When my brain gets over the uncanny feeling her smile is giving me, I open my mouth and say something I’m immediately embarrassed about, “Oh, do you follow me?”
She bristles, which is honestly fair. I don’t know why in the world I said that to her.
“Followyou?” she asks, brow wrinkling. She gives me a once-over, like she’s trying to remind me what a preposterous concept that is. “No. I’ve heard a lot about you from Imogen.”
Imogen. It takes me a second to remember that’s Felix’s mother’s name. I glance around for him, but don’t spot his still-pink head anywhere.
“Oh,” I say, blinking at the woman again, getting an unsettled feeling in my stomach. After being picked on quite a lot in high school, I’ve developed something of a sixth sense for mean girls. And that sense is tingling right now. “That’s nice.”
Her smile grows tighter. “I guess I just wanted to come over and say hi, so things wouldn’t be awkward between us all night.” When I stare at her, having no idea what to say to that,her smile widens a bit, and she adds, “You know, since I was dating Felix before you.”
It shouldn’t matter, but hearing that makes my world tilt a bit.
Don’t compare yourself to other women, my helpful, grounded voice reminds me.It’s only ever a losing game.
But knowing this woman was with Felix immediately knocks me off-balance. She’ssothe opposite of everything about me. Sleek where I’m soft. Small where I’m large. Even her features are thin, with a tiny nose, the kind of lips that practically disappear when she closes her mouth.
The thought of Felix kissing that mouth makes me want to push her into the fountain twinkling behind her.
But there are people all around us, and I have to keep my cool. Keep that ridiculous, angry feeling out of my head. I don’t own Felix—we’re not even dating.
Maybe he’ll go back to this woman when I return to California.
“Oh,” she says when I fail to say anything in response to that, likely looking like a dumb little fish caught in the current. “He didn’t tell you about me? Maybe the two of you just haven’t had a talk about exes yet.”
Maybe she’s poking at the fact that we haven’t been dating that long. Or maybe this entire thing is innocent, and I’m writing this meanness onto her because she’s thin.
Or, at least, that’s what I think before she leans in a bit closer to me, dropping her voice so the others surrounding the pretty fountain won’t hear her over the running water.
“You know, it’s easier than ever these days to keep the weight off. I know a doctor here in town who can prescribe you something—”
“Annette.”
I blink away the fury starting to crowd in my vision as Felix arrives, smoothly presses a drink into my hand, and snakes his arm around my ample waist, pulling me into his side like he always does.
Except this time, it’s a little tighter. A little more snug. Just the tiniest bit more possessive.
“Felix,” the woman—Annette—says, smiling at him in a completely different way than she smiled at me. “I was just chatting with Maeve. Girl talk, you know—”
“I don’t actually,” he says, his normally relaxed voice colder than I’ve ever heard it before. “Doesgirl talkinclude you making completely inappropriate comments to her?”
Annette blinks, pulling her chin back. “I was just—”
“Are we free to recommend medical procedures to each other?” Felix says, bristling even more, even though people around us are starting to turn and look. “Because if you’re looking for suggestions, I’d start with some lip filler, then see if you can look into a personality transplant.”
“Felix,” Annette gasps, taking a step back, and I actually feel sorry for her.
As out of line as it was for her to mention getting weight loss drugs, I don’t actually want Felix to keep going. It’s not okay to comment on another person’s body. Even when they started it first.
Reaching up, I settle a hand on Felix’s arm, and when he looks down at me, it’s like I watch the tension leave his eyes, hispupils widening a little when they land on me. He leans into my touch, and, as though Annette is completely forgotten, he says, “Are you okay?”
“Come on,” I murmur, just wanting to get out of the middle of everything. Before we leave, I turn around, meet Annette’s eyes, and say, “It was nice to meet you.”
It leaves her with her mouth open, watching us as we find a path through the people and out of the ballroom.
The moment we find an empty hallway, Felix grabs me and pulls me into a little alcove, and the experience is so much like what happened in high school that it sends a chorus of chills racing down my arms.
“I fucking hate that,” he mutters, dipping his head down to look at me. “And my parents think she’s so nice.”
