Bookishly Ever After (Ever After #1)(43)

Dev walked across the lobby and I stared up at the flags hanging from the ceiling to look like I wasn’t—and hadn’t been—watching. And like my heart wasn’t somewhere by my ankles. “Hey, Phoebe, ready to go? Matt said we could catch a ride with him.”

I could have gone with them. Like Maeve in the beginning of Glittering, I could have reached out and taken his arm, smiling smugly at Deirdre—uhm, Lexie. Of course, that was book two and Maeve and Aedan were together by that point, but it really didn’t matter if Dev was interested in me. If I was Maeve, I wouldn’t let any doubts keep me from doing anything, not even hanging out at Marrano’s. I took a deep breath, ready to turn myself into her.

But one glance over at Lexie, who was checking her cellphone with a self-satisfied look on her face, and my resolve crumbled. “Actually, I realized I can’t hang out tonight. I—I need to go.” I shifted my weight from foot to foot and added, “Home.” The stupid little strand of hair that had ‘artfully’ fallen out of my updo got in my eyes and I tried to blow it out of the way.

Was it my imagination or did his face fall a little bit? “Are you sure?”

“It just came up.” I tried to come across as apologetic but detached, not like I had just had a bucket of cold water dumped on my head. Chin up. “Really, don’t worry about me. Lexie, and—and people are waiting. I won’t keep you. Have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“O-kay. I guess I’ll see you in the New Year?”

“Not like we have a choice, right?” I gestured around the school.

“Right.” Dev reached over tentatively and squeezed my hand. Like a friend would, I reminded myself. Alec would do the same. “Have a Merry Christmas, Phoebe,” he said softly.

It was as if someone had made me swallow a porcupine, but I forced my smile to grow wider. “And I hope you have a safe trip and a great Santa Claus day.”

A click of impossibly high platform heels announced Lexie’s arrival. She was perfect, from her thick, long blownout hair to the tiny rhinestones on her nails. “Dev, c’mon. Matt’s waiting.” She said, tugging on his arm.

Dev nodded at her, then gave my hand one last squeeze. “I’m sorry you can’t make it.”

I shrugged. My face hurt from this fake smile and I just wanted them to go away already. “Happens.” I backed up a step. “Sorry.”

Without letting go of his arm, Lexie managed a onehanded check of her cellphone. “We’re going to lose our ride.” She then gave me a smile that made my insides twist a little bit more. “That little flute solo thing you did was really cute. Too bad you can’t come.” When I didn’t say anything, she slipped her phone back in her purse and wrapped her other hand around Dev’s arm. “Oh well, I’ll see you on Monday. Bye.” With that, she pulled Dev towards the front doors and he turned slightly to give me a little wave before disappearing into the night.

I bolted for the Language Arts hallway and slid down the wall, burying my face in my skirt. It was such a relief not to have to pretend anymore. I tried to take deep breaths to loosen up the tight feeling in my lungs. This wasn’t a fairy tale and it wasn’t a book. Dev wasn’t going to run after me with a glass slipper or dive in front of me to protect me from evil fae. Why had I been so stupid and na?ve to think otherwise?

Another deep breath. I needed to find a ride. Focus now, fall apart later. I pulled out my phone and sent a mass text to everyone I knew was going to be in the audience tonight. Someone was bound to still be here.

As I waited for my phone to buzz, a pair of glittery heels that looked a little bit like Dorothy’s shoes from the Wizard of Oz stopped in front of me.

“I thought I saw you duck back here.” I looked up to see Grace waving her phone. “We got your text.”

Leia kneeled next to me, not even caring about the dirt that got on her long skirt. “What happened? Grace said you were supposed to be going to Marrano’s tonight.” Her voice was soft with no trace of her usual, condescending kindergarten-teacher-like tone.

I blinked at both of them, their expressions mirror images of concern. I wasn’t going to say anything… and then it all came spilling out.

I never really liked Leia before, but the gentle way she rubbed my back and just listened without any of her usual “oh, aren’t you the most adorably na?ve five year old” commentary made me think of her differently. I finished my story and she and Grace shared a long look, like they were communicating telepathically. Leia nodded. “What you need right now is a good cup of freakishly expensive coffee.”

Grace tugged me to standing and swung my flute case onto her shoulder. “And I know the perfect place.”





26


“I don’t know why bookstores need to be open until eleven o’clock at night, but as long as they have coffee and free Wi-Fi, I’m not complaining.” Leia announced as she placed a tray on our tiny café table. She slid a ceramic mug of something topped with a giant mound of whipped cream at me. “One full-fat gingerbread latte with extra gingerbread and extra whipped cream for you. I talked them into throwing in a cookie.”

I picked up the little gingerbread man on the side of my coffee cup and balanced him, head-down, in the whipped cream. “Thanks.”