Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
The only one to ever make my birthday feel special was Shane.
And if everything went right tonight, he’d do it again.
It’d be the best birthday yet.
Oddly, I didn’t feel nervous as I walked into the stunning event space on Nathan’s arm. I expected my hands to tremble, my breaths to be shallow, but instead, I was calm and, if anything, a bit eager.
I believed in our plan. I believed in justice being served.
Still, there was something humming under the surface of my confidence as we entered the party, Nathan beaming at the guests who were already there and ready to greet us.
He’d hired multiple event planners to make his vision come to life — a winter wonderland in Tampa. The Vinoy had been an easy choice, and he’d literally bought out the bride who was set to have her wedding here tonight. The waterfront event space was one of the most luxe Tampa had to offer, and the event staff had transformed both the ballroom and the outdoor space into a magical world.
Outside, snow fell in soft, perfect drifts from hidden machines, artificial but convincing, dissolving in the warm Florida air before it could gather on the ground. A small ice-skating rink had been built along the waterfront, its surface gleaming beneath strands of white lights, guests laughing as they wobbled across it with champagne flutes in hand. Beyond it, aerial artists in crystal-studded white silks twisted and floated overhead, their movements slow and ethereal, like living ornaments suspended in midair.
Near the center of the terrace, a woman performed inside a massive glass snow globe, her breath fogging the clear walls as she danced through swirling flakes, the illusion so complete it felt like watching winter itself trapped and displayed for admiration.
Inside the ballroom, towering white florals climbed the walls, lit from below to glow like frost. Mirrored bars reflected candlelight in every direction, doubling the spectacle. The music from the band was lush and sweeping, designed to impress rather than invite.
There were nods to me, if you knew where to look — my favorite flowers tucked into the arrangements, a signature cocktail bearing my name in elegant script — but they felt like afterthoughts, like accents added once the real purpose of the night had already been decided.
This wasn’t a birthday party.
It was a performance.
Nathan moved through the crowd like a king holding court, pausing just long enough at each cluster of guests to charm, flatter, and negotiate. His hand remained firm on my arm, guiding me where he wanted me, presenting me when it suited him, his smile never wavering. I couldn’t help but compare how he was tonight versus how he’d been the night of Skate for Change. He’d fooled me with his admiration that night, making up for the executive dinner, playing his part of doting husband.
Tonight, his true colors shone too brightly to hide.
“Would be nice if you smiled a little more,” he murmured between the teeth of his flashy smile as he toted me through the ballroom, waving to someone across the room he wanted to talk to. “It’s your birthday party, not a funeral.”
“Oh, it’s a birthday party? For whom? Jesus?”
My sass surprised him. I saw it in how his head jerked toward me, like he was incredulous at my audacity. I never spoke to him like that.
But fuck it.
I was tired and over his bullshit, and I knew he was getting buried tonight.
“This was a very expensive party,” he said, narrowing his gaze as he pulled us to a stop. “Maybe you should show a little gratitude.”
“And maybe you should stop pretending tonight has anything to do with me.”
Again, that surprise lit his face, then his nostrils flared, his skin turning red as he opened his mouth. But I didn’t get to hear whatever he wanted to say, because in a sweep, my eyes were covered from behind, and I couldn’t help but smile when I realized exactly who it was.
“Guess who?”
I ripped his hands away, turning to see my not-so-little brother looking far too grown in his tuxedo. He was taller than I was by a full two feet, but that didn’t stop me from leaping up to throw my arms around his neck and pull him into a fierce hug.
“You made it!”
“You think I’d miss it?” He laughed into my ear, spinning me around before setting my feet on the ground again. “That whole finals bit was a lie.”
“I had a sneaky suspicion, considering most finals are done by early December. Besides, you’d already promised you’d come. I knew my baby brother wouldn’t bail on me.”
“I thought I could surprise you. Why didn’t you question me?”
“I wanted to let you think you surprised me.”
Georgie grinned, taking me under his arm and threatening to dig his knuckles into my head, but he stopped short, kissing my hair, instead. “Punk.”