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VENUS EVANS

Age: 21

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“Lee!”

“What?”

“Do you have my dress? The red one that you always have your eye on?”

“It doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Then you don’t mind if I take a look around then?”

“Get out of my room.”

Melissa and her sister Venus stared each other down for a minute, before Venus dashed into Melissa’s bedroom.

“I’m just making sure you didn’t accidentally take it.”

“Don’t you see we’re busy?” Melissa grunted, throwing a pillow at her.

“Whatever. Hey Elizabeth,” Venus waved.

“Hi,” I waved back, stifling a laugh as Melissa pouted at her big sister’s obstinacy.

Coco and Mars, their toy poodles, trailed in behind Venus, wagging their tails happily.

“I wish I was an only child again,” Melissa groaned.

“You were never an only child. I’m older than you and it was the best three years of my life.”

“It was the best nine months of my life,” Melissa said, tossing another pillow at her. “Get out!”

Venus suddenly turned around with an angelic smile. “I’m borrowing these.” She held up a pair of silver strappy heels.

Melissa finally got off the bed with an irritated sigh. “Put them back.”

“Please, Lee?” Venus pleaded, holding the shoes to her chest. She batted her eyelashes. “Just for tonight. Remember that incident last week with the squirrel and the porcupine? You still owe me.”

“Ugh. If I say yes, will you leave?”

Venus nodded eagerly.

“Fine.”

Venus punched the air triumphantly and danced out of the room. “Bye, hun,” she called to me.

“Bye,” I waved.

Melissa rolled her eyes. “You don’t know how lucky you are to not have a sister.”

“I think it would be kind of fun though,” I mused.

“That’s what you think until you get one. She keeps taking my stuff.”

I laughed at Melissa’s disgruntled expression. Coco and Mars had found their way onto the bed and curled up beside us. They were so adorable!

I patted their heads as Melissa locked her door and came back over to the bed.

“Sorry about that,” she rolled her eyes. “Where were we? You’re worried that the soulmate bond is making you like Ashton?”

I nibbled my bottom lip and nodded. “Aren’t you surprised?”

“Not really,” she shrugged. “I figured it would happen at some point. I’ve been keeping an eye on the two of you.”

Melissa was always so perceptive.

“You guys look really good together. It was nice seeing you being happy with him.”

“We look good together?” I frowned.

“Yes,” she laughed and shook her head. “You two might just be the last ones to realize it.”

“Ugh.”

“Is it such a bad thing that you might like him?”

“He’s Ashton,” I reminded her with a sigh. “He’s not the kind of guy I should get involved with. And if I start liking him, then how do I stop? I’m not trying to join the royal family.”

“I think Queen Elizabeth has a buzz to it,” she grinned and I collapsed among the pillows with another sigh.

“Liz, it’s not the end of the world,” she said, patting my shoulder. “If you like him, then you like him. It’s that simple. I don’t know anything about the whole soulmate thing. Why don’t you try asking your dad?”

“It'll look weird if I suddenly ask about something that only royals and nobles should know about.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What do you feel when you’re with Ashton?”

“I don’t know…” I trailed off. “I feel like he can be a good guy if he tries to be. He’s arrogant and infuriating, but sometimes I get a glimpse of another side of him and I trust that side. I want to help him and be there for him.” I paused. “But it’s probably the dumb soulmate bond.”

“I don’t think you’ll find out if you don’t try,” she murmured. “You’re not the type to hold grudges. You always see the best in people and you forgive easily. If Ashton shows his nice side, then you’ll hold on to that.”

“But he’s not a nice guy. I should know better,” I groaned. “He’s only nice when he wants to be and I can’t tell when he’s genuinely being nice to me.”

“You know who should be here right now?” she giggled.

“Callie,” we both said in unison.

Callie was busy rehearsing for an audition and couldn’t come over to today. This was the perfect topic for her. Callie was in love with the idea of love.

“I’ll decide when the time comes,” I settled. “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”

“Do whatever’s best for you,” Melissa advised. “But don’t break your heart to heal someone else’s. If it won’t make you happy in the end, then don’t do it.”

I thought about that during the drive home. Ashton’s party was tomorrow and so far, I’d made no progress in talking to him. I did try, but he was too upset to listen to what I had to say. I was getting fed up with his behavior too. If he wanted to date Nicole again, then that was fine by me.

I just wanted things to go back to the way they were before his party, because that night changed my whole life, and I wasn’t sure I wanted the change.

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