Chapter Two
The DuPonts don’t miss a beat when it comes to throwing an extravagant party—especially one where they can show off. The violinist in the corner of the backyard plays beautifully as the glimmering lights hang in perfect waves along the branches, illuminating the entire yard. Waiters walk around the pool with trays of champagne as friends and family chatter amongst themselves.
My mother’s eyes meet mine as the mayor continues to speak to her, her face stern and unyielding. I ruined the family portrait. My hair rivaled a rat’s nest, and there hadn’t been any way for them to fix it in time. I explained I’d fallen in the pool by mistake, but she was past my silly lies when it came to Jake and me—and she was making it known.
“It was an accident. Jake and I—”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Willa. There’s no way that respectable young man would spend his day peddling around with a nuisance like you. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to tarnish his good name.”
“How would me being with Jake tarnish his name? We’re friends. A perfect match, actually. And last I checked, we’re both rich and powerful.”
My mother’s sharp laugh wounds me. “That we are, my daughter, but you have yet to prove you are anything but a disgrace to our family name. And trust me, someone with such a bright future would never attach themselves with such a disappointment.”
My head still aches from being dragged up the flight of stairs, thrown into my room, and instructed not to dare leave until a new stylist arrived. God forbid someone got a look at me. My anger came in the form of heavy tears. Her hateful words couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Our love was real.
I took a shower, washing away the chlorine and the feel of Jake’s hands. Down the drain went the regret when he finally let me go and the anger that he could so easily switch roles and go back to playing the mischievous best friend and not the man I’ve been so madly in love with since my heart found its other half.
Mother tears her eyes away, slipping into her practiced and fake smile as they continue their conversation. I snag a glass of champagne, toss it back before getting caught, and ditch the crystal glass on a tall, lace-covered pub table.
Goosebumps spread over my arms, and I lift my eyes to the other side of the pool. Jake is standing with some of his father’s business associates, his eyes locked on me. Everything around us seems to freeze. The chimes no longer ring, and the wind no longer blows- the universe belongs only to us. Two hearts beating in unison. His eyes never leave mine as we stare into each other’s souls. He licks his lips and my legs quiver.
They open, and he mouths, “Hi.”
“Hi,” I mouth back.
“You’re late.”
I laugh, gesturing to my attire and hair. His infectious smile appears, and I ache to tear away the space between us and claim those lips as my own. We can do this forever. Block out the world around us. Pretend. My heart rate quickens as he excuses himself, and we both make a move to get to each other. A man steps in front of him, and our bubble pops. The windchimes chatter. Annoying social laughter pains my ears. His pleading eyes find mine, and he mouths, “Sorry.”
I force a sympathetic smile as he pulls his attention away from me, his own fake smile in place as he converses with the gentleman.
The night drags on like molasses. I find myself trapped in dull conversations, my eyes constantly seeking out Jake. My mind keeps replaying how handsome he looked in his dark slacks and fitted dress shirt that accentuated his toned body. That was the last time I saw him, and it was hours ago. A waiter passes by, and I grab a glass of champagne and slam it back, wanting to numb the pain tonight is causing. “At least the champagne is—”
“Willa, darling.” I jump, bumping into the pub table, and turn to Meredith, Jake’s mother.
“Hello, Mrs. DuPont. Great party. The swans are beautiful,” I rush out, throwing the glass behind my back into her rose bushes.
She waves me off, as if she doesn’t already know and expects every guest to compliment them. “Just a little touch. You haven’t seen my Jakey, have you? He’s been missing for some time, and there are so many people who want to wish him well.”
“No, sorry, Mrs. DuPont, I haven’t. Maybe I’ll go look for him.”
She waves me off again. “No, dear. Let me find Rebecca. She should be the one to find him. Enjoy.” She saunters away into the crowd.
“Rebecca should find him,” I mimic, my tone dripping with sarcasm. Rebecca and I couldn’t be any more different. For starters, she’s tall and has nice hair. I’m pretty sure her boobs are fake, but Jake says he wouldn’t know because he’s never touched them. I’m not sure if that tidbit of information makes me happy that he hasn’t or mad because he’s feeding me lies.
Knowing his mother won’t find him, I walk toward the guest house at the back of the yard. If he’s hiding anywhere, it’s there. I take a peek inside, finding him pacing. Walking in, I shut the door behind me and say, “Hey, what are you doing out here? Your mother’s looking for—”
“Fuck my mother,” he snaps. Picking up an antique off the desk, he throws it into the lit fire, shattering it.
I jolt back, startled by his sudden anger. “Jake, wh—what happened?” I eliminate the space between us. His eyes are bloodshot. He smells like booze. I don’t stop until I wrap my arms around his waist and press myself firmly against him. “What happened?”
He captures me in his tight hold, his head dipping down, inhaling the scent of my hair. “Life fucking happened.” His lips press against the side of my head, his breath skating along my earlobe. “This fucking life. These fucking fake people. Everything is about a deal. It’s not about happiness or allowing us to be happy. It’s about money. It’s always been about money.”
“I thought you were excited to start med school. What’s changed?”
Jake pulls away to capture my cheeks. “Excited?” He laughs, but it’s dark and cynical. “Why would I be excited to live someone else’s life? This isn’t my plan, Willa. It’s theirs. I’ve played along. I’ve sacrificed. I’ve given up love—” He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment as his voice trails off. “No matter how far I go, I’ll always feel caged. The chains from my family will always strangle me. The rules suffocate me. The expectations of who I’m supposed to be instead of who I am and what I want…” He releases a harsh sigh, his eyes dropping to my lips. “What do you want, Willa? What do you truly want?”
“That’s not up to me. You know that—”
“If it was. If we got to decide—what do you want?”
His eyes plead for my words. My truth. My tongue feels too thick for my mouth as I struggle to answer him. I want to be free. I ache to live my own life and be loved. “I—I want to be loved by a person who doesn’t belong to me. And I want to be free of the life we’re both trapped in—free of the thorns that make us bleed. I want to finally admit I love—”
Jake crushes his lips to mine, and I tense, startled, then quickly melt into him. Having him this close, touching me, sharing this connection, feels like a dream. The warmth of his touch seeps into my skin as he grips my face harder and separates my lips, his tongue mingling with mine. He tastes like cherries, just as I remembered, with a hint of scotch. “I hate myself for waiting so long to do this. And now it’s too late. Our time has run out and I can no longer show you what you truly are to me.”