21. Harper
Chapter 21
Harper
My heart is pounding so hard, it should be coming right out of my chest. I ease open my bedroom door and pad into the hallway in my socks, my sneakers dangling from my hands. I’m normally fast asleep by this time on a Sunday, but there’s so much adrenaline pumping through my veins, I’m literally vibrating. I pad down the hall and ease my way down the stairs, then head through the kitchen and stop at the back door.
The alarm panel is lit up like a damn Christmas tree.
I unlock my cellphone and open the smart home app Wayne installed on it when we moved in. I deactivate the alarm, half expecting a wailing siren to explode into the hush of the sleeping house…but after a single low beep, the panel goes dark. I pause on the doorstep to put on my sneakers before heading for the gate. The same app lets me open the manor’s gates without a remote, and I breathe another heavy sigh of relief when I’m on the road outside.
I turn back to Dearth Manor, staring at the sophisticatedly illuminated facade. I thought I’d hit my head on the way over from the hovel Mom and I had been living in when I first saw this place. Who’d have thought I’d be sneaking out of it on a Sunday night?
Not Jude Dearth. He thinks he can control me?
I’ve been avoiding the psycho the whole weekend, which isn’t difficult when the only two rooms he ever occupies are the basement gym or his bedroom. Plus, most of Saturday Mom and I went shopping, and when we got back, Wayne had ordered pizza which Jude—surprise, surprise—took to his room.
It’s all just talk.
And I’m sick of listening.
I flip off Dearth Manor with a cheery, “Fuck you, Bro. ”
“You look nervous,” Maxwell says, letting out a rough laugh as he takes the corner.
I don’t like the way this guy drives. Jude is an asshole, but at least I’ve always felt safe driving with him. And that was while he was pushing the speed limit trying to get us to school on time, and braking hard enough to snap my seatbelt tight.
Max? He drives like he’s got a terminal illness. Who the hell buys their kid a Camaro anyway? Huh. Guess his parents don’t think he has a reason to live either.
“You’re going really fast.”
“And? We got the road to ourselves. No one drives around in this shithole of a town after nine.”
Except him, and all the other kids headed to Sean’s party right now.
I grip my seatbelt like a lifeline. Hell, for all I know, it’ll be the only thing between me and violent death. I’m really hoping I’m not going to regret this.
We head out of Blackrock Heights with its gorgeous, winding lanes and massive iron gates that hint at the mansions hidden deeper in the hills. I thought Sean lived in Blackrock too, but when we cut through the center of town, my nerves start ratcheting up a few notches.
“Uh…where are we going?” I have to yell over the death metal blaring through the car’s audio system.
“Pyrite!” Max yells back, and then gives me the same considering once-over he gave me when I climbed into his car. “Never been there?”
I shake my head, my stomach twisting with unease. Thankfully, Eliza knows I’m in this car. If I go missing or something, she’ll tell the police…
She will, won’t she?
I force the thought out of my head.
Several excruciating songs later, Max pulls into the driveway of a two-level house in a cheery suburb on the outskirts of Cinderhart’s main town. Several cars line the street outside, with more behind the wrought iron gates barring our way. I thought this was some kind of chilled pizza party or something, but this looks more like the kinds of parties you see in movies, with underage kids flooding every bare inch of space.
I’m busy getting out of the car when Sean appears in the doorway and calls me over. Max stays behind in the car, lighting a cigarette and texting on his phone.
“Looks like I owe Eliza ten bucks,” Sean says when he meets me on the cobbled path leading to the house.
When I frown at him, he laughs and slings his arm around my shoulders, pushing past the people smoking weed on the porch. “I told her there was no way you’d come,” he says, leading me inside.
Is it that obvious that I’ve never been to a party before?
I try not to gape at how packed it is inside, or how much alcohol is flowing. Everyone’s either making out, playing beer pong, or lying unconscious in pools of their own vomit.
“Wanna drink?”
“Sure, thanks.” Sean nods and goes over to pour me a drink while I wait around and try not to look like a total loser. I’m wearing skinny jeans and a brown tank top layered with a loose crocheted boho vest I bought yesterday. I didn’t think I had to dress up, but almost all the girls in here are wearing dresses or short skirts and crop tops. Their makeup at least an inch thick. Several of the girls look my way, and I’m starting to nibble on my cuticles by the time Sean comes back with two red cups.
I take a sip and almost spit it back. “What is this?”
“Punch.”
“It’s...uh…thanks.” It tastes like they threw every kind of liqueur known to man in this. This is what mango-flavored cough syrup would taste like if anyone was ever stupid enough to make it.
Sean cocks an eyebrow at me like he thinks he’s the shit. “The Dearths already taught you how to turn your nose up at shit, huh?”
My mouth falls open. “No, I, it’s good. Really. Just…strong.” Oh my God, if he really thinks I’m such a big snob, why did he invite me in the first place? Oh, right. To win a fucking bet.
I almost, almost toss the drink in his face.
But Sean isn’t the reason I’m at this party. I’m here to make friends with Eliza and to mingle with my classmates. Maybe I can convince some of them I’m not a stuck-up bitch like Sean seems so convinced I am.
Sean leans in, winking at me. “That’s the point, babe.”
I have to force myself not to cringe away. Why did I ever think he was handsome? Yeah, he’s in good shape, but under artificial light, he doesn’t look like the Jock God I saw on the bleachers the day he gave me his phone number. Where Jude’s tanned skin is flawless, Sean’s is pocked with acne scars. There’s also a faint odor of BO wafting off him, like he needed one more shower than he’s taken today.
“Come,” Sean says.
He grasps my hand, lacing his fingers between mine. Despite everything, a thrill chases up my arm, and I drop my eyes before I can start blushing like a kid who’s never even been kissed.
Sad fact is, I haven’t been kissed. I wasn’t exactly considered a catch—not when I never bothered washing my hair and would go to school in old, dirty clothes. The days I did go. Thankfully that’s not the case anymore. I’m wearing a bra that I didn’t have to wash in the school basin, and the clothes I bought right off the rack of one of the swankiest boutique shops in Cinderhart. Although I still haven’t gotten the hang of putting on anything more than mascara, I used a hair straightener and spritzed on some perfume before I left home tonight.
I should feel like a million bucks, but my perfume smells too strong, my hair keeps falling in my face, and my new lace bra keeps chafing my nipples. It sure looks pretty, but I may as well have taped a burlap sack to my chest.
Sean leads me to a wide staircase, weaving us through the kids gathered on the steps.
It might be my imagination, but I swear I hear some of them talking about me.
“… Dearth’s sister …”
“… wasn’t at the game on… ”
“… guess who’s getting laid tonight ?”
My cheeks grow hot as I focus on Sean’s back and his tight T-shirt. The hand holding mine is warm and strong and rough. We’ve only just met. There’s no way he’s expecting us to bang, right? As we reach the top of the staircase, a girl to my right puts a hand over her mouth to cover a laugh. Now my whole face is red. I need to do some damage control, and fast.
I pull back on Sean’s hand. “Where’s the bathroom?”
He uses his chin to point down the hall. “Down there.” His eyes rake over my body, sending another thrill through me. “Meet me in the games room when you’re done,” he says, tipping his cup against his mouth as he carries on down the hall.
The games room?
I close the bathroom door behind me and set my cup down on the vanity. Then I glare at my reflection.
Your first house party and this is how you behave?
Oh no! A football player wants to make out with me. The horror! My soul shall surely burn in eternal hellfire.
I stand straight, push back my shoulders, and lift my cup.
You know what? Next time I come to a party, I’m putting on a ton of makeup. Eyeliner, Lip gloss, maybe even false lashes like I saw the girls on the stairs wearing. I have no idea how to apply them, but that’s what YouTube is for.
I smile and take a sip from my cup. Then another. Another. God, how long until this punch starts tasting good? The sting of hard liquor hitting the back of my throat is surprisingly comforting.
I gather my hair and slide it over my shoulder, smoothing it down over one breast. I’m not the same girl I was a month ago. Harper Dearth is smart, sexy, and sophisticated. She doesn’t cower at the mere thought of being alone with a boy. In fact, she can’t wait to see what it feels like. I don’t even care if Eliza’s here or not—if she wants to chat about the Feast of Ashes, then she can find me.
I drain the rest of my drink. Despite the bite, I don’t think this shit is as strong as I first thought. There’s a knock at the door. I’m still smiling when I open it and slip outside, brushing shoulders with the girl who’d been smirking at me when I walked past with Sean.
Her smug expression slides right off her fucking face when I grab her arm and turn her to face me. “Where’s the games room?”