Page 41 of Hers To Keep
“Love is for those afforded the privilege of making mistakes. For those who have the opportunity of choosing to blindly trust another over their own judgment. Of allowing themselves to let their guard down and live with the impending threat of never being able to come back from the disappointment that is to ensue.”
“So you’re saying love is for the weak,” she asks, curious to hear more. I turn to her and see a look of innocence in her eyes as I debate whether to burst this idea she’s created in her head where people fall in love and live happily ever after.
“I’m saying love is for those willing to risk everything they are for a fleeting moment. For a distant dream, a flawed fantasy.”
“That’s sad,” she says, interrupted by Jade entering the room.
“It’s reality,” Jade says, as she approaches us. Her dark blue, sequined bodysuit sticks to her like a second skin. The top is long-sleeved and off-the-shoulders, with a cutout in the middle baring her midriff, while the shorts are barely covering her ass. She’s paired her look with knee-high silver boots, looking more like afuturistic Barbie than someone from the 1920s. “It’s what we were awarded the opportunity of witnessing first-hand before we made the mistake of willingly surrendering ourselves to another. Love is an illusion, a fantasy we wish to believe because the thought of no one genuinely caring for our wellbeing, our happiness, is too harsh a reality to swallow. So we trick ourselves into believing someone out there will choose to see us through a different eye. To see us for what we wish we were.”
“That’s a sad reality,” Stella whispers solemnly.
“But it’s the harsh truth. For someone who has endured so much death, pain, and tragedy, I would assume you’d understand firsthand what it’s like,” Jade says, referring to the fact that Stella lost both her parents. Her mother suffered from depression and countless other mental illnesses that drove her to commit suicide, while her father ended up drinking himself to death because of the guilt he felt a month later.
Stella stands, moving toward Jade while reaching her hand out to me to take. Jade takes her other hand and the three of us stand in my room holding hands, like the unlikely trio we are. An innocent child, an impulsive fighter, and a helpless sinner. A trinity of sisters. Not blood related but connected on a deeper level. Our souls interlocked to form a holy trinity of sorts. Three equal parts tangled together to create something unbreakable.
“I may have lost everything, but the difference is I once had it. The unconditional love of a mother,” she pauses, like a knife to the heart her words sting, but I know she means no harm with what she says. She pulls us in closer, embracing us both in a hug, her arms openly wrapped around us. “I’m so sorry neither of you did. My father may have been the reason I lost everything I ever cared for, but he was there for the most part, and deep down I believe he loved me too. But you two were robbed of both. Jade, you never had the chance to meet your mother, but I know she would have loved you so much, but your father is not worthy of your love. Scarlett, your mother is a vile human being, but deepdown I’d like to believe your father might have cared had he known.”
“That’s the thing, Stella, we can’t spend our lives living with the ideas of the have and have-nots, the dos and don’ts, the what-ifs and what-nots. It’s exhausting, let alone depressing. We live for the here and now, the reality of what is, and the dread of what’s to come.” I reach up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. Everything Stella feels she feels so passionately, and she makes you feel exactly as she does with just one look in her eyes. It’s exactly why I think she’d be perfect for Kai, she’s exactly what he needs to unleash his demons and learn to heal.
“But the fact of the matter remains,” Jade says, backing away, as we both turn to face her. “Ace might love Scar, and hell she might even love him. I might even one day find someone who will love me, and I’ll love them, but at what cost? What are we willing to lose? What forced sacrifice are we willing to make? What perpetual mistake are we willing to commit, for a fleeting moment?”
“The ultimate sacrifice,” Stella whispers, walking away and leaving us both to stand and wallow in our self-pity.
The car Acesent over pulls up to the parking lot along the street of the private beach behind the academy. Although we walked down here countless times, tonight the weather is the coldest it’s been thus far, and our outfits don’t allow for bulky coats.
The beach houses are all beautifully decorated with bright LED lights and chandeliers vibrantly sparkling inside. The main event will be held inside each of the five houses along the shore ending with a countdown and fireworks show on the sandy area along the water. With the amount of people here, there’s no way they would all fit inside the Servite’s, even though it’s massive.
The moment we enter Ace’s beach house, I instantly feel him. It’s as if the room grows still, silent and all that’s heard is the rhythmic beating of his heart, like music to my ears. My heart pounds, my palms sweating vigorously, as a mix of anxiety and arousal overwhelm my senses. Beside me Jade reaches for my arm, my body swaying slightly as all the blood rushes to my head.
“You okay, Scar?” she asks, a look of concern overtaking her green eyes which tonight have a hint of her blue bodysuit reflecting in them.
“I’m fine, it’s just a little crowded here.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot of people. It looks like they’re all in here instead of being scattered around the other houses.”
“This is the host’s house, why would you be anywhere else?” Ace says, as he and Bass come up behind us.
“Hey,” I mumble as I turn to face him. He leaves me utterly speechless as I take his look in, my eyes hungrily raking over him. He looks like a true mobster with a pinstripe black and charcoal suit and matching black fedora hat. The three top buttons of his dress shirt are unbuttoned, revealing his tattoos and his beloved silver cross chain. I’ve never asked him the story of it, but it must be important as he’s never taken it off since shortly after I met him.
“Well, well, Little Wolf,” Bass says, as he circles around Jade like a predator readying to feast on his prey. His eyes practically dilate as he takes in her gorgeous figure in her sexy outfit. “I don’t think the women of the 1920s wore such provocative clothing.”
“I went for more of a 1920s burlesque dancer, not like Miss Daisy Buchanan over here,” Jade answers pointing at Stella.
“Well consider me impressed, Wolfe, you look so fucking good,” Bass groans, biting his lip as he watches her, his gaze focused on her ass and long legs.
“Gosh, thank you, Sebastian, I’m so flattered you’re impressed, it’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Jade cries out mockingly, and we all start laughing at his expense.
“Oh really, you're going to play like that?” Bass challenges, stepping into her, crowding her space.
“Maybe if you get me a drink, you’ll find out just how I play,” Jade coos, raising a brow as she takes off toward the champagne fountain, flaunting her ass and leaving us all standing in shock at their flirtier than usual banter.
“Ugh, that was gross, but I feel like this,” Stella says, pointing between Ace and me. “Is going to take a turn in that direction too. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Ruby, let’s go. I need a drink,” she adds, hooking her arm in Ruby’s.
“Little Silver, you read my mind.”
They take off toward the bar, leaving Ace and I alone, well alone in a crowded room of people I hate, watching us with prying eyes and regarding us shrewdly. The anomaly of our relationship is still a mystery to most, and an unfortunate circumstance to many. I look back at Ace’s freshly cut, unruly dark blond waves combed effortlessly in place under his hat. He looks like the perfect Ken doll, if Ken had spellbinding, blue, topaz eyes, and an immaculate muscular physique covered in sexy ass fuck tattoos. While here, I stand looking like ghetto Barbie accidentally wearing rich girl Barbie’s dress.
He moves closer to me, grabbing my hands in his and pulling me in for a quick kiss. “You look absolutely beautiful, Scarlett,” he whispers in my ear, taking me by surprise. His words sound genuine, not a single insult or crass comment coming from his mouth.