#Chapter 32 – Slut

“Ian, you need to slow down!” I call after him, shaking my head as he bursts through Victor’s back door like a tornado. Alvin isn’t far behind him. “Boys –“

I step into the kitchen moments later and see that they’ve left chaos on their wake. Their backpacks are thrown on the floor and four little shoes dot their path up the stairs. The greatest casualty yet, Amelia stands with her mouth still open in a gasp, looking after them with tea splashed all over the island and her white sweater.

“Oh, god,” I say, quickly moving to the paper towels. “I’m so sorry Amelia, did they startle you?” Ripping one free, I quickly work to mop up the mess on the kitchen island where she was sitting. Then, on mom instinct, I reach to dab at her sweater

“I’ve got it,” she says, twisting away from me with a dirty look.

Yup. Great one, Evelyn, not only have your sons ruined her sweater but now you’ve tried to pat her chest with a paper towel. Awesome.

“I really am sorry – they’re just hurricanes with legs. I’ll pay for the dry cleaning of the sweater,” I offer, lamely.

“Don’t worry about it,” she murmurs, carefully applying water at the sink. “It’s last season, anyway.”

As Amelia is distracted, I stare at her. God, she really is more beautiful in person than on the fashion magazines, if that’s possible. Standing next to her, I feel every inch the country mouse next to a swan.

Our relationship is, at best, frosty. I guess this is understandable, I think, watching her clean her sweater. I’m a constant reminder of a passionate night Victor had six years ago. And considering that Victor and I have grown closer lately…well. In her position, I guess I’d be cold too.

Amelia catches me looking and meets my eye unhesitatingly. I try a soft smile and she smirks, moving to the teapot to make another cup.

“Would you…” I venture, “make me one as well?”

Amelia shrugs and gets a second mug out of the cabinet. I sit down at the island. Victor has made it clear that he doesn’t think Amelia has anything at all to do with our sons’ kidnapping. I still have my doubts, but if Victor believes her, that means Amelia is going to be sticking around. If she’s going to be my sons’ stepmom, then I both of our lives would be better if we could come to some kind of agreement. A friendship, even.

“Um, it’s a lovely sweater.” I venture, trying to start somewhere, anywhere. “Where did you get it?”

“Paris.” She says shortly. Of course. Everything she owns is from Paris.

“I spent some time in Paris,” I say as Amelia drops teabags into the mugs. “When I was a teenager.”

She turns to look at me, giving me rather a withering stare. “That’s funny,” she says. “I would have had no idea.”

the cut it was.

to go back

nods, moving with her cup of tea back to her seat at the island. “Yes, for the fashion. This year I’ll be taking Victor with

flips through the magazine that she

you in that one?”

magazine so that I can see it. It’s a picture of her, looking

leaning forward for a better look. Before I can get it though, she snaps

that your wedding

for Victor. Not that he dislikes it, but he wants a more…traditional

it were up to you, you’d wear that

look at me, “I’d have three different gowns – one for the

wouldn’t be my choice,

says, looking up at

marrying Victor,”

mega-wat smile that’s sold thousands of magazines. “We got this amazing chateau off the coast that’s

getting the best of everything,” she says, resting her cheek on her palm as she thinks about her perfect day. “Cases of champagne flown in from France, private jets to get all the guests to

wow.” I say, genuinely impressed. “And then, the marriage?

as she pulls out of

I say. “What about the

is everything I ever wanted. Of course I’m excited about that. Things will be just

“I thought…Victor wanted to start a

attention back to the

to myself that Victor seems to know exactly what he wants: a marriage, a wife, children, and all that entails. Amelia seems to want…a

it? I’d like for Amelia and me to be friends, and if I were her – I mean hell, I was her. Six years ago I was a girl a few months away from her wedding to an Alpha, and nobody said a

know, Amelia,” I say, “I

she says, holding my gaze. “Yeah, I heard all about that.” Her

my lips, again absorbing the dig. “It was…not a good experience for me. I remember being really excited about my wedding too, but then after all the excitement was gone, I realized that I

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