The Gender End by Bella Forrest (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📕

“Nothing,” he finally said. “I find own girl. Like you find Viggo.”

I reached out and playfully ruffled his hair, and he ducked back out of reach, smiling. The song ended, and was replaced by a lively jig, and I looked over to see Margot grabbing Viggo for another dance. Cad watched from the sidelines, and then raised his glass from the table he was sitting at toward me, our gazes meeting. I felt confused as to why he was still sitting at his table so far away, until a few people moved and I saw Henry and Sarah both lying on some chairs, fast asleep, mouths ringed with white frosting. It was odd—neither of the two slices of cake in front of them seemed touched, save for a few small bites—but maybe they’d just been too tired to eat. I smiled and he gave me a droll look followed by a shrug.

“Say what you want about him, he’s a good dancer,” Amber exclaimed as she dropped into the seat next to me, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming faster.

“What is the deal with these glasses?” I asked, and Amber flashed me a smile.

“It was part of his disguise when we went into the stadium,” she informed me. “Just trust me—and hope that his vision starts going later in life, because he pulls them off well.”

I snorted. “I feel like I should be uncomfortable with all this.”

“Oh, whatever. We all know that Viggo is eye candy, but he’s eye candy that only has eyes for you. Your babies are going to be gorgeous.”

“Geez, don’t say that. We can’t even contemplate kids right now, not until this whole mess is over.”

“Well, it’ll be over soon enough,” Amber sighed, and I frowned, the reality of the next few days suddenly hitting me, everything in my stomach seeming leaden while my heart began to race. Amber noticed, and grabbed my hand. “Violet, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

I looked into her earnest eyes and nodded, sucking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out. Amber looked around the room, her scrutiny stopping as she met Logan’s gaze, and then she deliberately turned her back to him and cleared her throat.

“What’s up with that?” I asked after a moment, nodding toward Logan.

Amber sighed and picked at the tablecloth, her mouth turning down. I almost expected her to clam up, like she had many times in the past, but this time, she started to talk.

“I told you the story about the pilot who trained me, right?”

I nodded. “And I know that pilot was Logan. How did that even happen? The heir to the Deepvox legacy getting hired on as a heloship pilot? I’m surprised he even had to work.”

“He didn’t,” Amber replied honestly. “He did it because he wanted to. He wanted to build a name for himself outside of his father’s legacy. It’s what made him so attractive to me in the first place. Y’know, a man not letting other men elevate him? Trying to do things on his own, make his own reputation? It was refreshing. And then when I could see he was attracted to me… I sort of played on it to get what I wanted.”

“Amber!” I exclaimed, and she flushed.

“Look, I was sixteen, and I did like him. I mean, honestly, I really wanted to spend time with him, as well as learn how to be a pilot.” She shrugged and took a sip of her cider, her smile catlike for a moment. “I didn’t see the harm in doing both.”

“But…” I trailed off after she fell silent, her gaze fixed on the drink in her hand.

She blinked and then sighed, setting the mug on the table. “But my father”—she grimaced—“found out. He, uh, caught us making out inside the heloship and dragged me to my room. Locked me in. At first I didn’t know what had happened. They sequestered me in my room for three days, only food and drinks and my tutors. Then my father comes in and tells me I’ll be marrying Logan. Just like that. No discussion from him, and no conversation from Logan. I was just expected to shut up and do what I was told. Everything was arranged.”

“But, if you liked him—”

“Yes, exactly! I liked him—I didn’t know if I loved him. I was sixteen, Violet! He was almost nineteen. And all I could think to myself once I found out he had arranged our marriage with my father without even talking to me was that… he was just like every other man in Patrus, and to him I was just like any other woman—marry me and keep me in my place. It could have been anybody and he would have done the same thing; preserve his reputation, get a good, obedient wife at the same time—”

She broke off, her cheeks flushed with anger, and looked around. So did I, and I realized her voice had gotten loud enough to draw notice. Glaring at the people who had turned and stared, Amber held their gazes until they turned back to the party, and then sighed, speaking in a slightly lower voice.

“So I snuck out. Jeff helped me, once I explained, and I took one of the cars over to the Vox estate and snuck in. Daddy designed their security system, so it was easy enough to bypass. I got into Logan’s room, and he looked at me like I was crazy for being there. We fought, and he just didn’t get it, so I told him to call off the contract… or have the coroner on standby on our wedding night.” She took a sip of her cider, draining it, and set the cup down on the table with a thud. “He called it off. I thought that would be the end of it, until my father informed me he’d found someone three times Logan’s age to marry me to—somebody richer, somebody who would pay