We meet halfway, smiling awkwardly when we stop. "Well, fancy meeting you here," I say.
"I'm friends with Rachel's mother," Bella says. "Nice to see you again, Joanna."
"Yeah, the last time was on the Fontanesca case three years ago? You kicked their asses."
"I had good evidence," Bella says with a smile.
Pleasantries over, it's awkward silence time. Harry breaks it after five seconds. "You look lovely tonight."
"Really?" I ask, examining myself. "Thank you. I had a supermodel makeover. Literally. I'm a work in progress." I immediately regret the words. He knows this better than anyone. I clear my throat. "You both look nice too. Very authentic. Though you should fix his tie, Bella. It's crooked."
"Oh," she says, adjusting it. "Thank you."
"No prob. Well, you two have fun. My dates need a save from Sparkle Cohen. It was nice to see you. Both of you. I mean that."
"Thank you," Bella says, taking Harry's arm.
"Excuse me." I hustle away as fast as I can without being obvious, my smile falling with each step. I can't help it, I have to look back. Yep, bad idea. Harry pulls away from their kiss, caressing Bella's cheek as she smiles. God, they look so fucking in love. I'm glad, I really am, but I just wasn't ready for this, seeing how well they fit together. He's completely moved on. That realization stings more than a little.
Sparkle Cohen has been covering the Galilee social scene probably since the 1920s. Tonight she's in a huge white fur coat with her matching hair wavy in the style. "So, which is better? Galilee or Independence?" she asks Lexie.
"Guys, are you ready to go yet?" I ask.
"Hello, Joanna," Sparkle says.
"Sparkle. So, are you? I'm all partied out."
"I guess. We--" Brendan starts.
"No!" Lexie practically shouts. "Not yet." She checks her phone again and smiles brightly before returning the phone to her pants. "We-We haven't danced! We can't leave without dancing. Just a few more minutes, okay?"
"Fine. You enjoy your dance. I'm gonna get some air, okay?"
"Perfect! Sounds great. Air is awesome. Go get some. Go!" she says, shooing me away.
I raise an eyebrow. Okay. Whatever. I move through the open doors onto the veranda. More guests mill around chatting as sparklers flicker along the railing. I keep walking down the stone steps into the garden. Need some alone time. Even at night the garden is glorious with pristine hedges of holly. I continue down the pebble path until the music grows faint and I'm surrounded by a broken circle of flowers and hedges. With a sigh, I rest on the stone bench in the middle of the semi-circle with my back to the castle. A few people scamper around me like wood nymphs on their way from the labyrinth at the end of the path. Justin's old college friend Sam Martin and his wife nod as they pass. When they're gone, I take a deep breath. I seriously hate parties. After this one I'm on sabbatical. None until next year. Catty comments, watching ex-boyfriends suck face, booze all around is not my idea of a good time.
A stiff breeze blows, and I pull my wrap tighter. Wish I had gone the tux route too. I mean, she made me look beautiful, but no sleeves is--
"Are you cold?" a familiar voice asks behind me.
My heart thumps hard against my ribcage, and I spin around. Jem stands ten feet away looking breathtakingly good. His usually wild hair is parted to the side and slicked in waves. No glasses tonight either, so I can see that his curling eyelashes make his eyes pop, and he wears that tux better than anyone here. As I take him in I realize my mouth is slacked open, I snap it shut. He doesn't notice my reaction. He steps toward me as he slips off his coat. "Here," he says, holding it out.
I remove my thin wrap, and he glances at my scarred arm before I slip the coat on. "Thanks." It's really warm and smells like him, aftershave and antiseptic from the hospital. Better even than Old Spice.
"I-I saw you come out here," he says, self-conscious once again. "I-I just wanted to see if you were alright. I can leave if you want to be alone."
What a thought. "No, it's fine. I was just…I don't like parties. Never have."
"I-I don't like them either," he says, sitting at the far end of the bench. "I don't enjoy being out of my element. If-If I can help it. I-I have a hard time connecting with people. I-I never mastered small talk or any of the other social arts. I avoid social occasions as much as possible. I-I was tested for Aspergers when I was a child but didn't fit the criteria. The doctors finally threw up their hands and deduced my anti-social tendencies were due to my abnormal IQ, whi-which is a valid conclusion. And I…have no idea why I just told you all of that," he says with a chuckle.