Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
The doorman greets Oliver by name. It’s one more reminder that the Railers are celebrities in this city. I trail a step behind, unable to stop my gaze from traveling around the lobby.
It looks like a staged photo pulled straight from the glossy pages of a magazine. Marble floors gleam beneath soaring ceilings as gold fixtures catch the light from overhead. Massive vases overflow with white orchids arranged so perfectly they almost look fake. Everything smells faintly of citrus and something expensive I can’t quite place.
At the concierge desk, Oliver checks in, exchanging easy conversation with the receptionist. His voice fades into the background when my phone vibrates inside my purse.
That’s all it takes for my muscles to lock up and dread to rush in. I slip my phone from my purse, already bracing for an unknown number to flash across the screen. Instead, it’s one of my roommates from school checking in, making sure I’m okay since I’ve pretty much gone MIA after dropping out and showing up on my brother’s doorstep a few weeks ago.
The relief that hits is enough to make my knees give out as tension drains from my body in one long exhale. My shoulders sag as everything inside me deflates, the panic loosening its grip just enough for me to breathe again.
Rina touches my hand. “Is everything okay?”
I force a nod and bolster my smile. “Yeah. Just a little nervous.”
Instead of pushing, she squeezes my arm as we head to the elevator. The ride is smooth and silent. It’s the kind of quiet that makes you feel like the walls are pressing in on you. I stare at the panel and watch the numbers climb.
When the elevator doors slide open, it feels less like arriving on another floor and more like stepping into a completely different world. Hugh’s penthouse makes Oliver’s place look like a standard hotel suite, which I didn’t think was possible. A polished hardwood floor stretches beneath our feet, leading to floor-to-ceiling windows that frame a sweeping view of the Chicago skyline, the city lights already beginning to flicker on as dusk settles in.
A black baby grand piano sits near the glass, perfectly positioned, as if someone might wander over and play at any moment. Low jazz drifts through hidden speakers, the music wrapping around the space and giving the gathering a sophisticated, intimate feel that’s warm instead of pretentious.
The air is scented with turkey, butter, and cinnamon. It’s comfort and indulgence rolled into one, carrying me straight back to the holidays of my childhood. Laughter and conversation swirl together as deep male baritones weave with lighter feminine voices. It’s loud and soft at the same time, cozy yet somehow overwhelming. It feels like walking onto a movie set mid-scene, where everyone else knows their lines while I flip through the script, frantically trying to find my place.
“Look who finally arrived,” a familiar voice says.
Evelyn appears in the entryway, effortlessly chic in a navy blouse and tailored trousers, her lipstick perfect. Her gaze sweeps over the three of us before landing on me.
“Kia,” she greets. “Don’t you look lovely. Cream is absolutely your color.”
“Thank you. Your place is…” I glance around, searching for the right word. “Incredible.”
Even though she smiles, a hard glint flickers in her eyes before disappearing. “Actually, it’s Hugh’s,” she says lightly, as if the distinction matters, before stepping aside. “Come in, all of you. Make yourselves at home. There’s food everywhere. And more still to come.”
Oliver pats his stomach as he glances at me. “This is your reminder to pace yourself.”
A joke about elastic waistbands sits perched on the tip of my tongue when a high-pitched squeal cuts through the noise.
“Kia!”
I barely have time to brace before a small body launches itself at me. Elody hits with a surprising amount of force for someone so little. Her arms wind around my hips as she stares up at me with a grin so big that the tension within me has no other choice but to dissolve.
With a laugh, I smooth a hand over her hair. “Hi! Long time no see.”
“You came!” she says, eyes filled with excitement. “I told Daddy you would!”
For a second, everything narrows to this little girl and her absolute certainty that I’d attend the celebration.
“How could I miss Thanksgiving?”
She beams as her small hand slides into mine. “Come on,” she says with a tug. “Daddy’s over here.”
I glance at Rina and find her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Elody drags me through the guests, weaving between players, partners, and flower arrangements. I catch glimpses as we go. Steele with his arm around Lilah, murmuring in her ear. River talking to Callie, who’s balancing Nora on her hip. Knox and Jax trading jabs.
And then I see him standing near the window, a tumbler in one hand and the other tucked into his pants pocket, a charcoal sweater stretched over broad shoulders. His hair looks like he’s raked his fingers through it too many times to count. Even from across the room, the shadows beneath his eyes are obvious.