Beatrice reached across the table and grabbed her cousin’s hands. “It’s gonna be okay, V. I’ve got your back. I’ll help you, I promise.” She downed the rest of her scotch and looked Vronsky straight in the eyes. “Now, do you have a little snow-white for me? I need a bump so we can keep drinking.”

XVI

Anna woke up the next morning momentarily confused by her surroundings. She sat up in bed, grabbed her phone off her nightstand, and gaped at the time. As a dog owner, sleeping past ten was never an option. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept this late.

She walked into the kitchen and found Marta, the housekeeper, baking cinnamon rolls. They exchanged pleasantries, and Anna made herself a double shot of Nespresso and went to see if her brother was awake. Steven’s door was closed and she should have knocked, but it hadn’t occurred to her. She entered the room and stopped immediately when she realized her brother wasn’t alone in bed. Lolly, half naked, was straddling Steven, her blond hair falling down her back, the two of them making out like the world was ending.

She averted her eyes and backed out of the bedroom in shock, quickly closing the door. She stood in the hallway, dumbfounded, and tried to blink away the visual of Lolly riding her brother. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the spectacle she’d just witnessed but had no time to decide because Marta was waving at her down the hall. The doorman had just called. Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, was on her way up. Anna headed to the door breathlessly, thankful for the distraction.

Kimmie stepped off the elevator looking down at her phone and ran straight into Anna, who was standing in the outside hall waiting. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, instantly annoyed at herself for being like the people she despised, the ones who roamed the city’s sidewalks, staring at their phones like iZombies.

“Were you waiting for me, or the elevator?” Kimmie asked, truly confused.

Anna smiled warmly at the adorable blond sophomore. “You must be Kimmie. I’m Anna, Steven’s sister.” Anna gave Kimmie a quick hug and ushered her into the apartment.

Of course, Kimmie knew who Anna was, though they had only met in passing once or twice before. “It’s so good to finally meet you,” Kimmie said, trying to take off her Moncler snow boots and feeling unbearably self-conscious about the SoulCycle sweats she had lazily thrown on. Kimmie wished she had chosen her outfit more wisely, knowing there was a possibility she would run into Steven’s sister, who Dustin had said was coming into town the night before. Kimmie knew she was beautiful in her own right, but in the presence of Anna she felt totally basic.