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Prologue

A pluarette smoke was the only indication that I wasn’t alone in the brisk night, shadowed by the few lights in the alleyway I wasn’t walking away fro scene inside the nor it for the ency exit He lookedin dark dress clothes and putting on a good face to appease the people for the sake of his best friend

Pushing myself off the brick wall that vibrated my chest with every pump of the slow bass, I foundover the cracked pavement until my eyes elcomed by expensive polished Tom Ford dress shoes and pressed dress slacks, perfectly tailored to the tall six-five figure encoht white silk pulled over taut muscles and olive skin with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showcasing bulging veins in his forearht

I knew the brand of the shoes he wore because I’d once used the a dance very sio My feet were too tiny to keep up with the slow melody that he set for us at the time Stand on my feet, little Della I knew they must have been expensive because the blonde woasped atthem as a platform I didn’t like her because she s and floral that made my eyes itch More than that,up all his time and attention if I wasn’t plastered on his feet

But Theodore West and I danced like that,as I wanted, which was rant anybody Even the blonde Perhaps the kindness he offeredthe secondhand ss with every inhale I forced myself to take

I hated s it when he knewcancer I randparents, but that didn’t make the outcorew up adoring sucked in nicotine like it was his favorite flavor

“You shouldn’t be out here” His gruff voice penetrated the silence, oosebumps

Tightening my jacket over the skin exposed froed myself for warmth “You shouldn’t be either, especially without a jacket on It’s cold”

“I’arette, still not looking at me His focus was on the ehts My father had loved this section of the city despite it being worn down and half abandoned He hatedit on more than one occasion, no matter his soft spot for the warehouse that he er

“You left,” I noted idiotically, shifting on my feet They ached from the four-inch platforood, longer, which er dress It wasfor tonight’s “celebration” of my father’s life

He finally turned his head, his dark blue eyes piercingout here, Adele?”

Adele Not Della He called me that when he was upset Not always at oodbye to apast the luh “Checking on you You were quiet all night and looked like you wanted to murder everybody who came up to you”

“I’m not a fan of the socialites who decided to coraces out of civility, but even he thought they were pompous assholes We both knoho his true friends hen shit hit the fan Where were they then? Don’t get me started on their comments on the reception like it should have been held at the fucking Ritz or some shit”