“But I haven’t treated her like a mother. I think, later, I might just go see her. I am at fault here—if not completely, just a little, so I have to apologize. And it can’t hurt to spend Christmas with her, could it?”
Ty nodded, but inside, he felt sick. He had wanted to spend a perfect romantic Christmas with her. Alone. But now, he probably wouldn’t even see her.
* * * * *
Brooklyn walked up Madison Avenue, feeling very alone. Kat and Romeo had gone to the movie theater, Natalia had gone to the MoMA, and here she was. Even shopping couldn’t get her to feel normal again. Suddenly, she felt a familiar hand come down on her shoulder. She yelped and spun around. In front of her, in the flesh, was Seth, smiling down at her.
“Brooklyn.”
“Hey, Seth. What are you doing?”
“I don’t really know. I’ve been wandering around all morning, but I can’t find out what I want to do. I feel better now, though. Do you maybe want to go to Dean and Deluca’s? Grab a coffee and talk?”
Brooklyn nodded, felling her heart leap. “Sure.” She wrapped her hand in the crook of his arm and it felt exactly like old times.
By the time they had ordered their coffee and sat down, it felt like she was reliving her past. How many times had she and Seth done the exact same thing?
“Did you hear about Alec and CeCe?” Seth asked.
Brooklyn nodded. “I find it really weird, personally. Alec was always so eccentric and wild. Him getting married? I can’t picture it. And Cecelia was always so prim. I can’t imagine her even going near Alec.”
Seth felt like she could read his thoughts. They always had had the same opinions and ideas. “Exactly. I never imagined my brother getting married. I always thought my mother would have to force him.” Seth felt like it was so right, sitting with Brooklyn like this and talking. It felt like going back in time. When things weren’t awkward. When she had been the little girl with the flaming hair who he’d met in kindergarten. The girl who he loved playing with after school. The girl who sought comfort from him. The girl who confided in him. Seth liked feeling needed, and Brooklyn had always made him feel very essential to her. Before things had gotten so complicated.
“How has college been? You know, when we were little, I never imagined us separating. I thought we were going to do everything together,” Seth said, smiling wistfully at the person he had been.
“Me too,” Brooklyn confessed. “College has been fine.”
“Is there something wrong?” Seth asked her.
“What? No,” Brooklyn said.
“I don’t mean right now. For a while, actually, you’ve seemed different, in a sad way. Even before we left for college, actually,” Seth said.
Brooklyn looked into the eyes of the person whom she not only loved, but whom she had always trusted. The person who had always understood her better than anyone else she knew. She knew she could tell him. And she was tired of holding it all in. “It’s my dad,” she said.
“Is he okay?” Seth asked concernedly.
“Yeah, more than okay, apparently.” Brooklyn shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “He’s cheating. He’s cheating on my mom.”
Seth’s head shot up at that. “Oh, my god? Is your mom okay?”
“That’s just it. I haven’t told her,” Brooklyn said, suddenly feeling ashamed.
Seth looked startled. “Why the hell not?”
Brooklyn sighed, trying to keep the tears from coming out. “I just couldn’t. I couldn’t be the one to deliver the news. She’ll look at me after that and think of me as the one who delivered the worst news of her life to her. I know she ought to know, but I just couldn’t be the one who had to tell her.”
Seth reached across the tab le to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. His touch made her feel inexplicably better. “What about Romeo?” he asked. “Does he know?”
Brooklyn shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
“Your dad? Does he know that you know?”
“No. I couldn’t confront him. I wanted to, but I loved him. I might still. I can’t bring myself to confirm it. I just can’t do that. And I love my family as a family. I don’t want my parents to split, as much as I hate my dad for doing it. I mean, when they were together, really together, when I was younger, they were so happy. I can’t bear to see them split up. But, then, that makes me as bad as him, doesn’t it? For not telling?” And then she was crying, and Seth got up and sat right next to her and held her, the way friends would.
“It’s okay, Brook. It’s okay. I’m here now.”
“I can’t do anything, I can’t. Only you know, and me and Simon,” Brooklyn whispered, after she had calmed down.
“Simon? Who’s Simon?” Seth asked.
Brooklyn shook her head. “Just somebody. He doesn’t matter.” But Seth already had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
* * * * *
Emma closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She was nervous. In fact, she could hardly believe what she was going to do. Summoning up her courage, she knocked on Kyle’s door.
His mother opened it, and she smiled at the only girl her son had ever loved. She knew Emma and Kyle were meant for each other. She could see it in both of their faces.
“Hey, Emma, Kyle’s in his room. You can go up,” she said. And then she hugged Emma, which made Emma feel even more guilty and sick in the stomach. What if she was a horrible person for doing this? But she had to. As she walked up, she glanced at herself in a passing mirror. Ever since high school, she’d tried very hard not to turn into her sister or her mother. The traditional Park Avenue princesses and queens. Emma had to be different, she knew that. Which is why she started wearing thick dramatic eyeliner and dark shades of lipstick. Her mother wasn’t happy, but there wasn’t much she could do. Today she was wearing a short bright yellow dress with white sheer stockings that had black polka dots on them. Her lips were a bright cherry red, and her eyes were coated in dark purple eyeliner.
Sighing, she went up to the room she’d been inside of almost as many times as her own. He was sitting there, sprawled on the bed. The high school freshman she had been, who had had a huge crush on Kyle, could never even imagine doing what she was about to do now. He sat up when he saw her, his face lighting up. But that didn’t make her heart skip a beat like it used to. He bounded across the room and took her in his arms.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. Emma took a deep breath and untangled his hands from her. He looked at her in surprise.
“Em? Is something wrong?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment, and when she opened them again, they were blurred with tears. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered.
“What? What are you talking about?” Kyle asked, confused. He really had no idea, Emma realized. He still loved her as much. But she had to. It wasn’t fair to herself or to him.
“Us. I can’t—I can’t go out with you anymore,” Emma gasped out.
Kyle’s eyes were wide. “Go out? We were just going out? I thought we had so much more than that. Why? Why are you leaving me?” he asked, looking broken. It was that that made Emma start crying.
And tears, especially Emma’s, really got Kyle. He took her face in his hands. “No, don’t cry. It’s okay. I won’t ask.”
But that only made Emma cry more. Because he was so good. What kind of person was she for breaking his heart? “We—we can still be friends, right?”
Kyle nodded, putting on a brave smile. “Of course. I can’t cut you out of my life, Em. I just can’t. If you don’t love me anymore, I still want you to like me.”
Emma shook her head. “I love you, Kyle. I always have. I’m just not in love with you anymore. I never knew it was possible to fall out of love, but it happened. But I still love you.” She knew her words were muddled, but she didn’t know how else to say them.
“I love you too,” he said. And then he kissed her cheek instead of her mouth. It was a butterfly kiss, just a so
ft quick shadow of a kiss really.
Emma smiled and hugged him, around the middle instead of the neck—like a friend. And it felt good.
* * * * *
Seth sat down at the bar, feeling so alone, although he was surrounded by people. He knew he was being obsessive—Brooklyn probably had a million guy friends. But the name haunted him. Simon, Simon. He knew he was being stupid, but he couldn’t help it. Suddenly, there was a tap on his back. He swirled around in his chair and found himself looking at Emma Blake. She was wearing a bright yellow dress and polka dotted tights, and she looked really pretty.
“Hey there,” she said and winked. She folded her arms on the long bar table and told the bartender to give her a shot of bourbon. “So, you look depressed.”
Seth smiled. “Really? I’m not going to be after ten more drinks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, preppy good boy is going to drink that much? I don’t think so.”
He laughed. “You’re probably right, you know.”
“Always am.”
Suddenly her face went serious. “What?” he asked.
Emma felt her palms sweating. Was she really going to do this? She liked Seth, a lot. She could see herself going out with him. And she couldn’t feel guilty about Kyle anymore. They were friends. “We should go out,” she said directly, bluntly. Someone else would have taken that as confidence, but for Emma, she was just getting the words out, before she became too afraid to say them.
Seth was taken aback. But he should have expected this, he knew. Emma wasn’t conventional like, say, Brooklyn. She wouldn’t wait for him to ask her out. She’d do it herself. And, he thought, why not? He liked her. And he couldn’t wait around for Brooklyn forever. He smiled widely. “Sure. Where can I escort you tomorrow, for Christmas dinner, Madame Emma,” he asked in his best British accent.
She laughed. “I think you’ve forgotten, Sir Seth, that we dine at your estate tomorrow with our dear families,” she said in her much better British accent.
“Oh, yeah. Totally forgot,” Seth said. “Wonderful. Do you even want to go?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then why don’t we skip it?” Seth said, daringly. “We can go out somewhere, and let them wonder where we are.”
Emma grinned. “I think I’m rubbing off on you, preppy boy.”
“Maybe a little. If I catch you in a pencil skirt, I’ll say the same thing,”
She shook her head. “Not happening.”
“Hey, are you going to the Ryder gala tonight?” Emma asked.
Seth nodded. “You wanna be my date?”
* * * * *
Brooklyn ate her lunch in silence, though Natalia, Kat, and Romeo talked enough to make up for her. Kat and Romeo sat close together, like there was a magnetic pull that slid them closer together. Natalia sat opposite them, laughing at something Romeo had said. Brooklyn was still in shock that she had told someone about her parents. She knew she would have to tell her mom someday, but she thought maybe she should start small. Maybe tell Romeo first and get his help. She couldn’t be alone in this.
“Hey, Brook, Romeo’s taking us to the Empire State Building today,” Kat said, touching Romeo’s arm. “Wanna come?”
Brooklyn shook her head. “No. Been there so many times. Too many times, actually. I think I’m going to stop by at Averil’s,” she said, making a split second decision.
Kat shrugged. “Okay.”
Natalia eyed Kat and Romeo for a minute, and then said, “Hey, guys, why don’t you two go? I’m gonna take a walk around the city, maybe go to Central Park.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes and gave Natalia a silent glare. She’d rather not have her best friend and her little brother going out alone. But Natalia only winked at them and went upstairs to change. Brooklyn sighed and stood up. Putting on her coat and heels, she stepped out into Park Avenue and hailed a cab.
Twenty minutes later, she was ringing the doorbell to Averil’s apartment. She jumped back when it wasn’t Averil who opened the door, but Simon.” Is Averil here?” she asked.
Simon shook his head. “No. She’s with Ty,” he said, somewhat bitterly. It then occurred to Brooklyn that Simon had the same problem she did—he loved someone who very obviously didn’t love him back. “You still want to come in?”
“Sure.” Brooklyn walked into Simon and Averil’s apartment. It was so different form the penthouse. Like a different world. She couldn’t imagine living here, with its wooden floors instead of marble ones, and its bare ceilings, instead of the ones hung with chandeliers like she was used to.
“Why are you alone on Christmas Eve?” Brooklyn asked Simon.
“Technically, it’s only three o’clock, so it isn’t Christmas Eve yet. And I’m with you, right? Not alone.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes. “No, seriously. Why are you alone?”
Simon sighed and adjusted his glasses. Brooklyn wondered why he didn’t just use contacts. “I thought Averil and I would do something, but she’s out with Ty.”
Brooklyn watched him. His hair was still long and curly, and with his big glasses and frown and his worn T-shirt, she felt kind of sorry for him. “My mom holds a Christmas gala every year at our penthouse. You want to come with me? It’s in four hours.”
“I don’t know,” Simon said.
“Come on,” Brooklyn prodded. “I need a date. And plus, Ty is invited, so Averil will probably be there, too.”
Simon brightened at that. “Fine. But how did a Park Avenue Princess like you end up without a date to your own gala?”
Brooklyn glared at him. “I’m having second thoughts about bringing you, Simon.”
“Okay, okay, fine. Don’t answer that. So what do I have to wear?”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes. “A Santa suit.”
“No, really?”
“A tux. Duh.”
Simon looked at her. “It’s not so, duh, in my world, you know. We only wear tuxes to weddings.”
Brooklyn looked at him like he was an alien. “So you don’t have one?”
Simon grinned. “No tux here. Guess I’ll have to wear that T shirt that has a picture of a tux on it—“
Brooklyn shook her head fiercely. “No way, Simon. Get up and put on a different shirt. We’re going to Barneys right now and getting you one.”
It was Simon’s turn to toll his eyes.
* * * * *
Seth rang the doorbell to Brooklyn’s house, feeling a little uncomfortable. It had been a while since he had worn a tuxedo. He turned to look at Emma, who stood beside him, smiling. She was wearing a dark black dress with a sweetheart neckline, a waist that hugged her, and a shirt that fell to midthigh. On her feet, she wore heeled combat boots that laced up to just below her knee. She looked beautiful in a badass kind of way.
Harold opened the door and nodded at Seth in acknowledgement. Seth led Emma to where all the young people hung out. He said hi to Cecily on the way, but nodded curtly at Brooklyn’s dad. He really couldn’t speak to him. In the part of the penthouse where they hung out, it looked exactly the same. People everywhere, drinking, laughing, spread out all over. He could see Romeo’s friend with a girl whose long blonde hair hung down her back. On her lithe muscular frame was a bright pink dress. They looked so different from each other. Ty was like a dark prince, with dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and a black tuxedo. Beside him, the blonde girl was like the sun, with her gold hair and baby pink dress. Opposites attract, he guessed. They were talking to Romeo and his date—a girl with olive toned skin, grey eyes and a floor length red dress—Kat. It was like they couldn’t stay away from eachother. Their hands were entwined, their hips and shoulders were touching, and they were constantly looking at each other.
Also talking to them was a girl with an electric pink bob and a black dress that made her look kind of like a flapper. When she turned, he saw that it was Brooklyn’s friend, Natalia. He should have known. How many people had neon pink hair?
And then Seth caught sigh
t of Brooklyn. She looked beautiful—more beautiful than ever. Her heart shaped face was flushed and happy, and her green eyes were shining. She more a dark green halter-style dress that was short in the front but floor length at the back. Its color was an amazing contrast to her pale skin, and it brought out the green in her eyes and the shine in her auburn curls. She was easily the most beautiful person there.
Beside her stood a guy with curly hair that fell to the nape of his neck and big, nerdy glasses. He looked very uncomfortable in his tux, and was constantly fiddling with it, but he stood beside Brooklyn faithfully. He really didn’t seem like the people Brooklyn usually hung out with.
He felt Emma’s hand come down on his arm, and he stared down at her face. She was pretty, but in a very different way than Brooklyn. While Brooklyn had an all natural beauty look to her, Emma looked stunning with her full lips that were painted cherry red, and her eyes that were coated in eyeliner. It was a different kind of beauty, but not necessarily a worse one. “Shall we go in? Or are you just going to stand here and stare?” Emma asked.
Seth nodded. “Let’s go.”
They made their way up to Romeo and Katerina. Seth waved at them. “Hey!” Kat squealed, in her high soprano. Seth smiled at her.
“How did you two end up together?” he asked. He saw Romeo blush, but Kat told him unabashedly.
“Romeo took me to the Empire State building today, and well, things just happened,” she said, looking adoringly up at him.
Romeo smiled at her like a man in love, though he still looked embarrassed. He tried to turn the conversation away. “How did you end up with Emma Blake, Seth? Aren’t your older siblings getting married?”
Seth had never thought of it like that. Emma and he were brother and sister-in- law. But, really, they weren’t related. “It doesn’t really matter.”
Romeo shrugged. “Whatever. I can’t believe Alec is even getting married. And to Cecelia Blake, of all people.” He turned to Emma. “No offense.”
She nodded. “None taken. I know exactly what you’re talking about.”
* * * * *