“All right.” Steve nods. “I’m okay with that.” He holds up a finger. “Hold on. I’ll be right back. I got you a few things.”

Apprehension builds inside me as I watch Steve jog up the stairs. Oh God. What did he get me now? I hear a drawer opening and closing, and then he reappears a minute later with a small leather case in his hand.

“A couple things,” he tells me. “First, Callum said he hadn’t gotten you a credit card yet, so I took care of it.”

He holds out a black card.

I warily accept it. The card is shiny and heavy. For a second, I’m excited to have it—until I see the name embossed on it with gold lettering.

ELLA O’HALLORAN.

Steve notices my frown but answers it with a broad smile. “I’ve already secured the paperwork to legally change your surname. I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

My jaw drops. Is he serious? I flat-out told him I wanted to keep my mom’s last name. I’m Ella Harper, not O’Halloran.

Before I can object, he turns toward the stairs. “Dinah, get down here,” he orders. “I have something for you.”

Dinah appears, her shrewd eyes focused on Steve. “What is it?”

He beckons her. “Come down.”

The snake inside her looks ready to pounce, but she obviously manages to restrain it, because she descends the stairs and walks stiffly to Steve.

He holds out another credit card. This one is silver rather than black.

“What’s this?” She stares at it as if it might explode in her hand if she tries to touch it.

Steve smiles, but it’s cold and mean. “I was going over your recent credit card statements and they seemed exorbitantly high. So I canceled those cards. This is the one you’ll use from now.”

Fire flashes in her eyes. “But this is a basic card!”

“Yes,” he agrees. “The limit is five thousand. That should be more than enough for you.”

Her mouth opens. And closes. And opens. And closes. This goes on for a while. I hold my breath as I examine her face, waiting for her to lose it. Five thousand dollars might be a fortune for me, but I know it’s peanuts for Dinah. There’s no way she’s going to take this well.

Except…she does.

“You’re right. That seems like more than enough,” she answers in a sweet voice.

But when Steve bends his head to take something else out of his leather case, Dinah gives me a look so icy and scathing that I find myself shivering. When her gaze lowers to the black card I’m holding, I’m afraid she might actually hit me.

“The last item of business,” Steve announces, handing me a sheet of paper.

I glance at it and see a printout of airline tickets. “What’s this?”

“Tickets to London,” he says happily. “We’re going there over the holidays.”

I wrinkle my brow. “We are?”

He picks up his drink. “Yes. We’ll stay at the Waldorf, visit a few castles. You should make a list of the things you want to see,” he encourages.

“All of us are going?” Reed never said a word to me about the Royals going to London for Christmas. Maybe he doesn’t know?

“No, just us. If you’re calling in our dinner, I’d like the salmon.” He tips his head toward the menu I’d left on one of the end tables.

“London is so lovely in the winter,” Dinah remarks, her demeanor brightening. She mockingly waves her silver card in the air. “I guess I’ll have an opportunity to put this to use.”

“Actually, you’re staying behind.” Steve is darn near smirking. He’s clearly enjoying tormenting her. “It’ll just be Ella and me. A father/daughter bonding trip, if you will.”

I frown deeply. “What about the Royals?”

“What about them?”

“Are they going, too?” I give him back the printout.

He tucks the paper in the leather case and tosses it onto the sideboard. “I have no idea what they’re doing for the holidays. But Reed can’t leave the country, remember? He had to surrender his passport to the DA’s office.”

I can’t keep the dismay off my face. It’s true—Reed can’t leave town.

But I can’t believe Steve’s planning on taking me out of town for the holidays. I’m going to miss my first Christmas with Reed? That’s so unfair.

Steve reaches out and dabs his knuckle under my chin. “It’ll only be for a week.” He arches a brow. “Besides, after seeing Reed at all those games, you’ll probably need a break, don’t you think? I can even arrange it that we go for longer…”

The message is clear. If I don’t go to London with him, I don’t get to travel with the dance team. Like the deal I struck with Jordan, it’s imperfect, but I force myself to smile and nod, because in the end I’m still getting what I want.

“No, a week is great,” I say with forced cheeriness. “I’m excited. I’ve never been out of the country before.”

Steve breaks out into a giant smile. “You’ll love it.”

Dinah, meanwhile, is glaring at me with the heat of a million suns.

“Darling, go upstairs and change for dinner,” Steve tells his fuming wife. “I’ll order you a salad.”

As she storms off, I call in the order and then listen to Steve babble while we wait for dinner. After it’s over, I escape to my room and text Reed immediately.

I’m allowed 2 go 2 the game! Be prepared. Bring a big box of condoms and eat a few energy bars. Ur going 2 need it.

For the game?

The game is easy-peasy compared to the workout I’m putting u through after.

Do u want me to walk arnd w/ a permanent HO?

Yup.

We’re supposed to be waiting.

I’m done waiting. Get ready.

I punctuate that with a smiley face and then put the phone away and do some homework.

20

Ella

Say what you will about Jordan, but the girl has a serious work ethic. For the rest of the week, I’m forced to endure twice-a-day dance practices—one in the morning and one after school. And although we’re practicing on the same field and in the same gym as the football team, I don’t have time to even look at Reed, let alone talk to him.