I expect Brittney to gasp and fire an insult to Ivy but tonight, she’s too accomplished in her teen life to care. She forges on!
“I have actually.” She perks up, knowing that she has just been given the window she was looking for all along. She was just dying for someone to ask her if she has kissed before and Ivy just served it up for her, albeit with a burning insult.
“Really? Who?” Noah asks as he turns fully to look at her. Noah doesn’t like Brittney. And I mean AT ALL. So his digging has nothing to do with genuine interest but has everything to do with a huge public, insult fest he’s planning for Brittney.
“Two seniors from Blues High.” She gushes, with a coy blush which is FAKE! How can you force yourself to blush like that?
And then she has the nerve to look at Ace—my Ace—who is now busy on his phone, obviously disinterested with everything. I bet he wishes he could be somewhere else.
“Already working the town huh?” Noah says and Brittney rolls her eyes. “Poor bastards.”
“What about you Noah? Still hoping someone will kiss you with those ugly blue braces?” She questions with a giggle.
That giggle only makes Noah smirk, watching her. Or more accurately, he is looking at Ashley and Stephanie who are now both looking down at their hands, blushing, then they look up at Noah with wide eyes.
What the hell?
“Oh my gosh, really?” Brittney gushes, looking at her friends. “When?”
“No, no, no, Brittney. That’s none of your business now is it? Some of us don’t kiss and tell.” Noah says, shooting her an evil wink.
Yeah, Noah doesn’t like Brittney.
“Well, I say we play Spin The Bottle.” She suggests, clapping her hands like she just got a bright idea.
My heart stutters, nervous energy moving through my system. I chance a look at Ace who is surprisingly looking at me. He is watching me as he sits at the back of the media room, right beside Emmett as they converse amongst themselves.
“You know what, I think we should!” George chimes in and I almost groan. Please no. I don’t want my first kiss to be in a freaking closet for five minutes just because the bottle chose him. I want him to kiss me because he wants to.
Or worse, he can spin the bottle and then he chooses one of Brittney’s friends or worse, Brittney herself! NO!
Besides all that, I HAVE BRACES!!
I can feel the nightmare starting and I open my mouth to stop this game before it can start but everyone is in motion, everyone moving furniture so we can sit in a circle. George dashes out of the room and the next thing he’s back with an empty wine bottle that he probably took from the recycling bin.
This is actually happening.
“Okay. We need to establish the rules.”
No, let’s watch a movie instead. I don’t have the best of luck with any of these things.
“Yes. If the bottle chooses you, you can’t pass or say no.”
Or what? God will strike you down?
“You have to go with your lucky person to the closet for three. . .”
“No five minutes.”
“Yes, five minutes is good and long. And you have to kiss and maybe do other things in there!” Ashley and Brittney squeal as if they have come up with the cure for cancer.
“You sure you don’t already have herpes?” Noah questions her with a drawl. “You do look. . .sickly.”
“Urgh, shut up Noah. I don’t want to kiss you.” She says. “Uh, Alex, are you playing?” Brittney calls.
I’m still frozen on the couch, watching them seated on the floor with wide eyes and that’s when I notice Ace is still seated where he was, watching me. I look at him and our eyes lock and hold.
Heartbeat.
Heartbeat.
Heartbeat.
Do I take a chance? He looks like he is asking me what I want to do about this. As if he will play, if I play. He will leave if I leave. I got the lead on this.
He promised me, once upon a time, that he would protect me and he has. Will he protect me from breaking my damn heart, having a crush on him when he’s so. . .volatile and unattainable?
Will you protect me even then?
I break gaze, a blush stealing on my cheeks. With as much courage as I can muster up, I get up and go sit between Ivy and Noah, right across from Emmett. Noah pulls me and plants a kiss on my temple like he always does. “We have something for you, for later when these old dogs are gone.” He says gesturing at Brittney and her friends. Ivy chuckles along with me, having heard that last line.
“Happy birthday, Baby Blue.” He whispers in my ear and I smile.
“Thank you. Now stop it.” I whisper back, watching him.
“What? Fucking with that bitch? No way.”
I sigh and he chuckles. There is no stopping Noah now. He’s already invested in insulting my friend.
Soon, Ace stands up as well, not acknowledging Brittney—whose eyes are looking between me and Ace—and he takes the spot beside Spider and they start talking, disregarding everyone else.
Craig and Spider are really here to supervise all of this shit, make sure no one cuts themselves with the chainsaw or burn down the house. Well, at least that’s the deal we made with my mother. But if I decided to drink my father’s whiskey right now, or smoke my mother’s cigarettes, Spider would light them for me.
That's just who they were. But they didn’t really address Brittney or her friends. They just talked to the boys, Ivy and I.
“Okay then, we are all here. Let’s start!”
“Ladies first!” Ashley giggles as she reaches for the bottle. Ivy and I roll our eyes at her glee. You would think she’s about to do something. . .earth shaking.
Ashley spins the bottle and it points to Noah. She shrieks in glee, watching as Noah gets up with a big smile on his face and they go have their five minutes in heaven or hell, I don’t know.
I honestly don’t want to know how Ashley kisses or if she has too much saliva. I’m busy freaking out about my turn right now.
How the fuck am I going to kiss him? Am I going to kiss him? I hope I kiss Ace.
They come back. Stephanie spins the bottle next and it points to George who gets up and they both go do their thing. Urgh, I don’t even want to touch the subject of my brother kissing her.
Then Spider joins in the fun, he spins it and it lands on Ashley. She gracefully gets up and goes with him with a coy smile on her face, knowing she’s about to kiss a junior. She’s definitely in heaven.
The boys are laughing. Craig decides not to play and that’s alright. I wish I could do that too but Ace. . .he hasn’t spun the bottle and neither have I. Maybe we have a chance.
Then it’s my turn to spin the damn bottle. I freeze.
“Come on Astraea, don’t be a prude.” Brittney calls and then they start laughing. I look at the bottle, then back at them. Maybe I can back out. I’m not ready for this.
“If it lands on George you can do it again.” Stephanie says with a possessive note in her voice. I think of telling her that George doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her or her sucking face skills but I think better of it.
I’m a kind, nice human being. I’m not shallow. Like her.
“Go on.” Brittney prompts, her voice now hard. She’s my best friend though, I know she’s just pushing me to overcome my fears.
I reach for the bottle. I can so totally do this. If I apply a bit of pressure, it will point where I want it to.
Ace. Please let it be Ace.
I close my eyes, touch the bottle and then spin.
Okay, this should be my one birthday wish that actually comes true. Please. Please. . . The bottle stops and everyone gasps, including Ivy.
I open my eyes, and they land on the bottle. Then, with my heart trying to escape its rib cage, I follow the pointed bottle and it’s pointed. . . at Emmett.
I freeze.
Emmett is looking at me. Then he looks to my left, then back at me.
I chance a look at Ace
, feeling a tremble move through my body. His jaw is locked, his eyes blaring with fire and ice. If looks could kill, I swear, I would be frozen ash right now. His blue gaze is stuck on me. Everyone is watching me.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Craig says with a laugh as he starts vaping. Spider is also chuckling under his breath and then there’s Brittney. . .she’s over the moon!
“Yes. I always knew you too would kiss one day. Now come on, get it on!” She cheers as she grabs my arm, pulling me up.
My eyes are still glued on Ace. I can see his clenched fists. I can feel his ire from where I’m seated, echoing into my soul.
This is bad.
“Come on Emmett, no take backs. You wouldn’t want to deny the birthday girl, now would you?” Ashley giggles, egging this whole thing on.
Emmett stands up and I swear, I hear a gasp from my left again but I’m not sure from who it comes from. I’m blind, probably deaf, in shock as Brittney drags me to the supply closet just off the media room with Emmett following close behind.
She opens the door and shoves me in there and Emmett enters after a beat. Then she shuts the door.
“Enjoy you two!” She chirps and then she’s gone.
Silence stretches between us for a while as we look at each other.
“Did that just happen?” He questions, his stutter now almost gone.
“I guess so.” I say, still in shock.
“Well, damn.” He says and then folds his arms.
“So, what do we do?” I ask, now panicking. Ace is going to be so brutally mad. I don’t think there is any going back after this.
“Whoa, relax Raea. No one can force you to do what you don’t want to do.” Emmett says quietly, soothingly, watching me with that watchful eye.
“Urgh. I can’t believe I agreed to this stupid thing.” I groan as I move in the closet. There are blankets and other stuff on the shelves. And some stupid items that I don’t care for. And now, I’m feeling antsy, noticing everything and nothing at all.
“Well, you do have shit taste in friends. Peer pressure isn’t your thing either, what happened?” He questions and I just go lax.
“Oh Em,” I almost cry, feeling weird again, as if I’m about to burst out crying.
I want a lot of things.
“I don’t know what happened. I thought we could have a cozy thing going on today. It’s my birthday after all and I will be a teenager but then I wanted. . .”
“To experience teen life and simultaneously please your shitty friends and act grown?” He questions, his eyebrow raised.
“Well, yeah. I am a teenager after all.” I say and he starts chuckling.
“It’s not funny!” I swat his arm, getting pissed.
“It is from where I’m standing. I swear you and King are too damn stubborn and shy at the same time to ever do anything about that explosive attraction between you two.”
My heart stops.
“What?” I stammer that one word. “There is no attraction. . .between. . .”
Emmett starts laughing again, literally enjoying this. “Yes, there is baby girl, and you know it. Hell, everyone sees it. That friend of yours hates you for it.” He points out, still laughing.
“And I’m going on a wild but easy guess here. King is the reason why you played this game in the first place, isn’t he?”
Well yes, but. . .
“How do you. . .?”
“Know any of this?” He questions, watching me with tears in his eyes from laughing. “Baby girl, I know you. Hell, I can see through you just as much as you can see through me.”
“Gah, I just messed this up, didn’t I?” I groan, running my hands through my hair.
“If it makes you feel any better, he’s going to beat me up as soon as we come out. In fact, I give it five more seconds before he bursts open this closet door.” Emmett smirks.
I laugh, the image not so hard to conjure up in my head.
“If that happens, and it will, you and I should fuck with him a bit. At least get him back for being a jerk.” He says and I laugh. Ace was a jerk at times.
“What are you suggesting, oh great god.” I ask, feeling marginally better. Emmett has that effect on me. He makes me feel so much better about everything.
“Well beautiful, since in about eight minutes I’ll be busy making your boy eat dust outside, I’d like to give you your birthday present now.” He says as he takes out a long blue suede box.
“Ooh, that looks fancy.” I say, my eyes wide as I start growing excited.
“Well, you are not really a fancy kind of girl. But here you go.” He says, suddenly so damn nervous.
I accept the box, taking a deep breath I open it and I gasp.
My jaw drops to the floor, my heart stops beating completely. Inside the box, nestled by a bed of pine wood shavings, is the most beautiful pendant I have ever seen in my life.
“Oh God.” I breathe.
It’s absolutely stunning! It even looks like it was handmade, it also looks ridiculously expensive and it has all the elements that identify my boys.
“Did you. . .?” I whisper, choking as I feel myself about to cry.
“The boys and I worked on it. George drew up the design, the technicalities and the edges, you know, the shit George does. The bastard Noah chose the colors and those wings in there. It’s supposed to be. . .”
“A tooth fairy. A Blue tooth fairy.” I finish, a smile on my face now. I feel like I’m soaring on cloud nine. God, I love this.
“Yeah well, that shit is just ridiculous but he said you would kill us if it’s not in there.” He explains, rolling his eyes. I laugh, feeling tears start to fall down my cheeks.
“I actually would have killed you.” I say with a laugh. God, this is exquisite.
“And I, well. . .” He starts getting nervous. Emmett’s art work is amazing, all his creations are out of this world. But showing people or explaining his work is not his thing.
“Tell me.” I prompt, stepping closer to him, grabbing his large hand, holding it in mine.
“I added the little blue angel and the four dark devils in there. I don’t think I have to explain what that means, you know each one. You get each one and you are the angel in our lives, baby girl.”
I think I die and come alive at the same time as his words soak into me.
I can’t even speak right now.
“And Alex, well, he blew the glass that covers it. Notice how it looks like a pendant flat, snow globe, but the back is a gold plate that holds everything together.”
“He made this?” I gasp, somehow not seeing Ace doing that.
“It’s something he recently got into. Took him an entire year to make this, the asshole. This was actually supposed to be your gift last year but yeah, the perfectionist in all of us couldn’t give you some half-assed, shitty gift.” He says. “Besides, we wanted to make it ourselves.”
“Oh God, Emmett.” I cry, feeling my heart pound against my chest.
“Wait, you don’t like it?” He questions, now cautious as he watches me.
“No, I love it!” I shriek and launch myself into his arms. My huge teddy bear. I love him so much. “I love it!”
He starts chuckling, hugging me tighter. “Thank God because your next gift was going to be The Haven’s fried chicken and your disgusting milkshake. . .”
But before he can finish that, the door bursts open and in comes an angry, fire breathing Ace. He looks like he could set the damn world on fire. No, he could freeze the world with his frosty gaze.
“Times up.” He seethes, watching Emmett and I with an emotion in his eyes that I can’t place. “The rest of us are still playing the damn game.”
“Ace.” I go to say, about to thank him for the beautiful pendant but he freezes, noticing the tears on my face. His nostrils flare and I rush to explain before he thinks otherwise and kill Emmett. “Emmett was just. . .”
“Get out.” He demands, his voice is completely different. It’s indifferent, har
d and so not his.
Then there is the hate in his eyes as he looks between Emmett and I. . . I shiver.
“We. . .” I start again but he cuts me off.
“Some of us have to follow in your footsteps and lose our virgin kisses.” He says, looking down at me, his jaw clenched, a humorless smile on his gorgeous face.
Oh God, he thinks Emmett and I actually kissed!
“Ace, we didn’t. . .” I try to speak but he cuts me off with a deadly, silent look.
My heart cracks.
My soul shatters.
He is going to break me, this boy.
“Coming?” He questions, looking down at me. For a moment I think he is talking to me but then he looks over his shoulder and there stands. . .
IVY.
“Seems like they both have grown an attachment to the damn closet, how pathetic.” He says as he turns to look at Ivy with a heartbreaking smile—not a smirk—on his face
Oh god. Please no.
“King, don’t you dare.” Emmett threatens as he steps forward but Ace, he doesn’t care.
“Looks like I’ll have to light up your world right here, sweetheart.” He says, looking over his shoulder at Emmett first then at me. In his eyes, I can see my heart breaking.
I can see our trust shattering.
I can see the rest of our lives now uncertain.
Don’t do this.
I warn with my eyes. There is no going back from this.
“I think. . .” Ivy starts but before she can say anything else, Ace steps closer to her, cups her neck in a loving gesture, tilts her head and in a flash, they are kissing.
They kiss for a long time and everything from then on becomes blurry. Everything that follows is what I think happens.
I think I started feeling hazy.
I think Emmett left in anger, and I think Craig took him home, after, I think, he pulled him away from Ace.
I think Ace looked so damn angry as he turned to leave as well.
I think Spider orders everyone else to get the hell out, then I think he leaves with a crying Ivy.
Vicious Hate (Westbrook Blues Book 2) Page 29