Chapter 7 #2
I have no protective feelings for her or Everett, but I’m angry at the fact that I’m forced to be stuck in their mess. I’m a pawn who doesn’t want to play, who doesn’t even want to be on the board. Yet here I am, being tossed back and forth like a ragdoll however the queen sees fit.
But not tonight. Tonight, I am Cirella Chamberlain, even if only to myself.
A waiter passes with a tray full of champagne glasses, and I stop him politely with a wave of my fingers.
“A glass, miss?” He lowers the tray for me to easily reach.
Tucking my phone between my arm and waist, I nod.
“Please.” I take one, and before I can even think it through, I reach for a second, smiling. “Thank you.”
Adrianna laughs at something Everett said, and it’s almost impressive how good of an actress she is.
I’m sure everyone in this room is as fooled as Everett … as my dad was.
This is her stage, and she’s acting for her prize—to become one of them, to belong as she’s always craved.
She rests her forehead against his, smiling softly, and for a second, even I wonder if it’s real.
But then I remember who she is—the monster who comes out in a private room, the one who shouts at me and hits me when no one is looking. That woman isn’t capable of love.
Carefully holding both glasses in one hand, I slip my phone into the tight waist line of my dress, allowing me to freely carry both glasses. Not that I need to for long.
I finish one of the glasses in a few gulps, loathing the taste as it runs down my throat. I’ve never been fond of the taste of alcohol the few times I’ve had it.
A twinkle catches my eye, and I look right, through the crowd and out of the windows on the far wall that overlooks the west garden. Lights are strewn through the hedges, and I know the place is decorated to perfection.
The idea pops into my mind, and my feet are already carrying it out.
Fresh air sounds like the most enjoyable thing in the world right now. Anywhere but with these people.
I think I’ll enjoy the view up close. Maybe it’ll help sort out my racing thoughts.
Sipping on my second glass, I make my way down the hall, through the foyer, and out of the guest entrance for tonight, fishing my phone out of my dress.
I follow the path outlined in glowing lights, letting it guide me deeper into the gardens lined by tall hedges. I believe this leads toward the fountain.
Maybe I’ll toss a coin in and make a wish … if I had a coin or a wish or if this was that kind of fountain.
No, what I need is a wish upon a star and a fairy godmother to answer. But unfortunately, I stopped believing in all of that when I was a child.
The quiet out here is startling in comparison to the noise inside. It’s much more my type of environment.
I’ve yet to run into anyone as I venture farther into the garden, but a few voices make my ears perk up. Two guys in a heated discussion.
Tiptoeing, I listen intently, my nosiness getting the better of me.
“I’m tired. I don’t want to deal with him anymore. He’s a fucking joke.” One of them curses, slapping the water with his hand. “How much longer do we have to put up with his games?”
Peeking around the corner, I see two striking men, their eyes shielded by masks, but the masks do little to conceal the massive athletic build in their white button-up dress shirts or perfectly tousled dark-brown hair above their heads.
One is just lighter than the other, barely even noticeable, but still dark nonetheless.
The one on the right, with the slightly lighter-dark-brown hair, sighs. “I don’t know. Hopefully not much longer.”
Silence passes, creating a cloud of discomfort in the air. Clearly, there is far more to say from the palpable tension.
“I miss her, man,” the left one says emotionally. “I don’t know how we keep doing this without her.”
The sorrow is soul-deep, and I feel it in my bones. I understand it almost instantly.
Maybe I should head back. I don’t want to intrude.
“Because our mom wouldn’t want us to sit and suffer. She’d want us to live. You know that,” the other counters.
Oh, I should not be here for this.
When I step back from the edge, my phone slips from my hand, and my heart leaps into my throat as I watch it fall to the ground in slow motion.
Crap.
Maybe they didn’t hear it—
“Who’s there?”
Nope. They definitely heard it.
Quickly grabbing my phone, I tuck my hands behind my back and step out of the shadows toward them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Turning, they both face me, their stares incredibly intimidating and beautiful. The one on the left has piercing blue eyes, and the right one’s are fairly similar but if you look close enough, you see the green swirls overpowering the dark blue, creating a unique green shade all his own.
An almost look of recognition dawns on their faces, but that can’t be true because if I knew these two men, I’d certainly remember.
Honesty flows from my lips as I continue, my word vomit getting the better of me, “I mean, technically, I was intentionally eavesdropping, but I didn’t think it was such a private conversation.” Shut up, Cirella! “Anyway, I apologize. I should go—”
“Wait.” Green Eyes smiles with a slight chuckle at my panic, and I swear my knees nearly give out. “Lady in Blue, come here.”
My cheeks heat up at the sultriness in his voice.
I should definitely head back inside. Nothing good can come from this.
My legs obey him as if they were made to, and I hold my hands up in defeat. “I really am sorry for interrupting. I was just getting some fresh air.”
“Please continue,” Blue Eyes cuts me off with a smile. “I think anything you have to say would be far more interesting than us.”
Have I entered an alternate universe? What the hell?
“I’m sorry about your mom.” I offer my condolences. “I know how hard that is.”
“You do?” Green Eyes ponders, and I nod.
As if a truth spell has come over me, I can’t seem to lie, although I have no reason to. These guys don’t know me, nor will they ever see me without my mask.
Green Eyes takes a step away from his friend, making room between the two of them. “Please. I think the air may be freshest by the water. But you’ll have to see for yourself.”
I hesitate, and the other one chimes in, “We won’t bite, I promise. Unless you ask, of course.”
Timidly, I take a step toward them, my hands nervously clasped at my back. “For a moment.” I swallow hard and do something I rarely do—face my fears. I join them at the fountain, my arms resting on the marble ledge between their arms.
They remain quiet, probably giving me time to continue my story if I see fit. I don’t know if it will help at all, but maybe telling them my truth will help them feel less alone.
Gently, I clear my throat. “My mom passed away when I was very young, four or five years old.” I pause, the second one more fresh in my soul. It feels like it was only yesterday. “My dad passed when I was twelve.”
“Fuck,” Blue Eyes curses, wincing. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry about your mom.” It finally dawns on me that these two aren’t friends, but brothers … obviously.
“Did your dad remarry after your mom?” Green Eyes asks, his voice a lot softer than earlier.
A snide chuckle escapes me. “Unfortunately, yes.”
He follows up with, “Is she still around?”
Sighing, I trail the tips of my right hand along the top of the water. “It’s … complicated, but, yes, she’s still around.”
“Should we also offer our condolences for her?” Blue Eyes smirks.
My stomach flutters from the mere look in his eye.
“Yeah, probably, given how wonderful she is,” I mutter sarcastically, and they both chuckle. “What about you guys? Did your dad remarry?”
The orchestral music from inside seems to grow louder in the passing silence as both of them hesitate to respond.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that. I don’t want to pry.”
Blue Eyes gently rests his hand on my arm. “No. It’s not you.” He chuckles nervously. “It’s just also complicated for us.”
I was hoping to make them feel less alone about their mother’s passing. Little did I know that they would help me feel included in other ways too.
Grinning, I bite down on my lip. “Should I offer my condolences?”
“Yeah,” the green-eyed brother scoffs, a serious tone in his voice that tugs at my heart.
“I’m sorry. At least you have each other though. That must make it a little easier.” My gaze finds the flowing water again, and I swish my hand in the small waves.
“It does.” Green Eyes continues, “Do you have any siblings?”
“No, I don’t. It’s just me.”
Laughter erupts from the path I came down, but it sounds far enough away to not bother us. I think whoever they are may just be hanging out in the gardens.
We stand and listen to joy erupt from that group.
I can’t help but find it kind of humorous that even at an event where identity is hidden, I still sink to the side.
But I’m not usually kept company by two massive, hot brothers.
It wouldn’t be so bad, shying away from people, if it was always like this.
A sniffle breaks the silence beside me.
“Does it get easier?” The pain in Blue Eyes’s voice tears through me, yanking my gaze up to his watery stare.
My hand finds his cheek as the first tear falls, my back finding the fountain as I turn. I shouldn’t feel this comfortable. He’s a stranger—they both are—yet here I am … wiping away his tears as his bottom lip trembles.
“It does, I think.” But even the mention of my parents rips the wound off my heart again. “I don’t know if easier is the right word. But over time, it hurts less, hurts differently. The rawness will fade more and more each day, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
The anguish in his eyes slices me to the core, and for some reason, I glance over to the other brother, wondering if he looks the same. He hides it better, but it’s there behind the shades of swirling green.
“It’ll get easier.”
Green Eyes nods so subtly that I almost miss it. He mouths the words, unable to speak, Thank you.