Her shoulders sag, and she rests her forehead against my shoulder. “I do.” Her head rises and I can see the anger in her eyes. “I hate him sometimes. Shouldn’t he want me to be happy?”
Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works. “I would think so, but even my parents are the same way. My dad will hardly speak to me and if they knew about us, he would cut all ties.”
“What’s wrong with us?” she asks.
Slowly, I shake my head. “We are two people born on different sides.”
“So stupid.” She leans forward and presses her lips to mine. My mouth opens, welcoming her in. Once our tongues touch, my hands move from her face, to her body, pulling her as close to me as her dress allows. I’m careful to keep my hands out of her hair, afraid of messing up her hat or making it noticeable she’s been trysting when she should be working the room on behalf of Armstrong Acres.
All is well until someone in the darkness clears their throat. We part and I look over our shoulders. “It’s William,” Brielle says. As if on cue, the man she spends most of her time with emerges from behind a tree. Brielle straightens her dress and sits upright. When William comes into full view, she smiles at him. “William, this is Colby Hensley.”
William steps forward and I rise. We shake hands. “It’s nice to meet you,” I say.
“You too. I feel like I already know you.”
Brielle chuckles and I glare at her. “I had to tell someone.”
William sits on the opposite side of Brielle and places his arm along the back of the bench, making it look like his arm is around her. I’m trying not to feel jealous, but I would give anything to be as free with Brielle as he is.
“Your dad was looking for you,” he tells her.
She sighs. “Thank you for watching out.”
He shrugs. “Of course.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I add, even though I feel about two feet tall.
William leans forward. “Anything I can do to help Brielle to be with the one she loves, I’ll do.” He then looks at her. “I’ll be over there when you’re ready to go back.” William rises and leaves us alone.
Brielle takes my hand in hers and holds it to her face. “Where are you staying?”
“At the stables. There are rooms on the second floor. I’m above Maximus’s stall.”
“I’ll be by tonight, leave your door unlocked.” She leans forward and kisses me before running off into the darkness. I watch her until her silhouette disappears. I really like the idea of her coming by tonight, but also know I shouldn’t get my hopes up. The chances she can get in and out without being noticed are slim, but damn, it would be so worth it.
6
Brielle
It’s been ages since I’ve felt so alive. The past two days have been amazing, not to mention, exactly what I’ve needed. Colby always had a way of making all my cares in the world slip away. It’s one of the things I loved about being with him. I wish I could forget who everyone thought I was and just be myself for a little while. Growing up an Armstrong came with many obligations, ones I didn’t ask for, but was told to uphold. I have no choice but to be who my father wants me to be, especially now that my mother’s gone. I know he misses her terribly and it shows. He’s buried himself deeper into the horse circuit and it bothers me. Some days I barely recognize him, but I hope and pray each day that things get better. Today, he wants me and William by his side during the press event as we show off our prize-winning horse, Voltaire.
Once I’m dressed in one of my exclusive William Ashton designs, I head downstairs. We stayed at my father’s house during the gala, but I’m glad that’s over. Now I can be at home in my own space. William is waiting for me in the living room, dressed in a pair of form fitting khaki pants, a light blue blazer with a multi-colored pastel plaid button down shirt underneath.
He looks up at me coming down the stairs and smiles. “Ah, yes, the light purple is my favorite. It goes perfect with your skin tone.”
“I love it,” I say, agreeing with him. He designed me just a simple light purple sundress with a light purple headdress to match. “Are you ready for today?”
William holds out his arm. “Of course. I love the spotlight. You know that.”
I snicker. “Yes, I know. I’m just shocked my dad asked for you to join us. Usually, this press event is just an Armstrong ordeal.”
William shrugs. “Hey, I wasn’t about to tell him no.”
I take his arm. “Smart man.”