An Improper Ever After(12)

I can get past this.

As I feared, Nonny is aloof. She makes an effort to be more pleasant when Elliot's around, but when it's just me and her, she's frigid.

"Is school okay?" I ask.

"Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

You know why. "You'll tell me if anything's wrong, won't you?"

"Yeah." She shrugs, then disappears into her room.

The strain between us weighs heavily upon me. I'm not used to this with my sister. No matter how awful things got, even when everyone else turned their back on me, we were always a team.

But now … I'm really alone.





Chapter Five



Annabelle

The rest of the week passes slowly, every day as awkward as the one before.

Clearly, time isn't going to make anything better on its own. Nonny is still standoffish. If Elliot notices, he doesn't let on, and I don't say anything to him, since it's something I need to work out with her. The longest she's ever been upset with anyone is a week. I'm going to give her that much time and hope that she comes to the realization that everything I've done is for us.

But her attitude doesn't improve. And Elliot …

We no longer talk much during the day. It's impossible to hold a conversation when the other party doesn't say more than a syllable or two. I don't sit on the deck and watch him swim, either. It hurts too much. We're like polite strangers from dawn to dusk.

But once night descends …

He comes to me in the dark, when I'm in that state of half sleeping and half awake. He takes me hard, but he doesn't kiss me or drive me like he is punishing me. It's as though he's on a mission to exorcise a demon from his mind.

The first night, I told him I loved him, and he quickly put a hand over my mouth. Since then he always muffles my declaration with his palm or mouth.

I might resist if he were a selfish lover, but he isn't. He always painstakingly coaxes my body to mind-obliterating orgasms. And now I'm so primed for him that I grow wet every time I sense him slip into bed. Pavlov's wife.

Even as I lie in the dark, my body sated and covered in sweat, I know something has to change soon or I'm going to go mad. Maybe other women can continue like this, but not me.

Saturday morning, a dress box arrives. It has my name outside on the otherwise spotless matte black exterior, and its sleek look reminds me of the place Josephine took me to replace my wardrobe. I take it to the bedroom and open it. Inside is a note:

Thought this would look best for tonight. Let me know if you have any questions.





 

 
 – J

I stare at the floor-length ice-blue gown. The color will contrast beautifully against my hair. There's only one thin strap to hold the dress up, and the rich silk will flow over me, skimming every curve. It's obvious I won't be able to wear anything underneath, and I can see why Josephine thought it would look good on me because it will. I'm just not sure why I need it toni-

"I see you got Josephine's package."

My head snaps up at Elliot's comment. His voice is devoid of emotion, and the indifference slices me. I push the pain aside; there's not a lot I can do about it at the moment, especially with Nonny right downstairs. "Do you know what this is for?"

"Elizabeth's charity dinner. It's tonight."

"What charity dinner?"

"The one Amandine mentioned."

Now I remember. When we dined together at her home, Amandine asked if we were going to attend. "I thought we weren't going."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Things have … happened since then."

"That doesn't mean we get to back out. Elizabeth's expecting us."

Of course. Elliot would hate to disappoint his sister. He loves her, trusts her with everything.

And as petty as it is, I'm envious of Elizabeth for having that special place in his heart. I'm beginning to see how precious and rare his trust is. "Elliot-"

His heavy sigh cuts me off. "If you really don't want to go, we can cancel. I can tell her I'm not feeling well."

I almost want to. Being out in public and pretending that we're fine is going to take a lot out of me, but I recall what Traci said. Maybe it'll be good to be forced into acting like a loving, newly wedded couple. If nothing else, it'll remind Elliot we had something amazing just a week ago. "Of course not."

"Then you need to get ready," he says. "You have a full spa treatment. I emailed you the confirmation, with directions."

"I have all day." I drop the dress back in the box, unable to bear it. "Can we talk? It's been a week-"

"You need to hurry." He's looking right through me, and he might as well be filleting me with a fish knife. "We're flying up to San Francisco. She's hosting the dinner at the Sterlings' Bay Area mansion."