“Yeah,” he said. “I gotta tell you, this Bea chick is giving my host-with-the-most rep a run for my money. I may have to step my game up next New Year’s. I’m gonna go back out to the tent, want to join me?”

“I do.” Anna wasn’t sleepy at all, so why let Alexander ruin her good time? “Thank you, Steven. You’re a great big brother.” She stepped forward and hugged him. “I’m going to keep hugging until you hug me back!” she warned, grinning.

Steven wrapped his arms around his sister and kissed her on the top of her head, something he had watched his father do to her a million times. It used to make him a little jealous when he was younger, if he was being honest with himself, how much his father adored Anna, but he’d learned to let it go and not let it get under his skin too much. Anna really worked to be the best person she could be. If anyone was the best of Greenwich, it was his sister, and not her blowhard boyfriend.

Steven’s eyes grew misty, as sibling affection overwhelmed him. He knew he was lucky to have a sister like Anna, and all he wanted was for her to be happy. At dinner, Anna had glowed with joy like he had never seen. And if it was Vronsky who made her this happy, then so be it. Besides, he was confident he could give Vronsky a proper beatdown if he ever dared to hurt his little sister.

XXIX

When Vronsky and Murf had returned to the party after seeing Alexander and Eleanor drive off, Anna was nowhere to be found. Vronsky went back to the main house to look for her and had even knocked on her bedroom door, but when he opened the door, the room was empty. Luckily, the Tahoe Alien Indica he’d smoked with Murf helped him stay calm about her unfindability, a word he decided was an actual word even though it wasn’t. He was really fucking stoned. What he needed to do was grab a couch in the tent, rest his eyes, and wait for her. Since meeting Anna, whenever he closed his eyes, he saw her face. She was haunting him, but Murf was right that it was time for him to go big or go home as there would be no peace of mind for him until they were together. When he heard Anna’s voice calling his name, floating above him, he assumed he was dreaming. He smiled at the heavenly sound, enraptured to hear his name on the lips of his love.

“He’s not asleep because he’s grinning like a twonk.” Beatrice’s voice rang out. “A beautiful blond twonk. Wake up, V!”

He opened his eyes and saw Anna standing above him, staring down at him. She was truly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.