Chapter 97 The birthday party

Chapter 97 The birthday party

"What are you even talking about?"

"You think you're the one who's going to save him. The one who's going to change him. The one who's finally going to make him happy." She laughed bitterly. "You're delusional."

I stared at her. "Are you done now?" 

"Ahh. Very funny." She stepped closer, close enough that I could see the darkness in her eyes. "I've known him longer than you have. You can't handle someone like him. Someone like you, you don't belong in our kind of world. Take it from me...." 

"Angel..."

"You're no different, Calliope. You think you're special. You think you're the one who's going to break through his walls. But you're not." Her voice dropped. "He's going to destroy you. You should run while you can."

"I can't believe you're still on this. Do you never rest?" I asked but she ignored me and just kept yapping. 

"Stay away from him." Her eyes were hard. "If you care about him at all, if you care about yourself, stay away. Because if you don't, you're going to end up like his mother."

The words hit like a slap.

"How dare you? That's disrespectful." 

"Oh! So you know?" She smiled.

"Of course. You were bound to find out one way or another..." 

"Stop."

"He only uses you for comfort. For distraction. For..." 

"I said stop!" 

She stepped back, her smile widening. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

She walked away, her heels clicking on the tile.

I stood at my locker, my hands shaking, I couldn't believe she went that low. That she could be so cruel and tactless. 

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The morning of the twins' birthday party dawned bright and clear.

I woke up early, earlier than I needed to, my stomach fluttering with nervous excitement. The annex was quiet, the sun just beginning to filter through the curtains, and for a moment, I felt relieved that it was going to be a very normal day. And nothing would be able to stop or prevent that. 

I showered, dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt, and made my way to the main house.

The yard was already transforming.

Sarah was directing a team of caterers, her voice sharp but not unkind. Tables were being set up on the lawn, covered in pastel tablecloths and centerpieces of fresh flowers. A bouncy castle sat in the corner, already inflated, its bright colors clashing with the manicured hedges. A face painting station was being assembled near the patio, and a small pony was being led around the side of the house by a handler in a cowboy hat.

"Calliope!" Sarah spotted me and waved me over. "Good, you're here. I need help with the decorations."

I spent the next two hours hanging streamers, blowing up balloons, and arranging party favors in little gift bags. The twins' excitement was infectious, Emma kept running through the yard, shrieking with delight, while Ryan supervised the placement of his "castle" (a cardboard structure that was supposed to look like a fortress).

"Calliope, look!" Emma held up a handful of glittery stickers. They were for the goody bags. 

"Those are perfect, sweetheart."

Ryan tugged on my sleeve. "Is the pony going to be here all day?"

"I think so. Do you want to ride it?"

He nodded solemnly. "I'm going to be a knight."

"Then you definitely need to ride the pony."

He ran off, and I watched him go, a smile spreading across my face.

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Romeo and Kai were setting up the pool area.

The pool had been drained and cleaned for the occasion, and now they were inflating floats and arranging lounge chairs around the edge. Romeo and Kai were shirtless, but I only had my eyes on Romeo, his skin golden in the morning sun, his rock hard abs and I caught myself staring more than once.

He caught me looking and grinned.

"See something you like?" he called out.

I felt my face flush. "I see someone who should be working!" 

"I am working. I'm supervising."

Kai snorted. "You're standing there looking like a pretty pool boy. That's not supervising."

"It's a very important job."

I laughed, shaking my head, and went back to the decorations.

But I could feel Romeo's eyes on me the whole time.

\-—————————

By noon, the yard was transformed.

Balloons bobbed in the breeze. Streamers fluttered from the trees. The bouncy castle glowed in the sunlight, and the pony was being led around the lawn by its handler. Tables groaned under the weight of food, finger sandwiches, fruit platters, cupcakes in every color of the rainbow.

Mrs. Vanderbilt emerged from the house, looking elegant in a cream dress and pearls. She surveyed the yard with a critical eye, then nodded.

"Everything looks wonderful," she said. "Sarah, thank you so much for your hard work."

Sarah dipped her head. "It was a team effort, ma'am."

Mrs. Vanderbilt's eyes found me. "Calliope, I have something for you. Come with me."

I followed her into the house, to a room I'd never been in before. It was a guest room, beautifully decorated, with a large mirror and a chaise lounge.

She opened the closet and pulled out a garment bag.

"I thought you might like something to wear for the party," she said. "Something nice."

I unzipped the bag.

Inside was a dress. Pale blue, like the sky on a summer day, with delicate lace at the sleeves and a skirt that would swirl when I moved. It looked expensive, the kind of dress I'd never be able to afford.

"Mrs. Vanderbilt..." 

"It's a gift," she said. "For everything you've done for the twins. They adore you. And you deserve to feel beautiful."

I stared at the dress, my throat tight.

"Thank you," I whispered.

She smiled, a real smile, warm and genuine, and left me alone.

\-———————— 

I changed in the guest room.

The dress fit perfectly, like it had been made for me. I didn't even want to guess or know how Mrs Vanderbilt had accurately guessed my size. The lace sleeves brushed my wrists, the skirt fell just above my knees, and the color brought out the blue in my eyes. I looked in the mirror and fell in love with what I saw. I looked beautiful. The dress somehow managed to make me look slimmer, while also hiding my rolls. 

I brushed my hair and put it in a low messy bun, added a touch of mascara, and some tinted lip gloss and then stepped back to admire the effect.

I smiled at my reflection and walked back outside.

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