Twisted Fate (Twisted Fate Series Book 1)

by Emery Jacobs

  She walks out of the bathroom and into her bedroom where I’m perched on the edge of her bed. She has these huge rollers spread all over her head. What the hell? Who even rolls their hair anymore? Change is not always for the best. But who am I to judge? I have enough of my own issues to worry about hers.

  “What about Liam? Y’all kinda dated.”

  “No, we didn’t. We had sex. And that’s after I snuck out of my house at night. There was no dating involved in that relationship.”

  She walks over to the bed where I’m sitting and plops down beside me. Her eyebrows pull in as she scrunches her nose before saying, “At least you’re not a virgin… Thank God you got that task out of the way. Or this date would be nerve-racking.”

  Who is this person sitting next to me? That statement was borderline bitch. My best friend would never say mean things to me.

  “Wow, Layla that was rude. Do you think I’m happy about the fact that I’m nineteen and never been on a date?” At least, I’m not nineteen and having screwed my way through half our high school football team. No, I didn’t say it, but I could be a bitch, too. It’s easy to be mean and hurtful, but I choose not to. She’s lucky I love her.

  “No, of course, you’re not happy about it. I don’t blame you. That’s why I’m helping you out. You’re my best friend, and I want you to find somebody who makes you as happy as Sebastian makes me.”

  Can I vomit now, please? Not only does he make her mean, but he has her completely under his spell.

  “Thank you, my best friend, Layla. But please don’t be a bitch to me.”

  “I really wasn’t trying to be mean. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. Now let’s find something to wear and get you ready for your big night.” She jumps up and hurries to her closet.

  * * * * *

  I hate to admit it, but Layla was right about tonight. I need this. To let go of my life for one night. No thoughts of school, work, anxiety, or even Dr. Birch. This is so freaking great. We walk out of gallery number five and climb the steep sidewalk toward the last stop on the list. Ryker gently slides his fingers between mine. Handholding. Something I’ve not done much of until tonight. Liam used to like to lie in bed and hold my hand after sex. But tonight’s experience is different. It gives me a sense of warmth and security, even if it’s with a guy I only met hours ago.

  As we approach the last gallery, I wonder if this will be it for my date and me. Will he ask me out for a second or will he tell me he’ll call—and then I never hear from him again? It doesn’t matter. I like him, but if he doesn’t want to see me again, I’m good with that.

  “So are you up for this last gallery?” Ryker asks as we walk up the stairs to the front door.

  “Yes, this has been great. I never thought of myself as someone who likes art, but you’ve opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

  “To be honest, I’m not much into art. So I don’t deserve all the credit for tonight. My cousin, Drake, had these tickets and didn’t feel like finding a sitter for his kids, so he gave them to me. But…” he points to the door and finishes, “I’m looking forward to this gallery. It belongs to a buddy of mine, and the paintings on display tonight were done by my sister’s boyfriend.” He reaches for the handle, pulling it open for me. I release his hand and walk through the door as my mind processes the words that just came out of his mouth.

  “Your sister’s boyfriend?” The last time I saw Ivy—the bitch—she was hanging all over Jack. And Jack is far from boyfriend material. But now that I think about it, Ivy doesn’t look much like girlfriend material, either.

  “Yeah, I’ll introduce you to him. Do you know my sister Ivy?” His hand finds the small of my back as he guides me through the crowd of art lovers. We weave in and out of people while I search the room for the last person I want to see tonight… Jack.

  He’s talking to a group of people while pointing to one of the paintings on display. Ivy’s glued to his side clinging to every word he says. She laughs and moves a little closer to him. Shit. One more step and she’s going to be standing on top of him. He nods to the small crowd as he wraps his arm around Ivy’s waist leading her away from the group. She brings her lips to the glass of wine she’s holding and tilts it up taking a quick sip. Her eyes are smiling as if she’s the happiest fucking person in the world—until she finds me across the room. Bringing the glass down, she looks to my right. Her eyes double in size, and I swear I see fire shoot from her ears. She’s pissed. Not because I’m in the same room as she is, but because her brother is standing as close to me as she is to Jack. This situation shouldn’t bring any joy to my heart, but it does. Am I ashamed? No. Not. At. All. Because if I remember correctly, a few weeks ago, she called me a groupie and said her brother wasn’t interested in me. And for the first time in my life, I witness disgust in someone’s eyes. And it’s directed toward me. She really doesn’t like me.

  “No, I don’t know her. Remember, I’m new around here. If you don’t eat at Overtime or sit by me in class, then I don’t know you.”

  “I just thought maybe you had met her at Overtime with Jack. I know the guys from the shop eat there a lot. Or at least, they used to,” he says.

  “Oh,” is the only response I’m giving him. He doesn’t need to know that Jack avoids me. Especially after I let him make a fool out of me in the parking lot on the hood of my car. I still can’t believe I was so stupid.

  “There they are.” Ryker motions toward Jack and Ivy before saying, “They’re alone, so now’s the perfect time for me to introduce you to them.”

  Ryker leads me across the room with his hand still planted firmly on my lower back. Jack doesn’t notice me until we are just inches away. When he finally sees me, he immediately drops his arm from around Ivy’s waist. Jack looks away focusing his attention toward the wall of paintings. He’s ignoring me. Is it because I remind him of somebody else. Or does he treat all females like this? I remember the day from Southern Stain and the blonde who was crying as she fumbled for her keys. Trying to get away from there or was it Jack she was running from? After all, Jack did have the handprint across his cheek. So perhaps he is a jerk to all females. Except Ivy. And I’m sure that will eventually happen, too.

  “Ryker,” Ivy says as her eyes scan my body from head to toe. She looks great, but I wouldn’t have expected her to look anything short of stunning. Her long red hair is in some kind of updo that probably cost her more than my weekly paycheck. The white dress she’s wearing hangs a little shorter than mid-thigh and those silver heels add an extra few inches to her already long legs. But her outer beauty means absolutely nothing to me. It’s what she has on the inside that counts. And from what I’ve seen, it’s far from pretty. But who am I to judge. She’s my date’s sister, so I vow to be on my best behavior. Unless she backs me against the wall, and then I don’t care whose sister she is.

  “Hey, sis. Looks like the party is still in full swing. I thought by saving Jack’s stop for last, the older crowd would have headed home for the night and we could hang out with you guys.”

  Hang out with them. Umm… no thanks. I’m hoping for a quick hi and then we can continue on our way. Although I would like to see Jack’s paintings. After making the rounds at the last five galleries, I’m kind of feeling like an art expert. Well, maybe not an expert, but I’ve learned something new about myself. Maybe I like to look at paintings. The magical canvases that portray someone’s inner vision.

  “I didn’t realize you were coming tonight. Did you forget to mention it earlier?” Ivy asks.

  “No, I didn’t forget. You knew that Drake gave me the tickets.” The back and forth bantering between the twins is becoming quite boring. Twins… I look closely at Ivy and then at Ryker, and realize they may be brother and sister, but look nothing alike. Ivy with her red hair, pale skin, and green eyes would be the last person in this room I would choose as Ryker’s twin. Although Ivy is very striking, she has nothing on her sandy blond-haired, blue-eyed sibling.

  I nud
ge Ryker with my elbow so he’s aware I’m still standing next to him. I don’t want to look at Ivy, but I do glance over at Jack. He continues to stare at the wall of paintings as if we’re not here.

  Ryker finally looks over at me, and then whispers, “Sorry.”

  I smile so he knows I’m not mad. I really want to leave. Screw looking at the art. I’ll be fine not knowing that Jack is probably an amazing artist.

  “Ivy—Jack, this is my date, Jovie,” he announces. Damn, he thought I meant for introductions. That’s the last thing I want. Being introduced to people who didn’t want to meet me a first time, much less a second time is not cool. A twitch suddenly takes over my right eye and my face goes numb. Holy fucking shit. Not. Now. My chest grows heavy. My breathing quickens. It’s happening. And I can’t stop it. The anxiety is taking over my body. The fight or flight mode is kicking in. So I need to run—get away. Leave.

  “Jovie, hmm… so I was right. You are a groupie.” She looks at Ryker and shrugs. At this point, I couldn’t care less about what she thinks of me. I’m also not concerned about anything she has to say, so I search the room for the nearest exit. Whether a bedroom, bathroom or the front door. Just get me the hell out of here. Because if I don’t get out of this room, I’m gonna stop breathing. I move out of Ryker’s hold and turn away from the group. My legs are shaky, but I manage to walk away. Away from Ryker. Away from Ivy. And away from Jack.

  “Jovie, where are you going?” Ryker shouts.

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” My voice is trembling. Please don’t follow me. If he does, then I’ll have to tell him how screwed up I am. Because if I don’t explain it, then he’ll believe what he wants.

  I turn and rush toward the front door. Outside is where I need to be. Free from walls and people. No banging on a door to let them in. Only open space and me. Room to move—to run if I need to—and most importantly, room to breathe. I reach the door and grab the doorknob. A sense of freedom is so near I can taste it. I turn it to the right and then to the left. The fucking thing won’t open. I pull—push—yank and wiggle the handle for what seems like an eternity. Then a hand covers mine. No. No. No. I have to leave. Please let go.

  “Let go of my hand.” I move my eyes from the hand to the face. Jack.

  “Are you okay?” Completely ignoring his ridiculous question, I turn the knob again. This time, the door moves. It opens and to my surprise, he doesn’t try to stop me. He releases my hand as I push the door open.

  With rapid breathing, I look over my shoulder at his face and say, “Leave me alone. Please, just go back to your date.”

  As soon as I escape the confinement of the gallery, my body collapses against the railing on the porch. Thankfully, there’s no one else around. Only me—surrounded by air and darkness. Finally, I inhale and can breathe again.

  Chapter 15

  Jack

  The door closed and she was gone. Outside alone, having another one of those episodes. It happened so fast. First, the blotchy redness appeared on her neck and face. Then the look of pure terror was apparent in her eyes. She had to get out of this crowd. Away from everyone, including me.

  I want to help her. I don’t think letting her go outside into the darkness alone is the right thing to do. But that’s what she wanted. She asked for me to step back and let her go, so I did. But part of the reason she wanted away from me was probably because of the way I treated her the last time we were together. I left her alone in an empty parking lot. I went there that night to apologize but only made things worse. Such a dick. She probably never wants to see my face again.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  Ivy. She’s pissed. I turn around to face her and instantly regret it. Firm lips and fire in her eyes are not something I’ve ever seen with her. Jealousy. It doesn’t look good on her. We have such a good thing. I hope tonight isn’t the night she decides to show her ass and ruin it for the both of us.

  “Calm down, Ivy. It’s nothing. Just checking on a friend.”

  “A friend. A fucking friend. Since when did you become friends with the groupie?”

  “Groupie?” I ask her in complete confusion.

  “Yes, a groupie. A person who follows a band around like a lost puppy. Hoping to fuck not one but all of the male members.”

  “I know what a groupie is, Ivy. Why are you calling her one?”

  “Because that’s what she is. She was at our table a few weeks ago when we played at Jake’s, and now she’s here with my brother. Following him around like the little slut she is.”

  “Stop it, Ivy. I mean it. You don’t know her—”

  “Oh, but you do? Just how well do you know her, Jack? Maybe she lusts after tattoo artists, too. Am I right? You fuck her already? Leaving what’s left for my brother?” Her voice is harsh—mean—hateful. I’ve never seen her act this way.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “What’s wrong with me? Some random girl shows up with my brother, starts to freak out, and you—my date—run after her when she takes off. So you tell me… what’s wrong with you?”

  Ryker walks by us without making eye contact. He’s heading for the door. To find her and make everything better. Make the fear go away. And that pisses me off. Because I want to be the one to make it go away. Not him. Ivy’s eyes follow him until he’s made it through the door. And then she slings her head back in my direction. Something tells me we aren’t done here—or at least, she isn’t. But I’ve had all the shit I’m going to take from her for one night. I grab her arm and pull her out of the crowded room into Gemma’s play area. I release her arm as I shut the door. She presses her back against the wall and glares into my eyes.

  “That’s enough, Ivy. I don’t owe you anything. I’m not your boyfriend. It shouldn’t matter to you what I do. We have sex. Great sex. So don’t start with the jealousy bullshit and ruin a good thing.”

  Pushing herself off the wall, she walks over to the window and leans against the sill. Facing away from me, she raises her voice slightly as she asks, “Is that what you think this is about? You think I’m jealous of that girl?” She throws her head back and laughs. “I’m not jealous of her or any other female, for that matter.”

  “If it’s not jealousy, then what the hell is it? I’ve never seen you act like this before. Like a crazed beast out for blood.”

  She turns and faces me before saying, “Embarrassed. You embarrassed me tonight in front of my brother for starters. And then in front of friends. Fish and Stone were standing in the back corner watching, along with Annie and her date. Not to mention all the people mingling around pretending to look at your paintings. When they were really watching you as you practically sprinted away from me to chase down someone else’s date.”

  “Look, Ivy. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s just that…” I can’t tell her I’ve seen Jovie like this before or that I have an overwhelming need to help her when she freaks out.

  “It’s just what, Jack?” She walks over to me and rests her hands on my shoulders. She presses her lips to mine for a quick kiss. Then she leans in placing her cheek next to mine and whispers, “Don’t for one second think that you’re the only guy I’m fucking. And never again accuse me of an emotion that I could never possess. Jealousy is for the weak.” Pulling away from me, she moves toward the door. “This night is over. At least, it is for me. I hope you sold some paintings.” She stops before reaching the door and smirks in my direction. “And sex. Yeah, we won’t be having any of that tonight. So if that is the only reason you brought me… then sorry?” She shrugs her shoulders and laughs before strolling out the door.

  I’ve never been so happy to watch someone walk out of a room in my entire life. She tried to fucking ruin my night, but at least, Fish introduced me to the groups of potential buyers early and often, so I was able to circulate through the crowd for a couple of hours before Ryker and Jovie showed up. I’m not blaming them for Ivy’s shit show, but Fish’s warning was spot on. ‘Things endi
ng badly’ is an understatement on how things are going to end between Ivy and me. I hope she gets the message and tonight’s the end. But I have a bad feeling she’s not done with me yet. She’s not only pissed at me but has it out for Jovie. Bitch is an understatement of how ruthless she can be if she puts her mind to it.

  I head out of the playroom and into the thinning crowd of people.

  “What just went down between you, the twins, and that hot waitress from Overtime?” Fish asks as he approaches me in the hallway.

  “Just a misunderstanding.”

  “Sure looked like more than a misunderstanding from where I was standing.”

  “Okay. You were right. Is that better?”

  “Right about what?” he asks.

  “This thing with Ivy is a bad idea. I saw a side of her tonight I didn’t like. She says I embarrassed her, but it looked like jealousy to me. But none of that matters now. She’s gone.”

  “Right, huh? I like the sound of that.” Fish laughs and looks toward the door. I shift over a little and turn my head to get a good view of what he’s looking at—or who he’s looking at. Hopefully, Ivy’s not back. Thankfully, she’s not. It’s Ryker.

  Looking directly at me, he asks, “Hey, guys, either of you seen my sister?”

  “Not in the last ten minutes. Why? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m about to take Jovie home. I needed to talk to her for a sec before we head out.”

  Glancing over at Fish, I let my eyes travel from him to the hallway. He doesn’t say a word but watches me intently. I’m so damn predictable.

  “I think she’s in the restroom. Maybe check there. Down the hall, around the corner, the last door on the left,” I say.

  “Thanks, man.” Ryker heads toward the hallway.

  “You’re a liar. A terrible fucking liar. She left, didn’t she?” Fish asks.

  “Yeah, but I only bought myself a couple of minutes. I’ll be right back. And when I return, I’ll be ready to hear about how all my paintings sold at my first showing.”