19. Sienna
nineteen
Sienna
After Jace dropped me off mid-day yesterday, the reality of what I’d done over the course of the day sunk in.
It’s only been a few weeks we’ve started tackling things off of my list, but I already feel different. I feel safe, like I can be myself with him. I don’t know what that says about him or what we have going on, but I don’t want to fuck it up.
What I’m not happy about is the amount of work that I’ve allowed to pile up.
Not schoolwork or anything like that, I get most of my homework done after classes end.
I’m behind on practicing for the Winter Showcase. Granted, I only missed one practice, but I did leave another one early. Thoughts of failure and a horrible future plagues my mind as I get ready for today.
It’s Saturday, and I have nothing planned for the day.
Cleo’s home with that guy, Jake, studying for some project, and I’m pretty sure Georgia is on the other side of town, scouring different fabric shops for an internship she’s looking into for next summer.
That just leaves Oscar and I, alone with my studies. Midterms are coming up soon, so I should probably get in all the studying that I can right now before I become too stressed to retain any knowledge.
I’d never really studied as a kid, school just came easier to me. But now that I’m in college, I need all the time that I can get to study.
Heaving a deep sigh, I take a sip of the peach kombucha that I’d left in the fridge and frown .
Maybe I could call Daisy over and we figure out some more choreo? I think just as the doorbell rings.
“Did Georgia forget her key again?” I say aloud, crossing the living room to the front door and when I check the peephole, my heart drops.
Jace stands on the other side of the door, smiling cheekily, holding his phone up to the small hole.
“Open up, gorgeous.” His words bring life to my body, sending chills down my spine, leaving my mouth watering.
Oh my goodness, girl. Tighten up!
Schooling my expression, I open the door, stepping aside quickly before closing it behind me, thankful that I’d worn slippers to the living room.
Jace’s eyes trail my body, slowly drinking me in from my legs to my hips, chest and lips.
I shift, skin burning. I’m not wearing the most inappropriate sleepwear, but I’m wearing a pair of tiny shorts and a loose Twisted Viper’s band tee without a bra.
My nipples harden from his obvious perusal of my body as Jace clears his throat. His eyes that were on my lips flicker to my chest as I fold my arms before connecting with my eyes.
“What are you doing here?” I question him, yelling in a whispered tone as Jace huffs as if to say do I really need a reason to be here? He holds his phone out to me, as if that answers my questions.
Swatting it away, I frown. “Listen, I really need to study…I can’t play mind games with you right now,” I say lying through my teeth. I want nothing more than to play mind games with him. At least that way I won’t be bored out of my mind.
“Oh trust me, babe, you want to play this one. Plus, it's Saturday night and midterms are in two weeks…This is the only time you’ll get before you’re studying your cute little life away.” He smirks, dangling his phone teasingly as if to tempt me.
Frowning, I unfold my arms, tilting my head up and giving him direct eye contact. “You’ve got five minutes to explain. ”
“There’s a party, and we’re going. So go get your cute little ass ready.”
My tongue pokes in my cheek as I think over his words. A party could be what I need to let loose a little bit more, and we can also scratch some things off of the list by going.
Jace must sense my skepticism because he frowns slightly, holding up his pinky to me. “You won’t know anyone there but me, angel. I’ll protect you, I promise.”
“Fine but, wait in your car. Cleo and her guy friend are here doing a project together…” Conceding, I lock pinkies with the man. My skin heats at his touch as he gives me a devilish grin.
My heartbeat rackets against my chest as Jace’s green eyes remain locked on mine as he leans down, sealing our promise with a kiss to our knuckles.
It takes me about forty-five minutes to fully psych myself up and get ready. I’m listening to Zola’s new song, applying the last bit of my lip gloss when my door flies open. Freezing, I eye the blonde standing in my doorway.
Georgia gasps quietly, shutting the door quickly behind herself as she stalks into my room.
“Oh. My—” She widens her eyes, taking me in as I cut her off.
“Don’t—”
She waves me off. “Oh I won’t…You look fucking hot! ” she squeals quietly, jumping up and down.
My cheeks heat from her praise as I eye myself in the mirror once again.
My pink curls are slowly growing out and lightening to a light pastel pink with dark brown, grown out roots.
Tonight, I’m wearing my hair out in a curly middle part with a bit tugged behind my ear on the right side.
I picked a cute, sparkly, purple mini dress for the party that I’ve never worn, and paired it with a pair of silver, strappy heels.
My makeup is light and airy with minimal contour and blush, leaving attention on my luscious lashes and lip combo.
I look damn good if I do say so myself. Grinning at my reflection, I do a small spin for Georgia. She pretends to be paparazzi, snapping pictures of me as we laugh before the mood takes a small turn with her sighing .
“Look…I won’t tell her and I’ll always have your back, but you need to tell her soon…The two of you have been going out a lot lately, and Cleo’s not dumb. She may be a bit oblivious because of Captain Hockey Dick out there but, I’m not.”
Her words hit me like a truck, and I know that she’s right. Cleo isn’t dumb, just distracted…and that’s only going to last but so long. I need to tell her about my arrangement, but when?
She and I have never kept anything from each other…
“We’ll talk about it later, babe. As of right now, I’m going to help you sneak out…”
And Georgia does just that, whispering and rushing me out of the apartment like we’re in a spy movie, moving stealthily and carefully.
By the time I’m outside, I’m running to the familiar green Aston Martin in the lot. The car’s owner stands outside, leaning against the hood of the car, eyes wide.
“You look—”
“I missed you so much!” I squeal, hugging the car's hood. After riding as a backpack on a Ducati for the better part of the day before Jace had to go to hockey practice yesterday, let’s just say that I’m never wishing to be a backpack again.
“Wow, Sienna! I missed you, too, here’s some sugar!” the asshole mocks sarcastically, kissing the air.
I flip him the bird, scrunching my face. “Ha-ha…very funny.”
Jace blows an air kiss to me, humoring himself as he opens the door for me. His crisp, clean scent is intoxicating as he leans across me after I get in the car. My breath hitches and the air around us grows thick with tension as he buckles my seatbelt.
Our eyes lock. I drown in his mossy orbs and my breathing slows.
Jace has the type of face that artists dream about.
It’s masculine beauty in its rawest form, and being this close to him, I can see everything from his long, dark lashes to the small splattering of light brown freckles decorating his nose and cheeks.
My eyes track as his lip quirks, smirking slightly .
“I could’ve done it myself,” I say, trying and failing to add some bite to my tone. Instead, my words are breathless and lacking in punch as he breaks out in a full blown grin.
Dear God…
“Sure you could’ve, but I wanted to,” he says simply before getting in the car himself, pulling us out of my complex's parking lot.
Jace’s hand rests on my thigh, his thumb swirling small circles on my naked flesh as I get comfortable in the seat. Soft R&B plays on the aux, lulling me into a comfortable bliss.
“ARE YOU READY TO GET FUCKED UP?!”
My body is jolted out of its quick slumber as Jace yells along to whatever fucking EDM artist he likes. He pumps his fist, chewing his bottom lip in a weird bro move as he pulls up outside of a packed neighborhood block.
It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to my surroundings, but when they do, I smile.
There’s nothing but drunk college kids, dudes in togas, and red and white streamers everywhere.
“Are we?" I furrow my brows looking over at Jace, jumping slightly when I realized he’d already been looking my way.
“At the Nolince U Omega chapter about to get fucked up? Yes. Let’s go, hot stuff.”
Jace holds my hand, guiding me through the packed Nolince U frat house.
I grip his hand a little tighter as he leads me through to an empty space in the house's living room, coughing a bit as someone blows blue raspberry flavored smoke my way.
Jace squeezes my hand, smiling as he pulls me into him by my waist .
“What number on the list are we doing?” I ask, shouting over the loud music blaring in the house.
“Six and eight, but don’t worry, gorgeous, I’m on angel protection all night.” He grins, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as he walks us to the kitchen. I watch, standing next to him as he makes us some drinks.
Jace’s arms are on full display tonight, and my mouth waters at the sight of his thick veins popping up from his skin. He senses my obvious perusal of him and grins, holding out a cup to me. “Cheers. To getting blacked out.”
“To getting blacked out.” I nod.
We move back to the living room, finding a small space in the corner and take shot after shot—or I do, at least. Jace sticks to a singular shot of tequila, but I’ve had about six or seven.
Rap music plays on the house's speakers, and everyone in the party seems to be enjoying themselves even as the songs change to a more sensual vibe. My pulse quickens as Jace wraps his arms around my waist, perching on the dip above my ass.
He smiles down at me, our faces close as we grind against one another, getting lost in each other's bodies. I’m warm from all the shots I’ve taken, and I’m nowhere near done. Even though the house is crowded with people, it feels like we’re alone as we dance against one another.
I don’t know when, or how our positions changed, but my back is to Jace’s hard chest now.
The music is fast yet just the vibe needed for me to grind against him.
My pussy clenches around nothing as Jace hardens behind me.
If you were wondering—the answer is yes.
It’s huge. My breathing quickens as he grips my hips, grinding into me in tandem with my dancing.
His hands roam freely against my body, sending goosebumps and chills all over me. As I grind deeper against him, I throw an arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer.
Jace chuckles softly, almost inaudibly as he holds me against him, his hands on my stomach. My smile is lazy as he cups my chin, tilting my head up to his, melting his lips against mine .
I gasp as he kisses me, but he doesn’t hold back.
Taking it as an opening, he inches his tongue inside.
Like muscle memory, I kiss back, my mouth moving against his as if to say welcome home, we missed you.
It’s sloppy, and sexy, and everything I could’ve ever pictured a kiss in this environment would be.
In a room where I don’t know anyone, grinding against one another, we make out. I twist to fully face and give him my all. When his large hand grasps my ass possessively, I smile into the kiss.
Here, at this party, I can be free with a guy who I like way too much for my own good.
Jace may think that I don’t trust him, and in a way, I don’t.
I don’t trust him not to leave me when he’s scared like I did to him two years ago.
I don’t trust him to not leave me alone after he’s done with me like my parents had, and I know that this isn’t something that I should put on him.
I’m trying my hardest not to. But here, at this party, I can trust and be free with him because no one knows us.
They don’t know our past or our present.
I’m scared of the fact that I may just still be in love with this man from my past. I’m scared that Cleo will find out and then want nothing to do with me because of this thing between him and I. I can’t lose her, but I want nothing more than to lose myself in him.
To be with him.
And that fact alone scares me the most.
It’s been two years since we’ve tangled ourselves deeply in one another’s web, and over a decade of me pining after the blond boy from around the corner.
I want Jace Heart, but what would that mean for my sanity?
Jace kisses me again, softly this time before resting his head against my own. He clears his throat. “I want you more than anything, but I much rather you when you’re sober.”
Wait no! Don’t stop the sexy kissing time…
Did I say that in my head or out loud?
Jace’s answering chuckle has my eyes widening, Oh my goodness…I sa id it out loud.
“You’re saying everything out loud, Sienna.” He grins, kissing my forehead tenderly. “Now let’s go do what we originally came here to do.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice, I didn’t watch YouTube videos on how to do a keg stand for nothing. After an extensive bit of research, I’m pretty sure that a keg will hate to see me coming.
I’m going to be the keg stand queen.
Jace looks me up and down, eyes assessing before he digs in his pocket, pulling out a crumbled lump of grey material.
“What’s this?” I ask, crooking my neck at the glob as he smiles.
“Shorts…if you think I’m letting you do a keg stand in a dress, you’re mistaken.” He chuckles, handing them to me.
I roll my eyes as I take them, putting them on right then and there. I feel like Captain freaking Underpants, standing in front of him with a large pair of grey basketball shorts over my cute sparkly dress, but I digress.
Jace leads me through the house confidently, as if he’s been here before, and guides me straight to the backyard where a group of people stand around, talking and drinking.
The backyard is smaller than I would’ve thought, but it may just be because there’s people crowding the space with two beer pong tables.
Jace grimaces as we stand in front of our mission, looking ever the skeptical man as I beam at it, smiling from ear to ear.
“Are you ready?”
Rolling my eyes, I put my hands on my hips.
“Baby, I was born ready.”