by Jen Davis
“Yes. I was your childhood crush.”
Valentin looks completely serious that it takes me a moment to realize he’s full of crap. I burst out laughing, even though nothing about this is really funny. “Really?”
He doesn’t laugh. “I was. My father offered my hand in marriage to your father…so, to you…”
I roll my eyes, my laughter dying off. “Hm? Wow. And then what happened?” I guess if getting the real facts mean listening to his ego and psychopathic thoughts speak, I will have to listen.
His eyes turn dark, and I see his hand fist on Cassandra’s butt. She yelps in pain, but he pushes her head onto his neck. “Don’t stop.” I want to hit him, but I refrain. She was willingly getting into bed with a monster, pun intended.
Valentin doesn’t look away from me. “Your father turned down his offer.”
I nod as if he is completely sane. “Uh. Yeah, okay. Sure. Awesome story. That’s all very interesting and stuff, but can you, like, hurry up and tell me the truth so I can go?” I don’t know why he is lying to me. Maybe to keep me here for more time.
But why would he want me here for more time? He hates me. I hate him. We fight during every single interaction.
He gets up suddenly, pushing Cassandra off his lap. He reaches his hand quickly, wraps his long fingers around my wrist and pulls me toward a closet room. I snatch my hand away from him, looking at the only slightly open door.
The music is much lower here and I can actually hear my thoughts.
“Do you have a curfew, Kitten?” he asks leaning against the yellow creamed wall.
I sigh. Finally, he stops. From the way he was telling his fairytale, I was starting to believe that he actually thinks it’s true.
I cross my arms across my chest. “As a matter of fact, yes. I’m not embarrassed by it. My parents care enough about me to make sure I’m not killed by psychopaths at midnight.”
He looks at me, almost engaged in what I’m saying. He smiles, but quickly shakes it off. His eyebrow rises, a smirk on his face. “Does your father know you are here, Kitten?”
My first instinct is to tell the truth. It always is. That is what was ingrained in me as a child.
But telling the truth never goes well with Valentin. I scoff, “Of course.”
He cocks his head and looks out. “Hm…”
I wave my hand, “Can you hurry up your thought process and tell me what you think you have on my family?” I narrow my eyes. “Unless this is all a ploy. Is this all a ploy?” My shoulders fall, “This is all a ploy, isn’t it?”
“Ruse. Tactic. Scheme. Trick. Plan.”
My eyebrows pull in in confusion. “What?”
Valentin laughs. “You’ve said ‘ploy’ about ten times. I’m giving you synonyms.”
I laugh dryly. “You’re so funny.”
“I’m smart. Maybe an English project with me won’t be so bad?”
My hands fist. I had forgotten about that. I shake my head. I don’t want to think about it now. “Valentin.”
“Kitten.”
I growl and lean toward him to ask why he brought me here, to the party and to this stupid small closet, when I see a scar on his cheek, the wound still fresh. It’s a wonder I hadn’t spotted it right when we got to the room, even with the light dim.
Before I can help myself, I blurt out, “What happened to you?”
He swipes at his cheek quickly. “Is that worry in your voice?”
Someone yells. “Valentin!” from behind the door. It quickly swings open.
Valentin doesn’t look. Instead, he says to me, “Don’t worry, Kitten, I’m not worse than your date.” He winks, but this time, I can’t see the amusement. I just feel his warning from earlier and a chill creeps up my back.
“Chase…?”
He leans in and whispers in my ear, “I told you not to come to this dance, Kitten.”
His warning.
Nate walks toward us with a grim look. He pushes me aside, and I can feel his anger radiating off his body. “The fuck, Val? Did you mess with Chase?”
My jaw drops. “What do you mean, mess with him?”
I feel like I’m about to throw up. “What happened to Chase? Where is he?”
Did he hurt him? Valentin is capable of hurting him. And it is all because of me. Valentin told me not to come.
I stumble out of the closet room.
You should have just fed his freaking ego and did what he said.
Valentin yawns and walks away from Nate behind me. “Brother.”
“Valentin, I fucking told you—”
“I do not give a fuck. He touched what was mine, knowing it was mine.” Valentin looks up at me lazily, swinging back a beer. “Ask your mother about her mother. When she refuses to answer, you’re going to text me—” He throws up a phone similar to the one he gave me on the first day of school. “‘Okay, I’m in.’ and take the first step in giving me your virginity. Monday morning, you’ll give me something special.”
I catch the phone, numbly. My head is spinning with all the information.
Suddenly a girl taps me on the shoulder. She says something, but it’s swallowed by the music. Or maybe it’s just me and I’m too confused to hear. She has a pink and purple mohawk and three nose rings. She looks intimidating and a lot older than someone in high school. She leans down and yells over the pounding music, “You Caterina?”
I nod, thoughtlessly.
“There’s this girl shitfaced drunk who’s calling for you.”
My eyes widen and my heart starts beating against my chest. “What do you mean?”
The girl points back behind her. “She’s short, bangs, a slight accent…wearing a cowboy hat—”
“Mell!”
She shrugs. “I guess so. Anyways, you should probably get her before one of the guys do. Plus, I think she’s gonna go into Kobe’s stash of drugs…”
I hear people talking all around me, but I can’t process anything. I grip the girl’s shoulder and shake her. “Where is she?”
She shrugs me off. “Somewhere behind me. I told her to follow but she doesn’t seem like the kind to listen.”
I push past her and run across the living room. “Mell? Mell?” My eyes scan the room until I see that there’s a body lying on the ground. A male body. One that’s wearing a suit.
Chase.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
“Kitty!” I spin around and find Mell holding a red cup a couple of feet away from me.
I look back at Chase. Why is no one helping him, darn it? Everyone is just watching. I run to Mell. “Are you drunk, Mell?” What a stupid question. Of course she is.
She crosses her fingers and holds them up solemnly. “Promise not I drunk.”
I groan, and grab her arm, trying to move her to a place where there aren’t as many people. I need to get her somewhere safe and then go get Chase. “Are you kidding me?”
“Whaaa? Nate had a lot of alcohol and he said he would lemme get a lot if…hmmm”
I try to look for a place to sit. “If what?”
“I dunno…he asked me something…” She slurs. “But who cares! Come on, Kitty, get some tequila!” She winks, wrapping her arms around me, and stumbles me forward. “Val will give you a lotta drinks cause he likes you and stuff and…stuff!”
I shake my head, and my gaze flickers everywhere, trying to find an exit. “Mell, this isn’t like you! You told me you don’t get drunk. What happened?”
“I dunno, something, something, kissing, oh…we were having fun and…” She trails off and her goofy smile turns into a concentrated look. “Nate…me…got me…”
I sigh and wrap my arm around her waist and circle her arm around my neck to support her. She is swaying too much for my liking. “Nate what?”
Her eyes suddenly brighten, and she looks stunning with an incredible smile. Even drunk, she still looks amazing. How is that even possible? Gosh, this girl. I can’t even stay mad at her.
“Contact!”
“Contact?”
“I got the contact!”
“What contact?”
Suddenly, she passes out and I fall forward, face flat from the weight. Without thinking, I catch Mell’s body with mine and instantly feel the effects of it on my face.
What.
The.
What are you saying??
I’m trying not to swear here!
I think it’s a pretty good time to swear. A hundred-something pound human is on top of you, your face is smashed on the floor and there are like a hundred other things—
Fuck! I get it!
Good start!
I hear laughter and I know people saw it.
Mortified, I sit up, placing Mell’s body beside me. I make her lean up against me. She’s completely wasted and passed out.
Suddenly, the whole place quietens in a way that is not normal. It’s a party, for goodness sake, how can everyone just quiet at once?
And just like that, the music stops also.
Oh, no. I have a bad feeling about this.
“No one can help her.” My head snaps up to the direction of Valentin.
His eyes meet mine, his face a blank and smooth canvas. “Choose, Kitten. Your boyfriend or your best friend? And choose correctly, because the one you leave behind…who knows what will happen to them?”
Chapter 16
Caterina
There’s complete silence in the whole house, it seems. The room is still dark, but the music has stopped altogether and so has the movement in the room. How does he do that?
How does he make everything stop instantly for him?
It doesn’t register to me what he says until Nate tries to argue with him. “Brother—”
Valentin dismisses him. “This is my choice, Nate. Unless you want to fight me on it?”
Apparently, that is not something he wants to do, because he grits his teeth and falls on the opposite couch, watching me with everyone else.
Valentin sighs from the other side of the room. “Hurry, Kitten.” He taps his watch. “Curfew is getting close.”
I look down at my own phone, ignoring the second phone that Valentin had thrown at me. 9:40 p.m.
He’s right, I’m not going to make it in time to get both of them. And they both seem to be completely passed out. I set Mell gently on the couch, and position her comfortably.
I walk numbly over to Chase and bend down to get a look at him. When I see what his face looks like, I gasp. My head snaps up. “Did you do this?”
Valentin’s lips twist up in a cruel smirk.
That’s answer enough.
Anger boils in my blood, and I have to look away from Valentin to stop myself from lunging at him. How could he do this?
I caress Chase’s face. It’s bloody and bruised, and it seems like his nose is broken. I grab a tissue from my backpack. Slowly and gently I wipe all the blood I can. The tissue gets most of it and he instantly looks less terrifying. Chase groans and moves a little. My heart jumps to my throat. “Chase? Chase? Hey, I’m here, okay?”
He groans, and his face flinches as I wipe his cheek wound with another tissue. His eyes still don’t open. “Who?”
“Caterina. It’s me, hey, Chase, Chase?”
“He’s knocked out, Kitten. What’s taking you so long to choose? Do you have no loyalty to your friends?”
How freaking dare he. How dare he bait me to come here then do this?
“Before you start screaming at me, think about all the things you have done, Kitten. Don’t do that…don’t shut me out. From the very first day, think about it.”
He’s done so much worse, what’s he talking about!?
“You punched me.”
I try to take calming breaths.
He cornered me alone while I was in a towel.
“Granted it was weak and badly aimed…”
That was an amazing punch and he knows it too.
“You then threw my phone.”
The one he had given me on the first day of school like he was a creepy pervert? The day he filled my locker with things I would rather not even think about?
“You then disrespected me more than anyone in this room combined.”
“Fuck you!” I slap my hand over my mouth as soon as it slips out of my mouth.
Why can’t you keep your mouth shut, darn it? Instead of giving yourself time to think of how to get out of this quicksand, you make yourself sink even more.
I watch him carefully as he gets up. He looks like a deadly tiger, getting ready to strike. I look down at Chase and then across at Mell. I wonder how fast I can get both of them out of here.
As he starts walking toward me, I get up and yell at Nate, “Do you have no freaking heart?”
He knows what I’m talking about, because he runs a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrated. “What?”
And just like that Valentin is right in front of me. He grabs my arm and jerks me forward. He looks around at everyone in the party. “Does anyone want to help her?”
I beg all of them silently but there’s nothing but silence in the room.
Valentin chuckles lowly. “See, Kitten. No one gives a shit about you. You’re nothing. Me? I demand respect, and you don’t seem to be learning your lessons, even now.”
My heart beats fast, but I don’t allow myself to lose my mind. Ignoring Valentin, I twist around and look at Nate. “Mell came with you today, trusting you. You got her drunk and now you’re just going to let your brother throw her into his sick games?”
“Shut the fuck up!” Valentin’s grip on my arm gets tighter and his eyes turn dark. I have no idea what he’s thinking but I’m assuming it’s the different ways in which to kill me.
My only hope now is Nate. He likes Mell, and I can only hope to God that it’s enough to save Mell. If not, I’m going to have to choose her and leave Chase here.
Alone.
With Valentin.
Who seems even angrier than earlier.
Nate holds my gaze for a long moment, seeming to consider my words. But just like that, he looks away. My heart drops. I look at Mell, my heart constricting in my body. I look up at Nate. “Fuck you too! You’re just like your brother. She will hate you forever, know that. She will never trust you again!”
I see his body get tenser. He gets up, and storms out of the room. What I said has gotten to him, but not enough to help her.
“Like I said, no one gives a shit about you, Kitten.”
I jerk out of Valentin’s grip. “Fine. No one cares. But Mell and Chase have nothing to do with this. She’s innocent. So is he.”
“Just choose one already before my anger rises and I kick you out without both of them. If you want some cock,” he nods to Chase, “pick that shit. If you want a shoulder to sob on after what I do to you on Monday,” he nods to Mell, “choose her.”
“No.”
“No?”
“There must be something you want from me. Anything at all. Just let them go and I’ll do it.”
He looks confused for a moment. Regarding me strangely, he asks, “Why are you willing to fight for them so hard? You barely know them.”
I shrug. “They have nothing to do with your sick games, especially Mell. I have no idea what issue you have with me, and it’s fine. I can deal with it. But bringing other people into it? Like my mom? That’s sick.” I fist my hands by my sides. “So just spit it out. What do you want from me?”
He’s silent. Crossing his arms, he looks at me.
After several long moments, I shuffle on my feet and blurt out, “What? Stop looking at me like that.”
He steps toward me and grabbing my shoulders whispers into my ear, “Monday morning, you meet me in room H478 twenty minutes before homeroom. I have something planned and it’s much easier if you don’t struggle. You’ll do as I say, how I want it without any complaints. And,” he nods to the phone, “you’ll use that phone.”
I jerk away from him, shrugging off his arms. Without digesting wha
t he had said, I spit out, “Fine.”
His lips twist into a smirk. “It’s a date.”
“No, it’s not.”
He chuckles. “You’re right. I would never go on a date with you.
“Feel free to take your friends any way you want. Although, a tip, they might be a little heavy…and you still don’t get any help from anyone here.” He starts walking away. Cueing to the DJ he says, “Start the music again.”
Eventually, I have no choice but to call Robin and get him to help me with carrying their bodies. I know that sounds creepy. It also looks like I am kidnapping people I have drugged and killed. Robin does not question me though, especially once he hears the despair in my voice.
By the time we get in the car, Mell groggily wakes up enough to tell me where she lives before she passes out again. Chase’s address I have found from one of the people at the party. I guess helping me had only included physically lifting the bodies.
As the gate swings up, and we slip into the driveway, I know I’m dead. Mom is going to kill me. Dad is going to kill me. Nana is going to kill me. I am going to be dead three times. Resigning myself to getting screamed at, I walk slowly toward our house.
One of our butlers opens the door before I even knock.
“Dove sei stato? Huh? Where?”
I flinch, looking down at the floor.
But it dawns on me that there aren’t two voices screaming at me. Usually, Mom is the loudest to scream when I do something.
My head snaps up and I find only Nana in front of me.
Her eyes widen as she sees the blood on my body and her voice gets soft and her eyes wide. “What in the name of God happened to you, amore?”
“Don’t worry, Nana, it’s not my blood.” I look over her shoulder. No terrifying looking parents anywhere in sight. “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“They still haven’t gotten back. They said they’re going to be staying over at a hotel. And whose blood is it?”
I beam up at her. “It’s my lucky day!” Mom and Dad literally couldn’t have chosen a better time to be away.
Nana looks like she’s about to faint. She pulls me into the living room, her hand strong on my arm. “Amore, amore, amore, what happened?”