Chapter 57 Safe in His Shadow

Chapter 57 Safe in His Shadow
Dalton stepped up beside her a moment later, smiling as he watched her expression soften. Each burst of fireworks seemed to pull her mind away from whatever had been bothering her all day. His gaze drifted down to her hand, and his mind flashed back to their days spent together on the island — both of their hands locked together as they walked through the gardens.

Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand again. Mayzie looked down, feeling the sudden warmth of his touch, then looked up at him. He was already staring back up at the sky. Everything inside her told her to pull away and snap at him, but she didn’t want to ruin the quiet peace of the moment. He clearly knew she was upset; she could tell by how he’d treated her all evening. It even crossed her mind that maybe he had brought her here to cheer her up, rather than for some selfish reason. She looked back up at the fireworks and let out a genuine, grateful smile. Dalton didn't miss it.

In her other hand, Mayzie held a small stone cat figurine. Most of the festival stalls didn't offer stuffed animals, focusing instead on handmade crafts. She had honestly surprised both herself and Dalton when she won it. She had no clue where she would put it back home, but it was the only thing on the vendor’s table that caught her eye.

When the ferry docked, everyone filed off and headed back into the manor. Most of the group were already tipsy but insisted on keeping the party going. Since it was their last night together, they wanted to go out with a bang. Thelma and Marga collapsed onto the couch, fast asleep the second they hit the cushions. Bellatrix, on the other hand, was full of energy and wouldn't stop chatting about the fireworks.

Ember, Clyde, Dalton, and Mayzie were the only ones who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. Since the servants were always dismissed before the heavy drinking started, the four of them took over bartending duties. Ariel tried to help by mixing a pitcher, but he instantly spilled a bottle of rum all over the floor. Working quickly, Mayzie mixed three pitchers of rum and coke, while Ember put together three pitchers of Tequila Slammers using Sprite. Clyde stood right behind them, mixing bourbon, lemon juice, and orange juice for a round of Ward Eights. Dalton kept it simple and poured a few pitchers of beer from the taps.

Once the drinks were ready, everyone who was still awake headed out to the veranda. Mayzie knew better than to mix different types of liquor, so she decided to stick strictly to beer. No one else seemed worried about the chaotic mix of alcohol sitting in their stomachs. Even though Dalton claimed he was only drinking beer, Mayzie caught him stealing a glass of the Ward Eight pitcher when he thought she wasn't looking.

"This was so much fun!" Ariel cheered, raising his glass. Everyone nearby clinked their drinks together.

"We definitely need to do this again next year," Blake agreed.

"Yeah, but only if Mayzie comes," Gustav added, his voice a little slurred.

"Me?" Mayzie asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Dalton isn't nearly as grumpy or uptight when you're around," Blake explained. "This is the first year we’ve actually had a good time here. Usually, he just bosses us around and we don't get any free time. Here’s to the light-haired girl! May she always stay by Dalton's side."

The group clinked their glasses again. The only exceptions were Arking, who sat silently next to Blake, and Dalton, who was visibly scowling. Mayzie wasn't sure whether to feel flattered, annoyed, embarrassed, or insulted. One thing was certain though... Dalton looked completely unimpressed.

"Then Bellatrix should come next year too," Dalton muttered sharply. "That way, Blake won't spend the whole time trying to steal everyone else's dates."

Arking, Ariel, and Gustav laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Fair point. Here’s to the dark-haired girl!" Blake raised his glass again. Bellatrix blushed and giggled, looking pleasantly embarrassed just before Blake leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Clyde watched the kiss, and his mind immediately flashed back to the kiss on the beach a few days ago. He stared intently at Blake until a soft pair of lips touched his own cheek. He turned to find Ember smiling warmly at him.

"Don't waste your energy watching them," she whispered softly in his ear. "Whenever you feel jealous, just kiss me. Let Bellatrix see how you feel."

Clyde smiled and nodded, though his eyes drifted toward Bellatrix. He noticed she was watching them whisper, a flicker of jealousy crossing her face.

"Mayzie, did you catch the fireworks?" Bellatrix called out, breaking the tension.

"Yes, I saw them from the restaurant," Mayzie replied with a smile. "They were gorgeous."

"The restaurant?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, we had dinner right on the dock, so we got to watch them away from the big crowds. It was really lovely," Mayzie took a sip of her beer.

"Oh, how sweet," Cielo giggled, though her voice sounded a bit forced and bitter. She turned her gaze to Dalton. "Who knew you had a romantic side?"

Hearing that, Mayzie accidentally choked on her drink, spluttering her beer back into the glass to keep from coughing.

"It wasn't like that," Dalton snapped. "I just hate the festival crowds and I like fireworks. That’s all."

"Are you okay?" Arking asked, leaning over to pat Mayzie on the back as she coughed.

"Went down the wrong pipe," she managed to say between gasps.

Dalton, sitting on her other side, started patting her back too. The two men quickly turned it into a silent competition, each trying to push the other's hand away.

"Okay, you can stop hitting me now!" Mayzie complained, setting her glass down on the table. She glared at both of them.

"Sorry," Arking muttered, clearing his throat and looking back down at his drink.

Ember and Clyde exchanged a worried look. Clearing her throat, Ember glanced over her shoulder at the two girls passed out on the couch inside. "Someone needs to help them upstairs to bed. Arking? Gustav?"

Like teenagers being told to do chores by their mother, both men rolled their eyes but stood up to carry their friends to their rooms. Dalton smirked to himself, clearly pleased that Arking had to leave the table, even if it was just for a few minutes to help Thelma.

"We should go for a walk on the beach under the stars, like we did on the first night," Bellatrix suggested. "It's our last chance."

Blake nodded. "Sure, let's go."

Ember quickly pulled Clyde up by the hand and headed down the stairs before anyone else could say a word. The sudden departure made Bellatrix jealous, and she dragged Blake along before he could even finish his drink. Ariel downed the rest of his Tequila Slammer and walked down to the shore with Cielo.

Suddenly, only Dalton and Mayzie were left on the veranda.

"Do you want to go down there?" he asked.

"No."

A frown touched his lips, though he tried to hide it. "Well, I do."

"Then go ahead. No one is stopping you."

Dalton slammed his glass onto the table and stood up. "I will. And when you decide you actually want to have some fun tonight, you can come find me."

"As if I could ever have fun with you," she shot back.

With a scowl, he turned and marched down the steps toward the beach, clearly trying to make her feel guilty. Instead, Mayzie simply poured herself another beer and watched the dark blue waves crash against the shore.

"Where did everyone go?" Arking asked, stepping back out onto the veranda.

"Starlit walk on the beach," Mayzie replied, taking a sip.

"And Dalton?"

"Walking by himself."

Arking chuckled and sat down in the seat next to her. He took a deep breath and finished off his drink. "Where's Gustav?"

"The second he saw his bed, he passed out. He must have had a few too many drinks on the main island."

Mayzie nodded and finished her beer. "Well, I think I'm going to head in. Goodnight."

"Wait, let's talk," Arking said, catching her hand as she stood up.

"About what?"

He gave her hand a gentle tug, prompting her to sit back down. "About us. I feel like things are broken between us, and the only way to fix it is to talk."

Mayzie frowned. "You made a fool out of me, Arking. You broke my trust. I thought we were friends. I could have handled it if some stranger had done that to me, but you were supposed to be someone I could trust."

He nodded earnestly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"What do you mean?"

"I meant everything I told you back at my house. But things came up, and I thought it would be safer to push you away."

"What kind of things?"

He shook his head dismissively. "It doesn't matter. It's all absolute nonsense anyway." He squeezed her hand, refusing to let go. "Even if you just want to be friends right now, I understand. I can be that friend, and I promise I won't lie to you again. You just have to understand that there are people in my life who are incredibly selfish. They want me to give up my own happiness to help them get what they want."

"Your parents?"

"Yes, they're a big part of it." He squeezed her hand again. "I know it’s going to take time to earn back your trust, but I swear I'll never lie to you again. I really care about you, Mayzie, and I won't let them get between us."

"Between us?" she asked, her throat suddenly dry.

"Between our friendship... or something more."

"Something more?"

He gave a nervous smile. "Like I said, I care about you. A lot more than a friend should. And I know you were starting to feel the same way about me, otherwise you wouldn't have said yes when I asked you out. My behavior this week probably ruined those feelings, and I take full responsibility for that." He sighed deeply. "I want to blame everyone else, but at the end of the day, I only have myself to blame."

Mayzie gently pulled her hand free. "I'm sorry, Arking, but I can't accept that. Your feelings are all over the place. One day you want me, the next you don't. I don't know what's real anymore, and honestly, I don't have the energy for these games."

"It won't happen again, I swear."

Mayzie stood up. "I have way too much on my mind right now. Between Dalton and Alonso, I just don't have time to deal with your drama." Even though the words were harsh, a small, stubborn part of her wanted a bit of revenge. She wanted him to feel a fraction of the hurt she had carried all week.

"Do you have feelings for Dalton?"

The sheer pain in his voice caught her off guard. Her vengeful side wanted to lean into it. "I don't know what I feel for him. But even with everything he’s done, he has never broken my heart the way you did."

"He practically set the whole school against you and almost assaulted you!" Arking snapped. "How is that better than what I did?"

"Because he didn't cut deep," Mayzie said coldly. "I don't let just anyone into my life, and I don't give away my trust easily. I felt nothing for Dalton, so my physical injuries healed, and I moved on like I always do. But you? You took your time. You made your way into my life, made me care about you, and then destroyed it all with a few careless words. You broke through my walls and shattered my feelings. You."

She turned toward the sliding glass door.

"I'm sorry, Mayzie. It will never happen again."

"You're right, it won't. Because I'm never letting you back in," she said over her shoulder, stepping into the main hall.

The words stung as they left her mouth, leaving her confused. Did she really mean it? Did Arking's betrayal actually hurt more than Dalton's cruelty?

Lost in thought, she walked down the hallway toward her bedroom. Just as she reached for the doorknob, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders and waist, pinning her arms to her sides. She felt warm lips brush against her shoulder, followed by his face pressing gently into her neck.

"I'm so sorry," Arking whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Please don't lock me out."

She could smell the heavy scent of alcohol in his breath. "Arking, let go of me."

Instead, he quickly spun her around and pulled her into another tight embrace. Mayzie's face was pressed against his shoulder, her arms pinned to her sides. He kissed her cheek, but she forced herself to stay rigid. She wanted him to suffer a little longer; an easy apology wasn't going to fix this.

Yet, a part of her felt it was unfair that he was doing this now, while her heart was still aching from her recent breakup with Alonso. She desperately wanted a shoulder to cry on, and Arking was right there. He knew about Alonso and would understand. She wanted to let go of the anger and revenge bubbling in her chest, but it refused to fade — just like the pain from Alonso, and her completely confused feelings about Dalton.

Arking pulled back slightly, but before she could react, he cupped her face with his hands and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. For a split second, her resolve began to melt. Then, his past words echoed in her mind: There is only one thing he wants a woman for, and she wasn't giving it to him. That's what he had told her before.

"Get off me!" she yelled, twisting her head away, but Arking's grip tightened.

"She said get off," a low voice growled from the end of the hall.

Arking snapped his head around to face his rival. "This is none of your business, Dalton."

Taking advantage of his distracted grip, Mayzie shoved Arking back against the wall and ran straight to Dalton, putting herself slightly behind him. "Don't you ever touch me again!" she shouted at Arking.

"She told you not to touch her," Dalton repeated, his voice cold and steady.

Arking let out a long sigh. "Fine. I'm sorry, Mayzie. I pushed too hard. I was being selfish. But I'll prove to you that I mean what I said, even if you don't want to see it." He brushed past Dalton and disappeared into his own room.

"Thank you," Mayzie muttered, turning toward her door.

"The others are going to be coming inside soon," Dalton said, crossing his arms. "Let's finish off the pitchers together."

"No, thanks. I’d rather not wake up with a headache tomorrow. But thank you anyway."

As she stepped into her room, she caught a fleeting glimpse of his expression. It wasn't his usual angry disappointment. It looked like genuine sadness — as if her rejection had actually hurt him. It was a deeply lonely look. Mayzie recognized it instantly, because she saw it in the mirror almost every day.