Breaking Me Slowly

Nine

I pace back and forth in my room with Grayson sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me. “Madeline’s here,” I say.

“She is,” he agrees.

“A week early,” I clarify. “Madeline’s here a week early.” He hums an agreement; I stop and look at him. “Why?” I demand.

Grayson shrugs. “It could be for a number of things.”

I go back to pacing. “I feel like it’s something bad. Really bad. Why else would she come early?” Another shrug from Grayson. “Why aren’t you as nervous as me about this?”

“I don’t think it’s anything worth stressing over.”

“What if it’s something bad?” I ask, sitting down next to him on the bed.

“I don’t think it’s anything bad.”  

“You really don’t think so?” I ask.

“No,” he confirms.

I search his eyes, looking for some hint of doubt or apprehension but he was confident and calm.

We lean into each other just as Vern makes her way into my room. Without knocking.

“Ew, no! None of that while I’m around!”

Grayson glares at her. “When the door’s closed that means don’t come in. Or at least knock before coming in.”

Vern throws herself on the armchair in the corner of the room. “F-Y-I, the door was slightly open.”

“Still doesn’t mean come in.”

She feigned a look of innocence. “Well, now I know for next time.”

“I didn’t know we were having a pre-dinner meeting,” Jensen says, also walking into the room without knocking.

“Well, hello, Jensen!” Vern says with enthusiasm.

“Vern,” he greets her back with a smile. “What are we discussing?”

“How nobody knocks in this place,” I say

Jensen raises a brow in inquiry. “Nobody knocks…”

“You, for example, did not knock before coming in.”

“The door was open.” He jabs a thumb at the door.

“Ha!” Vern shouts. “Thank you, Jensen.”

“Everyone just knock next time,” I say, hoping that’s an end to the conversation and everyone knocks in the future.

“What are you kids still doing up here?” a voice says from the door. Four pairs of eyes avert to Eden, who’s wearing a scowl on her face. “Dinner’s ready.”

We shuffle out of the room, one by one and make our way downstairs to the dining room. The adults were still making their way into the dining room just as we rounded the corner.

Sterling and Rebecca were the first to take their seats at the head of the table; Sterling took the far end, while Rebecca took the end closest to the doorway. Madeline took the seat directly to the right of Rebecca while Jensen took the left. Grayson sat next to his brother and I, of course, took the seat next to Grayson, leaving Vern to take the last empty seat. I tried not to think too much into the fact that Isabel was sitting directly across from Grayson. He had no choice but to see her face all night; it was right in front of him.

A few minutes after everyone was settled, two maids that I had never seen before, walk into the room holding a platter of water. They set a glass down in front of each of us. Sterling asks one of the maids for a couple of bottles of wine and glasses.

“Ready for this?” Vern asks, leaning closer to me. I give her a questioning look just as a glass of wine is set in front of us.

I’m screwed, I think to myself.  

Sterling clears his throat. “Rebecca and I are delighted to have you all here,” he begins, picking up his glass. “We want to thank you for taking the time to come down and be here for the wedding.” He holds up his glass and says, “To Grayson and Juliette!”

Everyone raises their glass as they say, “To Grayson and Juliette!” A few loud clinks ring throughout the room.

Grayson leans closer to me and whispers, “You don’t have to finish your drink.”

“I think I’ll manage.” I set my glass down and just so happen to glance at Isabel. Her eyes are on Grayson as she takes a drink.

“So, Grayson,” Madeline says. “Have you guys decided where to go for your honeymoon?”

“Amsterdam.”

“Will you be gone for long?”

He shakes his head. “No more than two weeks.”

Madeline smiles. “I see. Not long at all. Perfect timing, actually. As soon as you get back, your father will start working for The Council.”

Ernesto chokes on his drink, Nydia’s eyes blaze with fury. I catch the look Rebecca threw Sterling’s way. I’m guessing they hadn’t told very many people about the transition.

“The council,” Ernesto repeats, leaning forward in his chair to get a better look at Madeline. “The position has been filled,” he says clarifies, almost as if he didn’t hear correctly the first time.

Madeline smiles and says, “Yes.” She takes a drink of her wine, unaffected by the tension hanging in the air.

Ernesto looks at Sterling, a fake smile plastered to his face. “You never mentioned the council.”

Sterling simply smiles, his eyes briefly flicking to Rebecca. “It must’ve slipped my mind,” he finally answers.

Ernesto looks at his wife, her face resembling that of a ghost. Everyone watches cautiously, unsure of what was going to unfold next.

He picks up his wine glass and surprises everyone by saying, “It seems we have two things to celebrate this evening!”

Once that was over, everyone was able to relax and feel a little more at ease. Dinner was amazing and surprisingly it didn’t drag. I had two glasses of wine so that probably helped but I wasn’t going to complain. It was the first time I felt like I belonged with them.

When we finished dinner, we all headed to the sitting room. A few—including Vern—decided to grab another glass of wine while we sat around and talked for a couple more hours.

Nydia and Rebecca had decided to retire to bed while Vern and Isabel were talking up a storm about fashion. Jensen had already snuck away and was probably with Sydney in the back house.

I was beginning to nod off when Grayson suggested that we also go to bed. I didn’t fight him and was more than happy when he announced our leaving. We both said goodnight to everyone before retreating upstairs.

Grayson stopped in front of my door, gently pressing me against it.

“I guess this is goodnight,” I say.

His nose is against mine. “I guess so.”

“You could stay…”

His eyes close for a brief second. “I wish… but I can’t—not right now.”

I frown. “The wedding is in just a couple weeks away. I don’t see the big deal.”

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face. “I know, but the Delgado’s are very old fashioned, and it wouldn’t look good for them to see me sneaking out of your room.”

I felt like that was a weak excuse, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Alright,” I relented. “Good night.”

He closes the distance, pressing his lips to mine. “Good night,” he says, slowly pulling away.

My brain is mush as I enter my room and close the door behind me. I lean against the door, feeling electrified from the kiss. The feeling only lasts a moment as I realize something was off. I scan the room, my eyes narrowing on the window that I had left closed but was now wide open.

Nothing else in the room seemed out of place and it was possible that Eden had opened the window after she had called us down for dinner.

I quickly close the window and lock it, feeling a little at ease at the thought of being on the second floor tonight.