CHAPTER 0157
Meadow’s POV:
“Cami, can I ask you a question?”
I was seated in a chair in front of the mirror while she worked on my hair. Tonight was Clarissa’s opening party, and yes–I was still going.
Mainly because I hoped that HE would be there.
Alaric.
My heart still ached whenever I thought about him, and a simple fix would be to simply stop thinking about him
but I couldn’t. He was connected to everything. My thoughts literally revolved around him.
Just like right now.
Camilla met my eyes in the mirror briefly, giving me a small smile before she went back to curling my hair. “ Sure, what’s up?”
My lips parted and then closed back. I didn’t know how to word my question without seeming nosy or like I was prying into business that wasn’t mine.
And then I swallowed, and decided to ask anyway. “Your mother told me once that you were upset about Alaric wanting to open up a salon for you and taking your business to the next level…” I trailed off when she met my eyes in the mirror again.
However, she didn’t seem upset. So I continued. “I don’t know if it’s wrong of me to ask this but I just wanted to know why.”
Camí heaved a sigh. At first, I thought she was annoyed, but then I realized that she had a sad smile on her face and a look in her eyes that I couldn’t decipher.
Shit.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “If it’s too much, you can just ignore-”
“Alaric saved my mother and 1,” she cut in, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “My father… he was pretty abusive, drunk all the time, you know? And Mama could never really leave because she was dependent on him, and even though she worked for the Ashfords and was getting paid, he kept taking it.” She paused. “I was only a little girl but I hated him so much. But Alaric, he… he saved us.
She left that sentence hanging, and for lack of better words, I asked: “May I ask how?”
Camilla froze then, her grip tightening around the culer for a second, and then she spoke again. “That’s the thing I don’t know. Mama never told me, and to be honest… I never cared to know. I still don’t.”
My heart stuttered.
She shrugged. “And I don’t think you should care or be curious about it either. All I know is that I grew up with my mama, and never looked back again. I never forgot it though. Never. And neither did she. It’s why we feel
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CHAPTER 0157
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indebted to him even though he’s reminded us so many times that we owe him nothing.”
My throat tightened. “So you don’t want him doing anything for you?”
Cami ran a hand through her short hair. “It’s not exactly that. I just… I mean, yeah, sure, I think that’s it.” She let out a nervous laugh.
I didn’t ask any other questions, and Cami continued with my hair. But I couldn’t concentrate.
On one hand, I wanted to know what Alaric did to her father, but on the other hand… this was something that Cami wanted to forget, and I wasn’t about to open old wounds.
In no time, she was done with my hair, and when she pulled back to let me give myself a proper look, my eyes widened.
My hair.
I had Cami cut it short. No, not that short. Just to my shoulders. I wanted to try something new. If my sister was going to keep pretending to be me, she would try to channel that tonight if she was coming–which I had no doubt she was.
But I wasn’t going to make it easy for her to copy me.
However, I didn’t expect it to look this good.
“Oh my gosh!” Nova exclaimed, her jaw dropping wide open as she stepped into the room. “Who are you?”
A smile pulled on the corners of my lips as I stared down at my outfit. I had on a long, black silk dress with a plunging neckline and a slit that went all the way up my left thigh.
“You like it?” I asked her.
Nova’s eyes dragged up to mine. “Like it? Are you kidding me?” And then her gaze softened as she reached for my hair and tucked it behind my ear.
“I fucking love it. I’d be stupid not to.”
Cami chuckled, and I turned around to watch her pack her tools into her bag.
“You sure you don’t want to come along with me tonight?”
She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. “Nah, I don’t really do… drama, and from what I’ve observed, there’s definitely going to be some drama at that party. Plus, I have a date.”
Nova arched a brow. “Nice. I have a date with Nolan as well.”
Nova said Nolan didn’t want anything to do with Clarissa–which was completely understandable, considering what happened all those years ago. Nova… simply hated Clarissa, and didn’t even want to be within five feet of Juniper.
So yes, I was going alone.
“Huh, I guess I’m the unfortunate one who has to tease her husband from across a crowded room instead of
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going out on a date with him,” I said jokingly. When I looked at Nova, she was grinning at me.
I knew exactly why she was, but I played dumb. “What?”
“You’re still referring to Alaric as your husband,” she answered without hesitation. “That’s got to mean something, right? Right, Cami?”
“Uh huh,” Cami muttered. She was typing away on her phone and I was almost completely sure that she hadn’t heard a word.
I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything at all, the sharp buzz of the intercom sounded all the way from the living room, startling me.
I froze.
Nova glanced toward the door, frowning. “Are you expecting someone?”
I shook my head. “No,” I answered honestly. “It’s probably Tom wanting to talk to me or something.”
I didn’t wait for anyone to say anything before I walked out of my room and toward the intercom.
“Or maybe it’s the driver?” Cami added.
“Yeah, maybe,” I muttered. Except, it couldn’t be him. I hadn’t ordered one yet. “Hello?” I called out after pressing the button.
Tom’s voice crackled through the speaker for a second. “Mrs. Ashford? There’s a man here asking to see you. Says it’s urgent.”
My heart thumped wildly against my ribcage. No.
It couldn’t be.
“Um…” My voice shook. “Did he say who he is?”
Tom hesitated.
I glanced at Nova, her brows were furrowed in confusion.
“Tom?”
“He’s your… husband?”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Summary & Review: Fallen