Cruel Fortune (Cruel #2)(51)

“If you insist.”

“We do,” Charlotte agreed.

“Well, I was eighteen and a freshman at Harvard. I came from a banking family in Boston. So, it was home territory for me. I was pre-law, and your father was business, but we had a class together.”

“Where you kicked his ass,” Etta butted in.

“She always did,” Edward said with a loving smile.

“And well, one thing led to another, and I became pregnant with Lewis. Everyone told us we were crazy for keeping him, but it was love at first sight. We eloped. I took a year off of school. But everyone still said that I’d never make it because I’d had a baby in college. That Edward and I weren’t paired.” She rolled her eyes. “A lot of people didn’t want to see two successful people together, period. When you add in the fact that it was an interracial couple, it was even worse. But we proved them wrong. I still finished college and got a law degree. Then once I was a partner at my firm, we decided to have Charlotte and Etta. Proving everyone wrong again.”

My smile widened at the story. “What a great story.”

“True love,” Nina said, reaching for Edward’s hand and squeezing.

I was still thinking about that heartwarming story as the conversation shifted to the girls. Etta taking a gap year before going to Harvard next fall. Charlotte’s business classes at Harvard. She’d finished exams earlier this week, and she was pretty certain she’d aced them.

“All that, and we have such a busy Christmas. Between your modeling debut at the Trinity club opening, the wedding, gingerbread houses, a handful of charity functions, and Christmas, I don’t even know when I’ll find time to work,” Nina said. “Natalie, I hope that you’re coming with Lewis to the wedding?”

“Um…wedding?” My eyes shot to his.

“I was going to talk to you about that,” Lewis said across the table.

Nina raised her eyebrows. “I assumed you were bringing her as a plus-one.”

“I do intend to bring her. But I haven’t asked her yet.”

“Sorry, whose wedding?” I asked.

“Katherine Van Pelt and Camden Percy,” Nina said with a wide grin as if those two names didn’t send acid through my stomach.

“Oh.”

Of course.

No wonder Lewis hadn’t brought it up. Not with how I felt about the pair. That was the furthest thing from taking it slow in society. The furthest thing from what I wanted to be doing with my life. The epitome of the Upper East Side. An arranged marriage between a deceptive, penniless, scheming bitch and her cheating, addicted, asshole groom. Count me out.

I didn’t know what anyone said after that. I was still stuck on that one point. And how I knew for certain that there was no way I was going to Katherine’s wedding. No way in hell.





Natalie





22





After dinner ended, I thanked Nina and Edward for their hospitality and promised to come back again soon. Lewis kissed his mom good night and then whisked me out of their mansion. He breathed out in relief as soon as the elevator doors closed.

“Well, that went as well as could be expected.”

I arched an eyebrow at him.

“I was going to tell you about the wedding.”

“When? When it happened?”

“You’ve been so anti–Upper East Side. You don’t even want to go to Jane’s club opening after what happened at Harmony’s. And Jane is probably your closest friend here.”

“I have good reason for feeling that way,” I reminded him.

“I know. So, why would I burden you with the knowledge that Katherine is getting married?”

“Because apparently, everyone already assumed I was going with you. And then I looked like an idiot because I didn’t even know it was happening.”

“You didn’t look like an idiot,” he assured me as we exited the elevator and strode out to his waiting Mercedes.

I had to admit, it was nice, having a driver waiting for you wherever you went. Especially with the frigid temperatures bathing New York City this weekend.

“You could always go with me,” he said with a cocky grin.

I laughed in his face. “Not going to happen.”

“Wouldn’t it be a victory for you?” he offered. “Seeing Katherine be miserable for the rest of her life.”

“There is no victory in that. Victory implies that there was a competition, which I was never a part of,” I coolly told him. “And I don’t care if Katherine is happy or miserable. I just don’t want to have to deal with her.”

He sighed. “Fair.”

We were out of the car and in his apartment again when fresh anger hit me at the situation. “Didn’t I just see Camden with someone else? Tracey?”

Lewis shrugged. “It is arranged.”

I huffed dramatically and tossed my coat on the couch. “They disgust me.”

He chuckled softly and then stepped into me, tilting my chin up to look at him. “I like when you get all fiery.”

“You like when I’m angry?” I asked with a disconcerted look.

“Not angry. But passionate. It’s like when you discuss your book. Or when you talk about swimming. Or how you talk about any topic that you have strong opinions about.”