Where are you, man? Sienna’s fucking worried. You should have been here by now.
Fuck. I look at my Schattensicht; I should have been there ages ago.
I run my hand through my hair.
Jayce, are you ok?Renji’s voice is filled with concern.
Yeah, I just need to shower first… where are you?
At the venue, get here, man. What should I tell her?
Say something came up, but I’ll be there soon,I answer quietly as I get up and pick up my phone. I slip it into my pocket. I have no energy to even look at the messages.
But I have to be there for her. I promised her that.
Returning to the empty dorm, I enter the bathroom, strip out of my clothes and step under the shower, letting cold water rain down on me. I don’t move, staring at the white floor of the shower.
Dante’s words sting, and it fucking hurts.
Somehow, I manage to get changed before I head outside.
Theo, can I use your car?The loss of my beloved bike doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore, either.
Sure thing, Renji has a spare key. He said it’s in his room in his safe, you should know the passkey – his words. Get here, man. That Beta-to-be of Ahren’s iseyeing Sienna, and your girl is dressed to kill. I might have checked her out.
I frown, but right now I have no will to say anything. Everything feels… irrelevant.
Jayce, you ok, bro?Theo asks, picking up on my lack of a response.
Yeah. I’ll see you soon, just getting the keys.
I cut the mind-link before getting the key from Renji’s safe, and then head out to Theo’s car. I know I’m not meant to leave alone, but right now I don’t really care what the repercussions are. The security at the gate knows me. So when I flash an old approval of leave in front of them, they let me out with a nod, without paying proper attention, and I’m glad it worked. Only because there’s a party, otherwise, I doubt we’d be allowed to leave.
Zooming down the winding path, the same thing keeps playing and replaying in my mind. The roads are a blur, the cold wind from the open windows whipping through my wet hair.
Pull it together, Jayce, for her.It’s her eighteenth birthday, but for the first fucking time in my life, I’m unable to pull myself together. Power is a blessing and a curse…
I reach thevenue shortly after, trying to focus on putting all my emotions into a box on a shelf in my mind. I inhale and exhale slowly, schooling my face into an expression of cold indifference.
Maybe it’s for the best that I won’t get to be by her sidethrough the night. I don’t want to ruin her night, nor can I ever tell her what I saw.
I enter the venue after passing security. Shoving my hands in my pockets, and stepping inside the hall, my eyes sweep the room as I’m hit with a hundred scents, loud flashing lights and the buzz of people enjoying the evening.
The extravagant decorations are something you will always find at a Rossi celebration, specifically, Rafael Rossi’s line. Looking at the huge balloon arches and the extravagant flower displays, I notice just how different our financial state is.
We’re not struggling; in fact, we are living comfortably. At eighteen, Theo was able to buy a second-hand sports car, which was still pretty expensive, and he’s worked on it over the last year and a half, restoring it.
However, when you compare that to a Rossi, it just shows the huge difference. Ahren has an entire fleet of cars, all customised to perfection. Just like these flowers… I’ll never have that kind of money to buy this kind of luxury for her. Sienna will never have any need for the rows of flowers, nor will she ever get to admire each one, but it’s something she’s grown to know.
I know my emotions are fucking with my head. I know I can keep her happy even without the luxuries of the Rossi Empire, but right now I need a distraction.
Where is she anyway?
I spot Ares talking to two girls to the side. Theo is having a drinking competition with Tatum and a few other boys, but I can’t see Carter or Renji.
Where’s Sienna?I ask Theo and Renji through the mind-link.
You finally made it!Renji sounds relieved.
