Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
The dress fits me like a glove. My nails are freshly done in a French style, mid-length, and I think it looks rather good. I don’t want to overdo it with jewelry, so the only thing on me is the set Soren got from me.
But it’s been weird.
It’s Sunday, and I got home Friday night. Soren left for his parents' house around the same time, so I know he’s been busy with all this mess; however, I can’t help but get this nagging feeling in the back of my head like something’s terribly wrong.
He’s been ignoring my messages, and I think I sent around thirty across the weekend. The calls go straight to voicemail, and I contemplated whether or not to reach out to Kenzo, Aiden, or even Elias, just to see if he’s alive.
That’d just make me seem desperate.
“Still no word from him?” Grace asks from behind me, and I shake my head.
The event’s being held in our manor, because of course, there’s a special room for balls, parties, and such nonsense. Elliot outdid himself in finding people last-minute to decorate it to perfection, and the room looks as though it took weeks to complete.
Currently, Grace and I are upstairs in my living room, adding finishing touches to our looks for the night. She chose a pale blue dress that reaches her ankles, a pair of Louboutin heels that I’d never, ever try to walk in. I think it would feel like I have nails in my feet.
“Then, fuck him,” she snorts.
“I plan to.”
“I meant figuratively."
“I know,” I laugh. “I’m messing around. But it’s getting on my nerves. Do you think this is some sort of a game?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” I take a sip of the champagne, glancing at the clock. We have another thirty minutes before we need to get downstairs. “He’s always been the one chasing in this relationship — or whatever this is — so I’ve been wondering, is he trying to get me to chase him? Because that’s never happening.”
“I don’t think so,” Grace hums, adding some bracelets to her wrist. “Because he knows you’ll never chase. You’ll rather drown in sorrow over a hypothetical breakup than ever chase a man, no matter who it is.”
“Then, why is he not answering me?” I whine, finishing the champagne and pouring another glass. “What did I do?”
“I don’t think you did anything,” Grace says, but I don’t know how much I can trust her words. I could burn the world down, and she’d see no fault in my behavior. “I think something else is going on.”
“Alright, Sherlock Holmes," my words drip with sarcasm. “Hit me with your theory.”
“He’s not the type to be blackmailed by his parents, especially not after his sister did, so I don’t think it had anything to do with them. But maybe Astrid had something to do with it?”
“Like what?”
Grace shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe they made up.”
I snort. “Highly doubtful. He’s still angry with her for leaking the images, and especially for the Sawyer thing. Even if he’s no longer upset with her, he’s petty, so he won’t forgive her easily.”
“He’s bound to be here tonight. Corner him and demand an answer,” she offers, then pauses. “But avoid elevators, please.”
“You sound just like my mother.”
“A wise woman.”
“Yes, yes,” I roll my eyes, waving a dismissive hand. “Let’s just finish getting ready and leave.”
“Fine,” she sighs. “But just know, I’m keeping an eye out for you tonight.”
“How strange,” I snort. “Usually, you’re encouraging my insane ideas.”
“Apparently, I need to be more responsible.”
I frown, looking at her with confusion. “Who said that?”
“My parents.”
“You’ve never cared about what they said, though.”
“Yeah, well, things have changed.”
“What happened?”
“I’m engaged.”
Silence falls around us, and I struggle to process the words that came out of her mouth. I blink a few times, trying to grasp the severity and heaviness of her words, unable to believe my own ears.
“Pardon?”
“I’m engaged,” Grace sighs. “An arranged marriage.”
“Yes, I fucking figured,” I immediately sit next to her. “Who? How? When did all of this happen?”
“It happened over the summer.”
I gasp. “You waited over six whole months to tell me?! What the fuck, Grace?”
“That’s because I’ve been looking for a way out,” she admits. “And talking about it just made it seem too real.”
“Why are they doing this?”
“It’s not uncommon for people in our society, Soph,” she sighs, leaning back into the couch. “And they did it for connection.”
“Who’s the person you’re marrying?”
“Kenzo Raven.”
“Shut the fuck up,” my eyes almost fall out of the sockets. “No!”
“Uh-huh,” she chuckles with a soft groan. “Which is why, tonight, I’m getting fucking hammered.”
“We need to finish this conversation, Grace. This is serious! I can’t believe you agreed to this.”
“It was either agree to marry Kenzo or get disowned. And I think we both know what the better option is.”
“Fucking hell,” I bite the inside of my cheek. “How do you feel?”
“Like I want to shoot Kenzo, then shoot myself. He’s not been making this easy for me.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Grace sighs, then stands up. “I just wanted to tell someone, or else I would’ve ripped my own hair out.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I mimic her actions, rising to my feet and grabbing my little clutch. “We can talk more, fuck the party.”
Grace chuckles. “Thank you for the offer, but what I really need right now is to see the state of Sawyer and Astrid, laugh in their faces, and get drunk.”
“You and me both,” I mutter, glancing at the clock again. With another couple of minutes left to spare, I reach for my perfume, spritzing a solid amount. Just enough for the scent to linger the entire night, but not too much so it reeks.
“Let’s go.”
Grace and I walk side by side through the halls of my home, and as we descend to the bottom floors, the sound of loud music playing reaches my ears. As we reach the double wooden door, I pause, taking a deep breath.
Grace steps forward, pushing the door open. It’s filled with people, with flower decorations all over the place. It looks like a proper wedding venue, minus the wedding part, of course.
“Well, they went over the top,” Grace mutters through a thin smile, eyes skimming around.
My parents are close by, with Soren’s parents. The tension between the couples is insanely high, and it’s clear they’re trying their best to put on a show of a united front. In reality, it’s far, far from it.
Elena, although looking as elegant as ever, looks like she swallowed a kilogram of sour lemons in the last ten minutes, a permanent frown on her face that she’s trying to cover with a very obvious fake smile.
Edward is next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist a little too tightly. His shoulders are rigid, his jaw clenched, and he looks ready to kill everyone here. Then, he tries to smile, but it looks incredibly forced that it’s almost comical.
Then, there are my folks. Although they are also looking to be on a higher tension level, Mom looks rather… bored. Like she just wants this entire thing to be over with and retreat to her library, and read until she can forget this even happened.
Dad’s looking more or less the same, though he tries to keep the peace by engaging Soren’s parents in some chit-chat that’s just terrible. This night will end up being so bad that it’s laughable.
“Mom, Dad,” I smile softly, trying to suppress the grin on my face. Grace is closely behind me, ears perked. My eyes fall to Soren’s parents, and I only offer a small nod of acknowledgment, which both return.
“You’re here,” Mom says, a hint of relief in her voice. “I was scared you wouldn’t come.”
“You’d come and bring me here by the hair if needed,” I snort. “So, here I am. Where is the happy couple, though?”
Mom motions with her head to the right, and that’s when I spot the little photoshoot booth set up close to the band. The photographer is currently capturing some pictures of Astrid and Sawyer with their friends, and I can’t help but find the entire thing unappealing.
Astrid’s wearing a long dress in white. It’s not a wedding dress outright, but definitely resembles one. She wanted to stand out, but unfortunately for her, she’s so bland and common that nothing can help her be the center of attention. Until I decide it’s time for her gain all the attention.
“Go and congratulate them,” Dad says.
“Must I?”
“Yes,” he sighs. “Behave for tonight. Please.”
“Fine, fine,” I roll my eyes. “Come, Grace.”
“You don’t really need me there, do you?” She asks as we walk across the room toward the couple. “Or am I here to hold you back from breaking her nose again?”
“Bingo,” I beam. “Hold me back if you think I’ll lose my shit. But I think I’ll be able to hold it in.”
My heels click on the marble floor as I make my way through the crowd, with Grace closely behind me. There’s a hint of anxiety that’s threatening to spill over, but I’m trying to hold it all inside. This isn’t the time nor the place to make a fool out of myself.
Seeing Sawyer after what happened during the winter break is messing with my mind. The wound’s still fresh, and to see the genuine smile on his face is pissing me the fuck off.
However, the moment he spots me, the smile falls. It only lasts a few moments before he schools his expression, forcing a smile to his lips. People around might not notice it, but there’s a slight tick in his jaw that gives it away.
“Sawyer,” I keep my voice cool and controlled. “Astrid,” I turn to look at her with a neutral expression, eyes skimming all over her. “You look… healed.”
“Thanks,” she grits out. “Aren’t you rather charming tonight?”
“I’m charming all the time. I’m just here to extend the happy wishes to you two.”
“Are those words ever going to be sincere coming out of your mouth?”
Sawyer's question is expected, though I pause for a brief moment, contemplating how to word it. Then, with a soft sigh, I allow my tongue to let loose, even if just a little.
“No, in my head, I’m wishing you two dead.”
Sawyer’s jaw clenches, his grip on Astrid tightening. “That’s extreme, even for you.”
“But it’s not a lie,” I shrug. “And there’s no need for you two to worry yourselves with me. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Sawyer snorts. “Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“I have no reason to lie, after all, I’m a couple of months away from graduation.
Then, I’ll work under Dad for a year or two while getting a master’s degree and Ph.D.
and well… you’ll have to figure out what you’ll do once I take the seat of the CEO, Sawyer, because the likes of you will not be working for my company. ”
Sawyer freezes, and this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. He’s silent, and this is when it finally clicks for him that I’m not messing around. He chose Astrid, and that was his choice. It’s my own how I decide to act and how to feel.
“Sophia,” he steps forward, his voice almost pleading.
“And you,” I turn to Astrid, completely ignoring my brother. “I cannot wait to see you back at the academy. I promise you, we’ll have so, so much fun.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You can figure that out on your own,” I smile and turn around walking away from them. Grace follows suit, breathing out in relief. She steps next to me, glancing at me sideways.
“To be fair, I did expect you’d throw a punch or two.”
I roll my eyes. “Not my usual style. Besides, I've got better things to do. I said what needed to be said, and if anything, it’ll at least ruin their mood for the evening, which was all I wanted, really.”
“Alright, let’s just head to the bar right now. I need a drink.”
I stop dead in my tracks when I glance at the entrance of the room, and my heart sinks to my feet. I’m frozen in my spot, unable to tear away my eyes from the sight. For the first time since everything started with Soren, I feel lost.
Because he enters the room, his hand wrapped around Cassia’s waist.
My throat starts closing up, and my stomach churns at the sight. It feels like my skin is crawling; every nerve in my body is affected by this. And Soren? He’s smiling. He genuinely looks happy.
That is, until his eyes land on me, and everything seems to fall apart.
My heart’s throbbing in my chest, breathing is getting more difficult, and for whatever reason, my eyes are getting blurry. It’s one of the worst feelings I’ve had in my life. The heartache that’s slowly spreading through the entirety of my body, and makes a promise not to leave anytime soon.