Chapter 20
TWENTY
“This is perfect,” I lean in, looking at myself in the mirror. The makeup artist, Tina, finished doing Avalon’s makeup, and then mine. It’s more than I’d usually wear, with rosy cheeks, a pretty, dark, blended eyeliner, and a deep shade of lipliner.
Avalon looks equally stunning, with the red lipstick looking fantastic paired with burgundy eyeliner which makes her brown eyes pop out more. Her hair is styled in loose waves, with the front strands clasped at the back with one of the hairpins I gifted for Christmas last year.
Her dress is entirely black, floor-length, with an open back. It has a gold chain at the back, and it suits her body type perfectly. She’s definitely going to be head-turning tonight.
“You look beautiful,” Avalon says, a soft smile on her face.
“Thank you. You’re very gorgeous, too.”
“So, what’s the plan for tonight, then?”
The makeup artist leaves, and the two of us are alone in the living room. Avalon takes a sip of the champagne, glancing at herself in the big mirror behind me. I turn around, liking the way the slicked, low bun looks on me.
The dress is long, tight around my chest and waist, then it flows to the floor freely.
The sleeves are long, off the shoulder, and my mom thought her rubies would look fantastic.
And they do: the set is a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a ring.
It was a gift from dad for their twenty-year anniversary a few years back.
“The plan is to avoid Soren and also do some networking.”
Avalon lifts a brow. “So, no partying for you?”
“Oh, there will be an after-party for the younger crowd.”
“Really? Where?”
“It’s at the same venue,” I respond, spraying some perfume on the inside of my wrists, and the back of my ears. “It’s just on a different floor. Shall we go? The car’s waiting.”
Avalon nods, then takes one last glance at the mirror before walking out of the living room. My parents and Sawyer left an hour ago, because as the hosts, they need to be there first to greet all the guests. I, on the other hand, am allowed to be fashionably late.
The drive to the venue is not too long, only around forty minutes. In the meantime, Avalon and I drank a little bit of champagne, took a couple of photos in the back of the car, and laughed at the stupid jokes.
There are going to be at least twelve families that I’m familiar with. Their children have already graduated or are currently at the academy. Meaning, we have to be on our best behavior unless we want to make the main article of Sinners and Saints.
The venue is as gorgeous as it always is.
The decorations range in shades of deep green and gold, and the Christmas tree is in the corner, right next to the band that’s playing some soft music while the guests are arriving. Mom and Dad are at the bottom of the stairs, greeting everyone with warm smiles.
Their outfits match in the smallest details. Mom’s jewelry is all sapphire, and Dad’s cufflinks are sapphires, too. It’s such a cute look to them, and even from a mile away, I can tell just how much they love each other.
Sawyer’s a little bit behind them, chatting with a couple of young men his age. Avalon grabs my wrist, glancing around in awe. The chandeliers on the ceiling cost more than I’d like to admit.
“Wow,” she breathes out. “This is absolutely stunning.”
“I know,” I smile. “Let’s go find Grace. Lila should be somewhere near, too.”
“Are you going to talk to her about the… thing?”
I shake my head as we descend the stairs. “Not tonight. Let’s enjoy this, and I’ll have a sleepover with both of them tomorrow night. So, we’ll see how it goes. Grace will be able to tell if Lila’s lying.”
Avalon lifts a brow. “You’re putting a lot of trust in her ability to spot a liar.”
“That’s because she hasn’t been wrong even once. I trust her judgment and value her opinion a lot, even though she’s the way she is.”
“What, a little reckless and rebellious?”
“I was going to say insane,” I laugh. “But those two works, too.”
The venue is extremely big, with a lot of round tables, an open bar, and a lot of space for dancing.
Even the staff is dressed to perfection, and their professionalism is why I’ll let my mother choose the staff for my events, too.
She has such a keen eye for good, hard-working people, and she’s very generous with her payments, too.
“Let’s go to the bar, I need a drink for courage.”
Avalon’s still holding my wrist, dragging me behind her. I stop by every now and then to chat with people, smiling widely and being as polite as possible. No matter how much I love these events, networking and socializing do drain me quite a lot if I overdo it.
“What do you need courage for?” I ask, taking a seat at the bar. Avalon follows suit, and we both order a glass of martini. It’s in front of us in record time, and when she finally takes a bigger sip of the drink, her shoulders finally relax.
“Well, this,” she motions to the entire venue with her palm. “I really do feel like I stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re with me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, yes, that’s the only way I am actually able to get in.”
“Yes, because it’s a private event, of course, you’d need an invitation. But most of these people aren’t like those wealthy geezers from movies. No one will throw a drink over your head just for existing. They have more class than that.”
Avalon chuckles, then starts glancing around, sipping lightly on the martini.
She has a soft smile on her face, her posture straight and proper, and she seems to be slowly easing into the situation.
She can deny it all she wants, but free food and drinks?
Who in their right mind would say no to that?
I flick my eyes to the wall where a big, round clock is. It’s past seven in the evening, and almost everyone’s here. There are a handful of families yet to arrive, and the one I’m most worried about is the Ford family.
“You’re looking for him,” Avalon lowers her voice.
“No,” I scoff, taking a mouthful of the martini. “But he’s not here yet. Why isn’t he here yet?”
Avalon frowns. “Why would you care? If the goal is to avoid him, wouldn’t it be better to just not see him at all?”
“Given the history between us, I feel better having him within eye sight.”
“Or you can always just spike his drink and tattoo him again if you think he’ll attempt something.”
Unfortunately, Avalon doesn’t lower her voice enough, and a couple of heads snap in our direction, giving me a curious glance. I laugh it off, then glare at her, keeping my mouth shut for a moment, until people eventually go back to what they were doing.
“Hush,” I hiss. “If I wanted that to be widely known, I would’ve spread the word myself.”
“Sorry,” she smiles sheepishly, ordering us another round of the drinks.
“It’s fine,” I roll my eyes. “Hey, so I was thinking…”
“Uh-oh,” she grins. “That’s never a good sign.”
I ignore her. “And my parents bought this old castle recently—”
“They bought a castle?” She interrupts, her voice in a whisper-yell.
“Well, yes, but it’s rather small. Anyway, they’re done renovating it. Well, they found people to try and get it as close as possible to its original place. And it won’t be used until summer, that’s where I’ll celebrate my birthday. Want to go check it out?”
“For what purpose, exactly?”
I shrug. “A sleepover? A tea party?”
“Are we ten years old?”
A small gasp comes from my lips, and I’m deeply offended. “Excuse me, but don’t tell me you’ve never thought about what it would be like to be in a castle with your friends, running around in gowns and having tea?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“See, this is why I need Grace right now.”
“You called?” A voice comes from behind me, and I flinch. My head snaps to the side, and I spot Grace and Lila.
Grace’s wearing a mid-length, azure blue dress. Her hair’s pin straight, all of the tattoos on her arms fully visible. She has quite a few, and my God, do they look good on her. I know I’d never be able to pull them off. She has a wide smile on her face and a cocktail in her hand already.
Lila, on the other hand, has a suit. Pants, blouse, and a blazer, and she looks like she came straight from a movie. Her pink hair’s pulled back in a tight ponytail, but she definitely seems off. She’s more reserved than usual.
“Thank God, you’re here,” I sigh as the two girls take a seat. Lila slides into the high chair next to me, and Grace sits next to Avalon. “Please tell Avalon that you’d want to spend a night in a castle, pretending you’re a princess.”
“Oh, sign me in,” Lila chimes in, a soft smile tugging on the corners of her lips. “I’ve dreamed of that since I was ten.”
I give Avalon a pointed look. “See? It’s not just me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, fine. We’ll do it.”
“I’m in, too,” Grace adds. “Now, where’s Micro?”
“I wouldn’t know,” I mutter.
“And you don’t care, either,” Grace waves her hand dismissively. “Besides, aren’t you cozying up to Damien as of late?”
“We’re friends.”
“Uh-huh,” Avalon piques, snorting. “If I had a male friend who was looking up and down to find me a bag that costs over twelve grand, I’d definitely reconsider my ‘friendship’ definition.”
“How do you know about it?”
Lila chimes in, rolling her eyes. “He asked every girl in our year if they knew where he could possibly find it, and if there was anything similar if he didn't. But the bag you want is one of a kind, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen something similar.”
Grace nods. “What Lila said. He definitely has a thing for you, and you’re too blind to see it. Maybe if you stopped trying to end Soren’s life, you’d see other things, and actually be able to enjoy your life.”
Avalon snorts into her glass. “Says the girl who convinced her that spiking his drink and tattooing his chest was a good idea.”
Grace shrugs. “Hey, I presented her with an idea, and she went with it.”
“And you gave me the equipment,” I take a sip of the martini. “But that’s irrelevant. I have a handful of months left before we graduate, so I'll definitely make the most of it next semester.”
“Sure you will,” Lila drawls out.
“It doesn’t matter,” I sigh.
“Oh, your prince charming is here, friend.”
Immediately, I turn around, thinking I’ll see Soren.
But why?
Soren’s irrelevant. He’s someone who’s made my life a living hell quite a lot, and I was never shy in returning the favor. He’s the man who swore he’d ruin me, and I believe him. His psychotic eyes never lied before — and my ruin will bring him the biggest salvation.
Yet, the man I spot is Damien.
He’s strolling toward us, with a rose in hand, and a wide grin on his face. He’s a picture-perfect guy. He’s kind, respectful, and I know that if I were to give him a chance, I’d be able to fall in love with him eventually.
But that would be forcing it.
And somewhere deep down, I know that part of me already belongs to someone else.