Heart of Stone

The Opal Room

Eloise got ready for Alexander's party in her bathroom with some excitement. It hadn't been that long since she'd last seen him, but she found herself wanting to be around him as much as possible. Her heart ached with longing every time they parted ways.

She donned a stunning red, sleeveless lace dress with a delicate floral pattern, the skirt flaring out from the waist in a see-through cascade of red fabric that was shorter in the front and longer in the back. She paired it with a pair of gold heels and natural looking makeup with red lips, accentuating her delicate mouth. She put her hair up in an elegant looking bun with two short pieces curling around her face, framing it perfectly.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she made her way down the hallway. She fed Luna and let her out, the sun setting over the horizon, washing her garden in hues of dusky gold and purple. She breathed in the smell of the flowers wafting on the slight breeze, the hot summer air fading with the daylight into a comfortable warm.

Once Luna was done with her business, she made sure she had fresh water and pat the dog gently on the head.

"I'll be back later. You hold down the fort for me, okay?" She said, smiling gently as Luna licked her fingers.

She closed and locked the door behind her, then headed over to Violet's house. When she arrived, she pulled out her phone and texted her to let her know she was outside. A few minutes later, the front door opened, and Violet emerged into the twilight.

She wore a knee-length, grey sparkling dress that seemed to perfectly fit the time of day. It had a fitted bodice that cinched in at the waist and a full skirt with a high round neckline and sheer sparkling half sleeves. As she approached the vehicle, Eloise noticed she'd done her nails to match, an elegant sparkling gray, paired with a thin gold rope chain around her neck. She left her beautiful dark hair loose down her back and the burgundy color of her lips offset it perfectly. 

"You look gorgeous." Eloise complimented as she climbed into the vehicle.

"It's not every day I get to accompany my cousin to her billionaire husband's party." She said, smiling.

Eloise chuckled.

"But he still doesn't know he's my husband." She pointed out as she put the car in reverse.

"That's alright, we know." Violet waved off, putting her seat belt on.

Eloise shook her head with an amused smile, always happy to be in Violet's presence. It lifted her spirits and made the burdens she carried seem less heavy. She pulled out of the driveway and made her way into the heart of the city.

Finding parking would be tricky, she knew, given night had begun to fall. The night lifers would be coming out, choking up the streets near the restaurants and bars. She found a space by chance not too far from the place Alexander had named and smoothly slid her car into it beside the curb. She thought of texting him to let him know they were there, but she didn't want him to feel the need to leave his own party to meet her when she could just walk there with Violet.

They chatted as they made their way down the busy sidewalk, their heels clicking against the cement. After a few minutes, suddenly someone stopped Violet in her tracks. Alarmed, Eloise turned, and her heart dropped into her stomach.

Julian Styles had Violet tugged close against him, his hand wrapped around her arm. To anyone passing by, they would have looked like a couple, but his fingers dug sharply into Violet's soft skin, and she threw a panicked look at Eloise. She instinctively took a step closer, fear fueling her, but a small tug on Violet's arm, bringing her in even closer to him, stopped her.

"Nice to see you, Eloise." He gave her a charming smile.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"I'd like to spend some time with you and your friend here." He said, smirking.