Page 48 of The Predator

I’m not sure what to say, so I say nothing at all. Bel drags us both through the door, and the little ding of the bell announces our presence. It’s a beautiful shop, all white and black onaccenting marble. The mannequins are stick figures barely holding clothing arranged artfully around the room. This is not a place I’d ever come to shop. I risk a look at Bel, but she seems determined.

A small woman in black slacks and a black blouse comes around from the back of the shop. "Ah, Ms. Arturo, you've returned. How can we help you today?”

“Yes, my friend would like to try on some dresses if you have time?” Bel answers for both of us.

“Of course we have time, anything for you.” The woman smiles and gestures for us to follow her.

Bel leads me to the back room, following behind the woman. We pass down a hall, and then a curtain is pulled to the side, and we step into a beautiful, relaxing space. In front of us is a low white couch. Bel guides me over to it, and I sink down into its soft, comfy cushions.

"Cecile, we need a dress for my friend Ely here. A special dress. Can you help us?"

She gives a little bow as a second staff member appears with a tray of cookies and tea.Ohhh, this is fancy.Cecile stares at me for a long moment and then waves her hand to request I stand. I scurry to my feet and let her turn me ever so slightly. "Do you prefer long or short dresses?" She asks.

I let my mouth flop open a second as I spot a line of wedding dresses on a rack by the wall. I don’t know. Thankfully, Bel swoops in to save the day. "This is all new to her. We are shopping for an intimate wedding ceremony so pick something to make her husband drool."

The sound ofher husbandin regards to me makes my insides churn, and I sink back onto the couch slowly.Wait, did she say wedding?Bel notices the change and hands me a cookie. "Relax. I know it's all new to you. I understand. I also understand this might not be the way you wanted things to go, but I’m a glasshalf-full kind of girl. Have you thought of the good parts this arrangement brings?”

Cecile leaves us then, and I take a long deep breath to try and gain control of my fractured composure. "Good things? Like what?"

Bel tilts her head, her mouth turned down as she studies me. "I get you didn't envision the marriage part going like this, but It's not like you and Sebastian didn't have serious chemistry before all of this, right? You've been making mooney eyes at him since I met you. And soon we can have a real party, a real wedding to enjoy."

The thought of how ridiculous I acted makes my neck burn with shame.

"So," she continues. "You have Sebastian. And he is devoted to you. Completely. There will never be someone more in your corner or protective."

I sigh. She doesn’t know everything, though. She doesn’t know who her brother really is, or what he’s done. "Okay, but what if you knew Drew did something terrible? Like really, really terrible and he kept it from you even though you were part of it, and he should’ve told you. How would you feel?"

Something shifts in her eyes and she turns to busy herself making a cup of tea even though she's got a half-filled iced coffee on the table as well. "I would be upset and angry, but I would also have to learn to accept maybe he did a terrible thing to protect me? Not everything is cookie cutter style, Elyse. Sometimes the person you love does stupid things in an effort to lessen your own pain. It’s your job to decide if you can forgive him or not.”

Bel sounds like she's speaking from experience and it makes me study her a little harder. "Am I missing something? You’re talking like you’ve experienced this before?"

She waves her hand, dismissing my question, "This isn’t about me. This is about you. Now tell me, what did Sebastian do?"

I freeze, partially because I want to protect Sebastian at all costs. I don’t want anyone else to think ill of him, but if I can’t tell her then who can I tell?

Bel abandons her tea and clasps my hands in hers. “It doesn’t matter what he did, Elyse. He’s my brother, and whatever you tell me will not change that.”

I swallow around the knot in my throat, and force the words out. "He killed his grandfather while I lay dying in the foyer."

She blinks once, only taken off guard a tiny bit by such a confession. "Why? Why did he kill him?" It's not the question of a sister, but a friend. It feels like she's on my side, and I guess I didn’t realize how much I've needed that. The tightness in my chest loosens.

"I don’t know one hundred percent why he did it, but I think it was because his grandfather purchased me in exchange for my father's gambling debts."

"That sounds like a good reason, right?"

I ponder her response. What would life have been like if Sebastian’s grandfather was in control of me, in control of my well being? I don’t have to imagine but for a few seconds to know it would have been hell compared to what I face with Sebastian every day. He was just like my father, thinking he was above common decency like respecting personal autonomy.

"Do you know what kind of man he was? The grandfather?"

Bel nods and looks down at our joint hands. "He wasn’t a good man, not at all. He made it his dying mission to turn Sebastian into the perfect heir. I hate to think what would’ve become of you, or even me, if Sebastian hadn’t made that sacrifice.”

I’m startled when a loud clatter fills the space, and I jump up from my seat. Bel’s grip on me tightens, reminding me everything is okay. Nothing is going to happen. Her eyes are trained on me, and after a moment she whispers, "It's okay. It's fine. It was just the staff dropping something."

My body trembles, my heart hammers against my ribcage.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Everything is okay.” Bel soothes, and her voice helps to keep me present.

A few moments later, a young woman walks into the room carrying a few dresses and shoes, her heart-shaped face red like she’s embarrassed. She hangs the dresses and places the accessories on the display and then disappears again, and I sink back down onto the couch.