“Great. See you there. I gotta run. I told my dad I wasn’t going to be out long.” Another lie. I’m really on a roll lately. I smile and wave a hand as I’m walking out of the room.
“How are you getting out tonight, exactly?” Aurora asks me, stopping my hasty escape.
“My parents are going to some gala hosted by Vin and Cammi De Bellis. Actually, I’m surprised Ares isn’t being forced to attend.”Is he even going to be there?Now I’m not so sure.
“Who are Vin and Cammi De Bellis?” the Irish kid asks.
“Ares’s parents. His mother does a lot of charity work around the city. Particularly aimed at kids,” I explain. “She’s actually a really nice lady. How she birthed a demon like Ares I have no idea—never mind. I do. It’s his father’s genes. His father is scary as hell.”
“Don’t listen to her. Vin is not scary,” Aurora chimes in.
“Sure he’s not. Anyway, see you tonight.” Ares’s father and uncles are all scary, except for Uncle Marcel. I’d trust him with my life.
“Okay, thanks!” Aurora yells after me.
Now I need to find a date, and I think I know someone who will be more than willing to come to a party with me. I shoot him a text when I get in the car.
Me:
Want to come out tonight? Party.
George:
Where have you been, Zara? And yes. Where and when?
I smile. George has always had a crush on me. He’s the brother of one of my acquaintances from my old school. I don’t particularly like him, but I know he’ll come out and stick to me like glue if he thinks he has the slightest chance of getting laid. I send him a message with the address and tell him I’ll meet him there.
Chapter Eighteen
I’m fucking fuming. I had to blow off one of my mother’s charity events to be here at some stupid fucking high school party. It’s a rule in my family to always support my mother’s events. They’re important to her, which makes them importantto my dad and it’s been drilled into both Cara and me that they’re important to us too. That’s what makes it so hard to ditch her event tonight to come here just to be able to watch over Zara and make sure she doesn’t do something stupid.
I heard her tell Constance she was going to take someone with her. I just didn’t think she’d be foolish enough to actually bring some random guy. I’ve made it very clear around school that she’s off-limits to everyone. There’s no one stupid enough to even try to get with her. But the preppy douchebag she’s with right now doesn’t know she’s mine.
I pause at that thought.She’s mine.
She’s not. And yet she is. Whatever is happening between us scares her. It’s why she’s trying to pull away. Too bad for her I’m not that easy to scare. When I want something, I make sure I fucking get it.
I’m two seconds away from storming over to her, to igniting the fire she’s so keen on playing with. I will burn that motherfucker to the ground, starting with the hands that are currently touching her.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see a text from my dad.
Dad:
Where are you?
Me:
At a party.
Dad:
What was more important than your mother’s event?
I groan. I’m not going to hear the end of this. It’s not like I didn’t want to be there. I love my mother, and I like supportingher. I just don’t trust Zara not to do something fucking stupid, like try to hurt herself.
Me:
Zara is here.
