You’ve gotto be kidding me.
Where is Nora?
I’m here on purpose, because my life coach said seeing Julian and Nora together, confronting the two people who bulldozed my life—on my terms, mind you—would work. It should’ve been simple. I face my demons, celebrate one of my best friend’s little sister’s happy news, then close this catastrophic chapter for good. But how am I supposed to do that?
There’s only one demon here.
Dammit.
I scan the room again, my gaze drifting past Donovan, Nelly, and Cornelia—Julian’s younger brothers and mother—then to the Winstons, Hailey and Hillary’s parents, and a few women who I assume are her friends. But my focus snags on Hillary. She’s settled in the chair beside Julian, sharing a quiet, butheated, exchange. Like, she is letting himhaveit. As in, the full riot act with her unblinking brown eyes locked on mine.
Whatare you doing, Hil?
I shake my head, a nervous laugh dissolving into a hiccup before I can stop it.
“Should we maybe regroup?” Whitney whispers in my ear, her voice a low warning. Areminder.“Let’s make a quick restroom stop,” she says, then plasters a smile on her face as she meets Hailey’s concerned gaze. “Uh, we’ll be right back. She saw someone in the same outfit. We may need a moment to recalibrate the whole vibe…”
She moves quickly, leading the way.
Priscilla falls into step behind us.
As soon as we’re inside the decked-out restroom, Whit spins around, her stare immediately softening. “We’re still here for Hailey and Donovan. Forget about Julian and—”
“Hold up.” Priscilla grows still, as if she’s listening formovement—presumably Nora’s. She scans the stalls, nods when she’s sure we’re alone, and locks the door behind us. “All right, it appears she’s not here, but it’s not a big deal. Let’s just have a few drinks, toast, and then I’ll make up some excuse why we’ve got to leave.”
I give a single nod.
The thing is, it’s not that Ineededto see Nora Whitfield, per se. I guess I just built it up in my head, what it would mean aboutmygrowth. If I could come face to face with them as a couple, and still be okay, I was healed—ready to start a new chapter.
More than anything, I’m disappointed she isn’t present tonight.
Whitney starts pacing, flexing her fingers restlessly. “I know it’s a letdown. I, myself, had a fewchoicewords for that woman—”
“And what about Hillary?” I cut in, my head still scrambled. “I mean, I appreciate it, but she’s got no shame at all. Did you see her all up in his ear, letting him have it? Why would she confront Julian with Cornelia right there?”
A small laugh rumbles over me.
My plan was all about killing them with kindness—look fierce, wordlessly show them they didn’t win, and that I’m still standing. But calling him out in front of his mother? And at her sister’s engagement party, no less? Even I’m not that ruthless. Hailey’s the little sister I never had. I’ve always been there for her, selling Summit Sisters cookies for that dumb doll Mrs. Winston wouldn’t buy, driving her to school when Hillary had majorette practice. I love her like family. She doesn’t need me stirring up messy post-divorce drama at her celebration.
“Honey, you already know Hil is a wild card.” Whit dips her hand into her hair, zhuzhing up her curls and laughing.
“Mm-hmm.” Priscilla shakes her head, her expression twisting. “Are you at all curious what she was saying? Because from where I was standing, she looked like she was putting that man to shame.”
I scratch my temple, grinning.
A million and one scenarios run through my mind as I try to decipher how Hillary put Julian in his place.
“Hands down, she rubbed it in his face about the news station firing him.” Whit laughs. “God don’t like ugly, and KTLE sure doesn’t like unprofessional conduct or a PR crisis that damages their reputation.”
“And that’s on period.” Priscilla snaps her fingers and crosses the huge, ritzy restroom’s black marble floor to us.
We all collapse into a fit of laughter.
The tension in my limbs loosens. If there’s one thing my girls are going to do, it’s aid and abet #TeamEbony. Their pettiness is givingwe ride at dawn, and I’m all the way here for it.
We love to say that when people go low, we can always,alwaysgo lower.
“Okay, well, then…” Priscilla’s lips twitch. “Should we go cheers Hailey, and add our two cents to Hil’s?”
