The Risks we take

Twenty Eight

Sloane

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly known exactly how powerful you are?

A question I'd been asking myself a lot of recently.

Because every room I walked into had eyes set on me. Every single one of them was buying into my plan. My manipulation. And tonight, was no different. I stepped out of the car with my usual unbothered face slapped across it.

Unbothered as the cameras flashed, gold light reflecting across the room from my dress.

Unbothered as I was handed a glass of champagne with Eden by my side.

Unbothered as my parents small talked with people about work things.

The same face I'd had before I left London. The same face I had for photos that weren't posted by me or close friends. The same one that had Reed texting me daily, saying he was worried about me. I was fine. Really fine. I just missed him more than I should at this stage.

But he'd be here tonight.

Reed would be in the same room as me again and I was trying not to think about that. Because as much as I'd missed him, it had been 2 weeks and I was expecting him to say he'd found someone else in that time. I was ready for it. I'd prepared myself for it. It would probably be late on in the night when he dropped it on me. Less eyes, he could leave after, I'd probably decide to not even bother going back to New York. I'd been running everything from here perfectly fine.

Maybe my expectations were wrong because a gentle brush of fingers on my lower back before a deep, thick accent hovered above my head. Smelling like a walk through some woods after it's rained and being on a cliff looking out at the ocean a few hundred feet below at the same time. And in an instant, everything was okay again.

"Mr and Mrs Windsor." Reed charmed. His arm brushing beside mine, a finger tracing down the back of my hand that made my heart skip a few beats. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, stopping myself from dragging my hands up to his perfectly styled hair, just to mess it up and have my Reed back. The one that loves me. The Reed that loves me couldn't style his hair and didn't bother with it before I left because I kept running my hands through it anyway. "Sloane." Deep breath. "How lovely to see you all again."

My parents glared at him. They still weren't convinced about him. I'd tried everything but I was trying to convince them when I wasn't completely there myself. But when Reed grabbed my hanging fingers, giving them a subtle squeeze in and amongst the fabric of my dress hanging beside me, I looked up.

Sky blue eyes. The bluest I'd ever seen. Blue than the cloudless one above the boat out on the med last summer. Bluer than the crystal clear water on the south coast of Italy. Bluer than my heart had been for the last 2 weeks.

I felt the tension drop from my body like a 60lb jacket.

I blinked a few times, slowly pulling my eyes away from him even though I didn't want to. I want to stare at him all night. Forever.

"Reed Lawson. Is your father here? I'd love to have a word."

"Calvin Lawson is around here somewhere. The man is my father by law alone. He can rot in hell as far as I'm concerned." Strong start to meeting my parents there Reed. My mum kept looking down at our hands, not excessively hidden in the layers of tulle falling from my shoulder. There was one thing I had never done, with the countless guys I'd brought home to them. PDA. Those boys were never touched around my parents. It had always felt weird to me. I mean, I had no doubt they knew we did indeed touch or whatever but the thought of doing it around them. Even simple things like hand holding or a hug made me feel sick.

Here I was, letting Reed cling to my fingers like I might run away if he doesn't, trying not to lay my head on him or wrap myself up in him because I needed his comfort. I needed his warmth and his scent all over me.

My dad tilted his head slightly and I looked up at him. This was his secret. He didn't have to-

"I was adopted as a child. By Calvin. He wanted a child but didn't have anyone to have one with so he adopted me." Something my mum could never have given him, a child. It cost them a lot to get me. Not even monetary. Physically. So many injections and retrievals. 4 tries at IVF and they finally landed with me. They'd tried again after I was born. Apparently it's easier to get pregnant after one pregnancy has been successful. 3 more miscarriages and they gave up. Happy they at least got me.

"You're adopted?" Mum finally spoke. "You're not related to him?"

"No. I'm very thankful that I'm not as well. He's never been the best father figure." I turned my hand, giving up with him just holding onto my fingers. I interlocked our hands, pressing my fingers into his, forcing the palm of his hand to sit flush with mine. "Made me believe a lot of things that aren't true and I have your daughter to thank for showing me they are."

I could feel my face burning with a dark red blush, not daring to look at him right now. Or my father. As he started talking about the weather and climate change, just to change the conversation. The one person I could look at was my mum.

She'd been the worst about me dating Reed. Thinking he'd have gotten the worst of his dad's behaviours. That's what his reputation showed her too. Everyone in fact. But in this very moment. Stood here in a packed out room, Reed had found me. After 2 weeks of not seeing me, he found me and instantly grabbed for my hand. She'd seen how I reacted to him being close. How I was no longer looking around the room, fading out of the conversations around me. She'd noticed the small, natural smile on my lips and she saw how Reed was holding my hand so tight our fingers were red.

She nodded slowly. Smiled, shook her head and looked behind her to the wall not too far away and nodded her head in the direction of a glass door.

Reed saw it. Taking my hand and pulling me around the group.

"Justbe back before the awards Sweetheart."