bringing Natalie, dummy.”

I wrinkled my nose. “No way. This isn’t her scene.”

Lark shrugged. “It seems like it is. Jane is going, and they’re friends.”

Yeah, I was still confused on how that had happened. Natalie, who wanted to be as far from the Upper East Side as possible was now…entering my world of her own volition?