Royals

Chapter 24

"The guys are here!" Ariana joyfully shouted, gesturing for Lillia and me to follow behind her down the stairs.

When we reached the ground, my gold and sparkly, floor-length gown rested on the floor. I met the burning gaze of Joey, which was full of questions. Am I his date? Do we pretend everything is back to normal? Do we tell everyone that we're dating?

All I knew for sure was that you couldn't pay me enough to be Jake's escort.

So, in response, I confidently strode over to Joey, linking my arm through his. The cute, shy smile that landed on his face was enough to let me know I made the right decision.

Without another glance backwards, Joey and I led the way to the limo.

"Emily, I have a surprise for you," my mother announced, tugging gently on my shoulder.

"Yeah?" I asked in annoyance, my anger not yet subsided. She spun me around, forcing me to stare at my empty porch, before snapping her fingers. Moments later, a small, slender girl walked through the door.

"Anastasia," I breathily spoke. I took in my little sister's freshly curled hair and light makeup. She was dressed in a lilac, floor-length dress and a pair of not-too-tall heels.

"You're--you're really letting her come?" I stammered in astonishment.

"Yes, I think it's time that she finally came," my mother reasoned. Her tone was sophisticated and I could tell that there was more to the situation than what she led on.

But, in that moment, I didn't care.

I ran up to my little sister, nearly tripping over myself in the process. I swung my arms around her and picked her up, swinging her around in a circle.

"It'll be great tonight. You won't be disappointed," I promised.

I set her back down, grabbing her arm and dragging her giddy self to the limo. During the drive, Lillia and I gave Ana a quick overview of how the night should go. But when she seemed confused, we retreated from the topic. Instead, Joey kept Ana busy, making her laugh and telling her a few embarrassing stories.

I couldn't help myself: my eyes kept landing on Jake's hunched form. He spent the entire drive texting away on his iPhone, not bothering to pay us any attention.

Was dating Joey really worth the obvious rift in mine and Jake's relationship? It was quite obvious that we would never be able to restore our original relationship.

I guess I'll have to make the same decision he's been asking of me for weeks: Joey or Jake?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Emily, you remember Mrs. Rambly and her twins, correct?" my mother asked, gesturing to the three individuals in front of me.

"Yes, of course," I politely greeted.

The son, Brandon, extended his hand forward for a handshake, which I dutifully accepted. After clasping onto my hand, he placed a sweet, lingering kiss on the backside of it, never breaking eye contact. I displayed a fake smile as I gently yanked my arm free.

"This is my little sister, Anastasia," I introduced to Mrs. Rambly, transferring the attention away from me.

"You look beautiful, dear!" Mrs. Rambly shouted, inciting a blush on Ana's cheeks.

"I just wanted to let you girls know that Mrs. Rambly and I are now business partners," my mother said.

"Well, I'm glad you'll be able to do business with my mother. Hopefully that means I'll being seeing your family around more," I politely replied, not meaning a single word of it.