And with that, the argument is over. Emmett has won.

He confirms I’m comfortable and dry enough, and with a nod, we start to head back toward the party neither of us seems all that eager to rejoin. He keeps me in front of him with a comforting hand on my shoulder, and then as we ascend the narrow staircase to the main floor, he shifts it down onto my lower back.

The moment we’re at the top, he pulls away, and I’m left to make do with the warmth of his borrowed jacket. I love the weight of it. The heady scent of cedarwood and geranium feels luxurious—a scent I’d want to linger, a candle I’d burn all night. The hem is an inch longer than my dress on the bottom. If I stopped to button it all the way up, it’d look like I was wearing nothing at all underneath, and when I peer over at Emmett, it’s like he’s just had the same thought.

I brace myself for the impending awkwardness of seeing party guests again, but the main salon is empty. As suspected, everyone is gathered on the deck watching the fireworks show, save for a few crew members positioned near the bar and the sliding doors. Expertly trained in the art of being discreet, they act as if they don’t even see us. The sliding door sweeps open and a spray of fireworks lights up the sky. A few people exclaim in excitement, but my gaze is fixed on Victor, who hovers near the back of the group, turned away from the gathered crowd. He watched us walk through the salon, maybe even caught our ascent up the stairs, and his impish wink makes me sick to my stomach.

Chapter Eighteen

Lainey

We’ve gone too far, that’s for certain. Whatever Emmett’s aim in pursuing a friendship with me, we’ve crossed a boundary I’ve been careful to protect. There’s no way people haven’t noticed us together. Last night on the yacht, wearing his suit jacket felt like I was wearing his varsity letters. I might as well have had his promise ring twinkling on my ring finger. My grandmother wasn’t pleased.

I’m careful the next day. I avoid him, totally. I eat breakfast tucked between Florence Carmichael and my grandmother. I accept an invitation to go out in a speedboat with Royce and a few others, and then I slip away from dinner quickly while most everyone else moves on to the sitting room for late-night drinks. I don’t look at Emmett once the entire day. It’s my sole mission to take account of where he stands in a room and avoid that area like the plague.

I’m exhausted by the time night falls, but I can’t sleep. I lie on top of my blankets with the window open, the soft autumn breeze rustling the drapes.

My grandmother went to bed ages ago, and when I stand up and go over to listen at the door, I hear the sound of her soft snoring.