Chapter 12 #2
“All this romantic bliss is wonderful, but boring to me, so I asked Lavender to show me around. You know, for scientific purposes.” He bumps my shoulder a little, winking at me. “She graciously agreed.”
“Of course she did.” Somehow, this doesn’t sound like praise, and Levi hits me with his next sentence, the attack coming so unexpectedly that I have no time to prepare for it.
“She has nothing else to do. You’re the first person who spoke to her tonight.
” He looks me as he adds, “Your scars unsettle people.”
On reflex, I feel the need to explain myself. “My dress and hair cover them.” Rebellion grows within me at my small tone, and I clear my throat, lifting my head, refusing to let this entitled brat think he hurt me even though he did.
I’m used to everyone whispering and staring, so why do his words bring me pain? Did I hope he wouldn’t notice them, and why would I hope for that anyway?
“What a pity,” he replies, and then addresses Raven. “I thought you dedicated your life to seeking out perfection. So what are you doing with Lavender?” Another harsh note in his voice that, for whatever reason, makes Raven chuckle.
“Exactly. I see perfection, and she represents that quite well, don’t you think?”
“I’d have to disagree and question your sight then.”
The hell!
“You can have your opinions, but you won’t call me ugly in my own house.
” I can’t believe I said that out loud, and his blue eyes sparkle.
Maybe I should appreciate him for his honesty, but somehow it just hurts me, and I wish to avoid it now.
“And if you’ll excuse us, we have places to be.
” This time, I grab Raven, ready to go outside and hide.
“Raven, Isabella would like to speak to you.” I see the blonde girl waving at us just as Braiden joins her, and she blushes, while he just stares at her.
“She seems busy to me.”
“Still go and say hi. That’s the polite thing to do.”
“Oh, we are being polite now? Where was the politeness just seconds ago when you ripped Lavender to shreds with your fucked-up words?” I blink in surprise at the harshness in Raven’s tone.
“Raven.”
“Levi.”
“Is everything all right?” Wyatt joins the conversation, holding a glass of orange juice. “Hi, darling.” He sucks through his teeth. “You look gorgeous.”
“According to Levi, I look horrible and should dig a hole for myself.”
Levi’s gaze grows stormy, and so much tension pollutes the air that it becomes suffocating. “I didn’t say horrible. I said imperfect.”
He explains this as if it changes everything, and I should be flattered by it?
He can go fuck himself, and I’m done with this conversation!
“I just remembered I have to go somewhere. Excuse me.”
I take a step back, doing my best to avoid the three men who seem to circle me like vultures, and that’s when my heel catches in the train of my dress, making me stumble back. I try to regain my balance, but don’t.
Instead, I tumble farther back and end up falling into the chocolate fountain. I gasp as the sticky substance covers me from head to toe, and someone snaps a photo while a few snickers can be heard in the distance.
All the while my brothers rush toward me, and shame unlike anything I’ve felt before fills me to the bone because my first contact with the outside world turned into this.
All thanks to Levi Scott, who couldn’t hide his dislike for me.
“So there,” I finish telling Scarlett my story. She arrived late to the party, so she missed the disaster. “This invitation is probably another way for him to fuck with my head.”
“I mean, he was a dick. The guy probably doesn’t know how to deal with jealousy, but I fail to see how you falling into the fountain was his fault.
It’s not like he pushed you into it. Also, wasn’t he the one who broke some cameras and picked you up from the chocolate fountain, not caring about staining his suit? ”
I was so mortified that I let him and then ran away from him the minute I could.
His one good deed doesn’t wipe out everything else.
“If he wasn’t such a dick to me, I wouldn’t have ended up in that situation, so he’s responsible for it indirectly.
” Then her words hit me. “Wait. What do you mean by jealousy?”
She rolls her eyes, finishing his champagne and pressing on the button. Instantly, the server is back with two new glasses before disappearing once again. “He saw you with Raven and reacted.”
The idea is so shocking that a strained laugh escapes me.
“Please. He’s a handsome young man who has women falling all over him.
He is not jealous, and he’s a kid.” Okay, this sounds wrong because between the two of us, he’s seen and experienced more of life.
And the guy is twenty! “Either way, he’s not interested in me. ”
“Whatever you say. Then we can agree he’s just a dick.” This also angers me as I don’t like her talking about him this way. Why the hell am I so confused? “Still, I don’t see what he’s gaining from bringing you here.” She sips her drink. “Unless he wants to shock you or something. A weak excuse.”
Right.
I decide not to mention that he has a whole lot of unresolved feelings toward Rush. Maybe he hoped for me to be so lost in here that I’d end up doing some shit he can talk about for ages to come?
I dismiss the idea right away.
He might be young, but even he isn’t that immature.
A loud ringing sound echoes through the place, followed by Bellamy speaking into the microphone as the light dims and all focus shifts to the ceiling, where five cages hang.
“The action is ready to begin. We will start with number one.” It’s a dark-haired woman wearing a long dress, her wavy hair falling almost to her ass.
Something is so familiar about her despite the front she tries to present. She seems super shy, practically pressing hard against the cage, and my heart pangs.
Poor thing is probably doing this for the money.
Her cage slowly lowers, and people on the dance floor clap and whistle, while the most rich-looking ones go to their booths and rooms, probably to bid.
The cage swivels a little to showcase her from every side, and Bellamy speaks up again, “We will start with one hundredth thousand dollars.” There is a huge screen behind her displaying all the numbers, which is smarter than listening to everyone.
Several numbers light up the screen, and she continues.
“We are off to a great start. Five hundred thousand.” So they raise the amount this rapidly?
No wonder people want to participate in these auctions.
Scarlett picks up the remote and presses it, her number lighting up on the screen. I ask, “What are you doing?”
“Raising her price. This is nothing. I’ve noticed her body language right away. Everyone else in the cages seems excited and blows kisses to the crowd. She reminds me of a deer caught in the headlines.” She clicks her tongue. “These kinds of people want bold and confident rather than shy.”
How strange. I thought it was the opposite.
Several more numbers light up on the screen, and the hostess says, “One million.”
Do they just raise the bids until only one person remains? Scarlett presses the button again, and three more numbers light up. So there are people interested in shy and innocent, although I wince just imagining what that particular kink may entail.
“How about we go higher? One million and five hundred thousand.”
Scarlett grabs the remote tighter, ready to bid more, when one of the owners comes.
I don’t miss the rage emanating from him, so strong it’s a wonder he doesn’t destroy anything around him.
He holds up the number seven, and his voice is familiar, one I recognize at once.
“Two million, and the auction is closed. Now.”
“Sold!” Bellamy shouts quickly. She snaps her fingers, and the cage is lifted upward, then slides farther back until she disappears from our view. “Let’s move on to our next number.”
Wyatt.
Freaking hell, he’s part of this too.
A sinking realization hits me.
Oh no.
It’s…Aurelia?
Before I can call his name, he disappears in the crowd, probably following the cage.
“Oh my God!” I mutter, squeezing my glass tighter.
“What?” Scarlett asks as another cage is brought to the middle, this time with a guy inside who flexes his muscles, earning himself a few whistles. Mostly from men, too. “You seem distraught.”
“That was Wyatt.”
“I’m aware.”
“Aren’t you a little bit surprised?”
“Not really. These two are attached at the hip. Don’t get me wrong, Wyatt and Ian were always together, but they did have individual best friends. So if Levi is part of something…Wyatt will be on it too.”
A familiar pang hits because I have no idea what it is like to build a friendship like that, where loyalty is everything and never questioned.
“Where is Ian?”
“I have no idea.”
Pondering on it, I decide to go to the bathroom and call Rafael to see if maybe he can talk to Wyatt about Aurelia.
Like, why would he buy her for the night? God knows what kind of humiliation he has planned for her next!
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I tell her, and she nods as she watches the auction, but this time doesn’t participate herself.
Pushing through the sea of bodies, everyone is so eager to see what’s happening on the stage. I walk to the bar and lean on the counter, smiling at the bartender who winks at me. “How can I help?”
“Where is the bathroom?”
“Go straight and then turn to the right, you’ll see huge double doors. I can walk you there if you want.”
“Oh, that’s so kind—”