“Relax. I lost a game to that idiot, so I have to use his voice pack for a month. Almost over. Be patient.”
At the mall, I spotted a Hermès bag. I reached for my wallet, but Evander darted ahead to pay.
Then a voice I knew all too well called out behind me.
“Hey, that bag’s nice. Suits me.”
Althea.
She strutted over, trying on bags, smiling wide.
“Well, well. You’re not carrying your ugly backpack anymore? So feminine—Mama almost doesn’t recognize you.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
“What’s wrong? Charmed by Mama? Get in line. There are ten thousand ahead of you.”
The bile rose higher. I forced myself to speak.
“Miss Ravenscroft, I came here first. I’ve already paid.”
Althea poked Evander’s chest with her manicured finger.
“But I like it too. My boy, you decide—sisters or women? Don’t you dare put a woman before me.”
Evander burst out laughing.
“Alright, alright. It’s rare for you to want something. How could I resist you?"
My breath hitched, pain stabbing through my abdomen.
“Honey, don’t be angry,” Evander soothed quickly. “Althea hasn’t bought a bag in eight hundred years. Let her have this one. We’ll get you another. Any style you like—I’ll buy it for you.”