“Eva is a lovely person,” he said. “But you are not your sister, and we know that. And I hope you know, not for one second have I wanted you for anything else than being you.”

I nodded where my face was buried in his chest.

“How long has it been since you’ve been able to be yourself, Es? Really?”

One hiccuped laugh burst out of me. Had I ever been able to do that? “Only when I’m alone in my studio where no one can see me.”

“This pack is a bunch of misfits,” he said. “We know a little about being on the outside of things. Even now, not everyone approves of what we do. They think it’s shady or dirty, that marking someone’s skin somehow makes them lesser. You saw how the manager first reacted to us. We haven’t faced it on the same scale, but we know. Which is why we’re so close. We can be ourselves with each other, and it’s always going to be okay.”

I’d seen what he said in action, and it was true.

“So if you want to dress like a princess, then dress like a princess, baby girl. There’s nothing wrong with you for wanting soft, pretty things. It’s okay to like hard and dirty things, too. It’s safe to be yourself with us, even if the world wants to tell you that you can’t.”

I closed my eyes so the tears blurring my vision didn’t spill over. Of course I knew, but knowing it and feeling it were too different things. “I’m still scared.”

“I know, and that’s okay. As much as anyone might wish it, you can’t just ignore a lifetime full of pain overnight.”

A click sounded in the distance, and I groaned. Couldn’t they leave me alone for one fucking second? There was nothing wrong with this. Nothing bad or ugly. We were simply cuddling in a nest, but it would still be picked apart by everyone and everything. “I want to go home now.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

My hat and glasses were on before we walked out of the store. The photographers were at least more discreet here than they were at events, or when they were dealing with Eva. With me they tried to be stealthy because they wanted to catch me in the act of something.

But there were more outside, and everyone saw us getting into the cab together, shutters snapping wildly. The news was out, and there was nothing I could do about it now.

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

________

ESME

There was a truck in front of the house, and a veritable army of people moving things inside. All the stuff I’d picked.

“That was fast.”

“Mr. Syme felt… particularly motivated to make a good impression after Ben talked to him. And Luke called Addison to coordinate the rest.”

“Is she here?”