Jake had told me about his family when we’d first met. Most people already knew, I suppose. The Carvilles were famous in New York City. Their family had been wealthy, living in the lap of luxury. But when the fire had enveloped their building, Jake had been the only survivor. He’d only been a small child, but he’d managed to run out before the building burned to the ground.
He’d left his father in there, his mother… and his younger brother.
I squeezed Jake’s knee under the table. He breathed in, and I was close enough to hear the hitch in his breath.
Thankfully, Lucas rose and lifted his glass, switching the direction of the conversation completely.
“I would just like to say congratulations to Jake Carville for finally getting into a decent media contract, and everything it means. I’m glad to see you so happy with your new girl,” he said, winking at me.
“I’m happy to be with her,” Jake said, squeezing my hand.
“Then cheers. To a bright future,” he said, lifting his glass. We all echoed his motions, clinking our glasses together.
Jake raised his glass too, but I could tell his thoughts were off elsewhere. I hoped that he wasn’t too struck by Steph’s comment earlier.
“I already can’t wait for you to come back,” I said, whispering into his ear.
He turned to me, his emerald eyes coming back to the real world. He smiled.
“You keep my heart with you wherever I am,” he whispered back. We sipped our champagne and I could not tell if it was the alcohol or his words that made me feel so light and giddy. I hadn’t been called his girlfriend, but this was good enough.
The chatter rose back up around the table. I could see Rachel opening up a bit, adding in a few choice witty comments alongside Steph’s stories. Andy was, surprisingly enough, more quiet than I’d ever seen him. I think he was just starstruck. He sat there mooning over Clint Terrance while eating his zucchini.
Everything was beautiful and I should have been happy. Jake’s servants refilled the wine glasses and the lights seemed to grow brighter. I was tipsy and Lucas was verging on the edge of being drunk. His eyes strayed to Steph’s cleavage more often. I hid my giggles and made a mental note to tell her afterward.
But the bright mood I was in soon dimmed. Belle leaned over from Jake’s side, pressing her shoulder to his. A flare of jealousy rose up in me so quickly, I barely knew what had taken me over.
“Will you bring us something back from Paris?” she asked. Her eyelashes batted down over her perfectly sculpted cheekbones. Of course. Her very name meant beautiful. “The last time I was there I forgot to bring back my favorite kind of wine. You know what that is.”
The insinuation wasn’t lost on me. Jake had bought her favorite wine for her before. Another pang of jealousy hit as Jake smiled back at her.
“That Bordeaux, right?”
“Of course. Vintage two thousand.”
“I’ll try,” Jake said. Belle patted his hand on the table. I wanted to chop her arm off. He’s mine! Instead I smiled alongside Jake and speared a circle of zucchini. I wasn’t going to be the needy, jealous girlfriend. Heck, I wasn’t even sure if I qualified as a girlfriend.
The rush of hurt that came over me stung the backs of my eyes. I caught Rachel’s eye from across the table and we shared a glance. She was more like me—both of us farm girls, unsure about New York City and the way to act around rich and famous people. I raised my eyebrows while sweeping my eyes over at Belle, and she nodded her head, the hint of a smile peeking out at the corner of her mouth. Over at her side of the table, Clint Terrance was talking over everybody, ignoring her completely.
It didn’t help ease my jealousy, but it made me feel a little better to know that at least I wasn’t alone.
Chapter Four
Dinner ended and we said our goodbyes to the guests. I wandered out onto the patio, hoping for a breath of fresh air. Tonight had been fun, but I needed some time to recharge.
The lights of New York City danced below me. It was still chilly outside, but not nearly as bad as it had been even a week before. February was normally the coldest time in the city, but something inside me made me feel warm even in my strapless gown.
Ever since I was a kid, I’d been scared of heights. I was counting on that fear to push away my insecurities that had built up during dinner.
It worked, somewhat. As I looked down at the city far below, adrenaline pumped through my veins. If I was scared of being up so high, I couldn’t be scared of losing Jake, or of driving him away.
I heard the patio door slide open behind me. Jake loosened his tie and came to lean on the railing. His fingers slid over my hand and held it loosely. We didn’t say anything for a minute or so, just watched the tiny figures moving through the streets below.