“It’s not a good thing…”
She smiles, but it doesn’t seem to reach her pretty honey eyes. “Working on it is all that matters. I’m proud of you for simply asking about it. I think that means you want to work on it.”
I let my eyes fall shut, trying to stop my tears from spilling.
“What are you thinking?” Vidia keeps her voice low, and I force myself not to fall apart.
“I just feel so… worthless sometimes. The entire world has its eyes on me, and I’m deemed the prettiest model bymillions, but-” My voice breaks, and her arms quickly come around me.
“I get torn down by so many people every day, and I try not to let it get to me. I’ve been doing this for years, so I’m used to it, but it still hurts, and when I stare at the mirror for too long, my brain decides to listen to those comments that tell me to starve for a week.”
I can’t stop the tears as they start, and when I feel another pair of arms around me, I pull away to see Lisette holding me. “Fuck those comments.”
I let out a broken laugh and they both hold me tighter. When I pull away, they both watch me like they don’t see me a fraction differently, and I wish I had said something sooner.
“You’renotworthless,” Vidia starts, and I notice a crease growing in Lisette's brows.
“Sage, you’re supposed to be the put-together one.” Lis shakes her head, almost in disbelief. “Sire and I are supposed to be the fuck ups,we’rethe addicts. I’m the one with crumbing depression, and August has possibly the worst case of ADHD I’ve seen.”
I burst into a laugh, and I’m so glad she walked in here. I’m certain she came after noticing something was wrong.
“All of the Hale siblings are just fucked, huh?” She has a smile on her face, but I can see the pain behind her eyes. “You arenotworthless. You’re actually a billionaire. You’re worth more than our loser millionaire brothers.”
I give her a weak smile, and Vidia laughs beside us.
“We’ll work on the eating disorder.” Lis nods firmly, and I feel my eyes watering again. “Okay, no, I’m not the mushy sibling. You know this.”
I can’t help but laugh as she backs away from me like my tears will kill her.
“I already used up all my niceness. I’ll help you, but we’re not going to cry about it and comfort each other. Go to your brothers for that.”
“You ass,” Vidia mumbles before pulling me in for another hug. “Youcantell your brothers, you know.” She squeezes me, and I nod to myself.
When the door opens, we pull away to find Hazel.
“Now, why would ya leave me out there with those two?”
We all laugh, but Hazel looks serious.
“Sire is so annoying.” She rolls her eyes, and when Lisette agrees, Vidia and I are a mess of laughter.
“My boyfriend is not annoying. He probably asked youonequestion you didn’t like.” Vidia shakes her head as she looks over at Hazel.
Hazel sends her best friend a glare before turning to the mirror to fix her hair. “I told him you’re a good kisser, and the asshole threw his dirty napkin at me.”
I laugh quietly at her grumpy tone. Hazel is constantly telling Sire that she’s kissed and even slept with Vidia, and I’m certain it’s a joke, but Sire believes her since Hazel is always flirting with Vidia to piss him off.
Vidia laughs softly before we walk back to the table.
“Gorgeous, look at this,” August calls out to Hazel the second we’re in his view as he balances two cupsfullof juice on his forearm.
“August–”
“I think I can do it standing.”
We all try to tell him not to, and the second he tries to stand, the cups fall from his hand and shatter. My jaw slightly drops, and I’m glad we’re sitting outdoors because at least the mess isn’tinthe bakery.
“My bad!”
