by Eliza Park
Fuck, I missed her.
I shifted uncomfortably, reminding myself that I was not her boyfriend, “Where’s Ramirez?”
Her pretty mouth twitched into a frown and she pulled a heavy book from her locker, “He said he forgot something in his room, so I’m guessing he’ll be late for class.”
“Are you going with him to the Spring bullshit?” I grumbled.
She snorted a laugh, “Yes.” Her blonde hair skated across her sweater as she twirled to face me, “Why, were you going to ask me?”
I shrugged, “I’ve got a date, just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be going alone.” Liar.
“Oh, how much are you paying her?”
I grinned despite myself, “She came highly recommended by your boyfriend.”
Her laugh filled my head, the sound like bells on a Sunday morning. I missed her, I wanted her, I couldn’t fucking stand to be near her for very long without feeling that sharp stab of regret in the pit of my stomach.
I straightened, knowing I needed to get out of there before I got down on my knees in front of her. “I’ll see you there, then. Save me a dance?”
Green eyes watched me curiously, but she nodded, “Of course. Talk to you later, Cap.”
Forcing myself to walk around her towards my classroom, I didn’t look back as I said, “See ya, Ace.”
Fuck.
And now I had to find a date to the stupid dumb bullshit dance I didn’t even want to go to. I took my usual spot in Latin, avoiding Bohanan’s woeful expression, and watched with renewed interest as Cherise dropped her crap onto the table.
“Hey, Cherise.” I said casually.
She jumped, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Want to go to the Spring nonsense with me?”
Cherise looked at me like I’d asked her to set the moon on fire. “Are you serious?” I’d completely forgotten how British she was.
Why the fuck would I ask if I wasn’t? “Why not? You got a boyfriend or something?”
The look she gave me was pure, unfiltered incredulity, and even though I’d spent an entire semester ignoring her and possibly silently judging her inability to conjugate Latin verbs, I liked her attitude. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“You’re an arsehole?”
I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, come up with some new material, Cherise, I’ve heard that one before. What’s your other problem?”
“Do you even like me?”
I shrugged, “Sure.”
She laughed, “Wow, I can really feel the love.”
“I didn’t realize we had to be engaged to attend some shitty dance together.”
“If you hate it so much, why do you want to go?”
I ground my teeth together, not answering.
“Aren’t you dating the Hanson heiress?”
I scoffed, “You make her sound like fucking royalty.”
“I’m pretty sure the Queen is less wealthy.”
“That may be true, but she isn’t going to inherit her dad’s company.”
Cherise raised an eyebrow, “She’ll inherit his multi-billion-dollar fortune.”
That was definitely true, as far as I knew. Celeste’s trust was surrounded by legal bullshit, but I had no doubt it was large enough to sustain a country. And not a small one. I bowed my head for a moment, looking down at our shared desk and twirling my pen around my fingers, “She’s dating a soccer player.” I admitted finally.
“Ohhhhhh, right, I did hear that. Is that why you’ve been in such a good mood? And all this time I thought you just hated the world.”
I chuckled, “I’m sorry, truly, for being a dick.”
Cherise eyed me for a moment before relaxing against the back of her chair, “Alright. I’ll go with you, but I won’t have sex with you, and I’ll probably spend the whole time dancing with my friends.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” This was a pity date, but I didn’t care.
“You just want to make her jealous, don’t you?”
I considered her statement. I didn’t think it was possible to make Celeste jealous. I could show up with a supermodel or an actual high-class prostitute and she probably wouldn’t notice. “If I tell you the truth, will you promise not to mock me?”
“No.”
I lowered my voice, looking away from her as I spoke, “I’m graduating a year early and I don’t know when I’ll see her again. I just want a reason to…” I drifted off, unsure how to articulate exactly what I wanted.
She shook her head at me in dismay, “Wow. Maverick Lockwood not only has a heart, but a broken one.”
I didn’t argue.
“You know from what I’ve heard she’s kind of a basket case.”
I shrugged, “She’s got some shit to deal with.”
“You’re still defending her after she left you for someone else?”
I didn’t answer, scowling at my notebook.
Cherise sighed, “I want you to buy me the most expensive corsage you can find.”
I gave her a weak smile, “Deal.”
Chapter 11
Celeste
The air was cool the night of the Spring Formal, casting waves of tiny pimples to sprinkle across my skin as I walked with my arm in Eli’s into the massive ballroom. The ceiling was decorated with shimmering crystal chandeliers the size of my bed, casting radiant sparkles over the wooden dance floor, the ornate wallpaper, and the faces of my excited classmates. I loved dances. They were the only real perk that came with the isolated lifestyle I was born into. I’d been attending balls, charity galas, and themed dances for as long as I could remember, and I never tired of the nostalgic feeling I got every time I spun under those twinkling lights.
Eli looked ridiculously good in a suit that was slightly too small for his long, lean figure. His curly hair was untamed and disheveled, that one small circle in his cheek prominent right from the beginning of the night. The small kiss he’d planted on my cheek still tingled from the connection of his skin on mine, making me wish I had the ability to blush organically. Being with him the last couple of months had been a dream I didn’t want to wake from. He was kind, generous, and giving, the only area he lacked in was kissing. For whatever reason, I couldn’t get into having his lips on mine to the point that when we started making out, I stopped us from going any further after some time. I was worried it was going to become an issue soon, but Eli had been such a gentleman right from the beginning, I had no doubt he’d take this in stride too.
He smiled down at me, his caramel eyes warming me straight to the bone. I was so attracted to him but kissing him was like kissing a fish underwater. “Your look incredible,” he murmured to me.
My dress was a shade of sun-washed, rose petal pink, ordered from somewhere in Italy by my mother several months ago. It had arrived shortly after my first date with Eli. It had thin straps, fit me perfectly, and draped down to the floor in the most perfect pool of satin. She’d sent a pair of strappy white heels to match. I was always grateful for my mom in moments like these. We didn’t talk much, and I hardly knew her, but she had the most exquisite dresses and outfits made for me when I needed them. Her taste was impeccable, but it had to be with an unending income, a business mogul husband, and New York City’s socialite spotlight shining directly onto her bleached hair.
Eli led me through the throng of our classmates, both of us beaming with that new relationship glow. His friends were seated at a table over by the punch bowl and when he tried to lead me to them, I held back.
“I want to dance,” I bit my lip and grinned, hoping to convince him right onto the floor.
A look of annoyance passed over his features, but it quickly disappeared. “Let me go get us some drinks and then we can, okay? No one’s even dancing yet.”
I released his arm and watched him walk away, twirling to face the empty floor. I would never be bothered being the only dancer. Someone had to start it eventually, and I would
always volunteer to be that person.
A dark figure appeared in my peripherals and my mouth twitched with a smile. “How’s the night treating you, Cap?”
Maverick looked down at me with those sky-blue eyes, smiling easily, “Hoping it’s about to get better.” He looked handsome, as always, in a black suit and tie tailored specifically to his body. For as long as I’d known him, Mav didn’t venture from the classic black and white look for any occasion. He looked like he always did, aristocratically perfect. He held a hand out to me then, “Would you dance with me?”
I couldn’t hide the smile that erupted on my face, “Aren’t you here with someone?”
He shrugged, his gaze on me, “Not going to fuck you on the dance floor, Ace.”
I laughed and took his hand, letting him lead me to the center of the floor, beneath the sparkling chandelier. He kept a proper amount of distance between us, his hand on my upper back while mine rested on his shoulder. I noted then that despite the heels, my head still only came to his chin. He couldn’t have grown in just the few months since we’d been this close. I hadn’t noticed last week when he’d approached me at my locker, either.
I tilted my head to the side, “Are you taller?”
Maverick’s perfectly bowed mouth spread into a half smile, “No idea. All my clothes still fit.”
“You definitely seem taller.”
Mav leaned forward slightly, his mouth coming close to my ear, “Don’t tell anyone, but your mom sent me heels too.”
I laughed. I missed how well he knew me, how well we knew each other. Getting to know new people was an exhausting amount of work sometimes.
“I heard you’re on to Yale next year? Leaving us poor high schoolers behind?” I asked lightly.
He sighed, “Yep, after a long internship at my dad’s firm in the city.”
“I’ll miss seeing your grumpy ass in the halls.”
The smirk that crested across his face was unmistakably handsome, and I wondered how I’d never noticed before just how heartbreakingly attractive he was. “Looks to me like you’ll be distracted enough. Probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“That’s not true,” I argued, “You’re still my friend, Mav, I’ll always miss you.”
Maverick clenched his jaw and looked down at our feet for a moment, “You seem like you’re doing really well.”
I shrugged, “I got a couple annoying calls from Rosenberg a while back with some very strict instructions.” The truth was that I’d thrown out all of the old pills, well, almost all of the old pills, and replaced them with the new ones she’d sent. I’d even had the bright idea to follow the instructions on the bottles. I needed to graduate, and beyond that, I needed to know what was happening with Eli was real.
He nodded, “I’m glad.”
“Weird how she always seems to know when I’m really spiraling,” I said, the accusation in my voice making him smile.
“Must be some weird psychiatrist sense she has.”
“Hmm.”
He was looking down at me, smiling, and for a moment I got lost in his gaze. His eyes were such a brilliant shade of blue, mirroring the unmistakable intelligence in his constant gaze. Longing bloomed in the shadow of my heart and I had the sudden urge to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. The focus in his eyes switched from humor to lust, and then very quickly to heartbreak. I watched the familiar thought cross his mind, then watched it disappear under a cloud of despair.
He wanted to kiss me.
I could almost feel his anguish, the longing in me mirroring the look on his face. I realized then that our bodies were almost touching but had no idea how we’d come to stand so close. His chin angled down while mine angled up, and ever so subtly my chest brushed against his. I inhaled sharply, the need to feel his lips on mine just one more time overpowering my ability to reason.
“Celeste,” he said quietly, his voice broken under fractals of light.
My mouth fell open and my body was pressed to his.
Eli’s voice shocked me back into the present, ripping me from the dreamy ball of desire I had just been caught in. “What’s this Lockwood, you trying to steal my girl?” His voice was dark, laced with something I didn’t recognize.
I stepped away from Maverick and saw the reluctance as he dropped his hands to his side. The moment, whatever it was, had broken. I glanced around, realizing there were more people on the dance floor. Our steps had been so smooth, and I’d been so lost in him, I’d completely neglected not just our surroundings, but my own boyfriend.
“Not at all, Ramirez,” Maverick said coolly, “Your date is free to dance with anyone she chooses.”
I lifted a hand to touch Eli on the arm, feeling the tense muscles under my fingers, and watched Mav’s gaze drop to the interaction. He stepped closer to Eli then, and I noted with satisfaction that he was in fact a little bit taller.
“You hurt her, Ramirez, and I will break every bone in your fucking body. Understand?” Mav’s face was inches from Eli’s, his voice etched from stone. I could feel the wave of heated anger rolling off of his skin.
Eli laughed derisively but couldn’t seem to find the words to say in response. Maverick turned to me, his eyes cold with fury and longing and a whole bunch of other emotions I couldn’t decipher. “Be safe, Ace,” he said, then walked away from us both, his shoulder set in a hard line.
Eli wrapped his arm around my back and pulled my body flush to his, eliciting a puff of air from my lungs. His honeyed eyes were burning with a hatred I’d never seen before. “I can’t believe you dated that guy.”
I shrugged, “We didn’t really date, but he’s not so bad all the time.”
He scowled, his fingers flexing against the spot on my lower back, “You want to go dance with him?”
I let out half a chuckle, suddenly uncomfortable in his embrace, “No, I’m here with you.”
The lone dimple reappeared, but his body was still rigid with anger, “Good,” he said simply, twirling me in a large clumsy circle around the floor. “After this let’s go sit down, I hate dancing.”
I spotted Maverick as we turned, his suited figure bent as he spoke to a short girl in a midnight blue dress. She was beautiful. Short with mahogany skin and deep brown eyes, curled hair piled on top of her head. The corsage she wore on her wrist highlighted her entire being, making her seem more radiant somehow. Her gaze drifted to me for a moment, then Maverick’s head turned, and I felt that icy blue stare across the floor. He tore his eyes from mine and ran a hand through that perfectly styled hair, speaking to his date. She nodded, and I watched with fascination as he spun on his heel and walked out of the ballroom.
“So how about we go back to your room after this? It’s the last night we can be together until summer.” Eli said into my ear.
I shivered, but not from desire, and offered him a placating smile, “Sure,” I managed, trying to think of an excuse, “I should warn you that I’m on my period.”
The scowl returned and I felt his body tense against me. “That’s fine, we don’t have to do anything,” he said after a moment.
Something about his posture made me uneasy. I almost didn’t believe him.
Clutching Eli’s shoulder with my one hand, I stared at the entrance for what seemed like an eternity, unable to shake that returning feeling that I’d made some kind of mistake.
Fall
Chapter 12
Maverick
I spent the entire blistering summer doing grunt work for my dad and all the privileged assholes who worked for him. He put me under a junior lawyer, Josh, who undeniably kicked ass at his job, and was also a Yale graduate. I tried to use the opportunity to learn from him, force him as a mentor, and ask a bunch of questions, but after the first week he tired of my presence and started sending me off to do paperwork, make copies, and get coffee for anyone else in the office who needed shit done.
It was infuriating. Absolutely infuriating.
But I persevered, keeping m
y head down and trying not to scowl at every pompous prick who asked me for a favor. By the end of my sentence, I was allowed to attend some of the bigger trials and got to watch my dad in action, which was pretty incredible. He was brutal to the people on the stands, firing questions like a machine gun, but he walked away from every case looking more and more tired.
It was a great distraction from thinking about Celeste, who my mother insisted on updating me about frequently. I skipped the annual summer vacation and spent it instead at the office, ignoring the only text message I got from her in those three months since I’d seen her at the Spring Formal.
Celeste: Mav! First summer having cocktails at the beach by myself?? Where the f are you?
I couldn’t open up that line of communication, as badly as I wanted to. If she called me or texted to say she needed me in any way, I’d be there, but after the way she’d looked at me on that dance floor, I couldn’t handle another round and keep my sanity intact. I was always worried, and a little hopeful, that she’d visit me in the city, but she went to Europe with Carole, where I’m sure they spent most of the time ignoring each other and spent the rest of the time at her parents’ beach house in the Hamptons. She didn’t try to text me again after I ignored her, and I heard through my mom that she mentioned having a boyfriend at the academy. She was on her meds, stable for the most part, and there was still five more months to go before I could hand her that big white envelope with all those secrets. I wasn’t expecting to be rewarded with more than just her freedom and liberty. And maybe a single booty call. I wasn’t picky.
On my last day of class, Bohanan handed me some information of his own: a simple sticky note with his parents’ name and phone number on it. They lived in Idaho, of all places, and he hadn’t told them about her quite yet, but he said he was planning on it and that they would be absolutely overjoyed to get to know her. The prospect made me that much more excited. Celeste loved families. She didn’t have grandparents or uncles or aunts or cousins, it was just her. And when all of this went down, she’d potentially gain not just the grandparents, but so many freaking family members. Bohanan had four other siblings aside from Celeste’s mom, and all of them had kids. It would be like fucking Christmas.