Festive Wedding Space

I feel the warmth of someone's gaze on me and I look over Noah's shoulders and my eyes collide with Rayan's through the glass. I let him see the pain I feel for a moment before I look away from him.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

He has an unreadable expression on his face. I want to think it's remorse, but at this point I know it's nothing more than an illusion. Rayan Riverside would never feel any kind of emotion like guilt.

"Can we get going? I have to go home to take some pictures with mom, but can we go somewhere afterwards? I don't want to be there too long," I tell them and they both nod.

We walk back through the door and through the church before heading to the parking lot where Noah has parked.

"Where are your boys?" I ask Serena a few minutes after we leave.

"They're not my boys," she tells me, rolling her eyes.

"Deny it all you want, but I'm definitely calling it and saying they have a huge crush on you," I tell her, smiling at her reaction.

"Whew! No. And anyway, we'll meet wherever we end up after we leave the reception," he tells me.

"Tell them to bring something yummy."

"Done, sis! I think we need something yummy now," she tells me.

When we get back to the house, the party has already started. "I'll be back in a few minutes," I tell them both as I head to where the reception is being held.

I'm also in awe of the decorations. The entire backyard is covered in lights and more floral decorations. There is music playing and everyone is partying and having a good time? Well, everyone but me.

As soon as I get to the patio, I see Kate laughing with the guys. There's Rayan , Adam , Nick and Charlie , and I feel a pang in my chest at the thought of how she's thrown away our friendship so easily. He sees me looking in his direction and the smile on his face instantly disappears. He looks away from me.

I look away too and walk over to where Jackson and mom are taking pictures. She sees me and calls me over to take some with them. They call Rayan over and the four of us take more pictures. I make sure to keep my distance from him as we pose for pictures. He stands next to his dad and I stand next to mom.

Once all this is done, I excuse myself and head inside. I use the downstairs bathroom. When I come out of it, standing in front of me is Lily . I let out a sigh, not wanting to have anything to do with what is about to happen here.

"What do you want?" I snap at her to start the ball rolling.

She attacks me and we both fall to the ground. Fuck, this girl is a psycho.

"You think because your mother is married to Rayan's father and you're going to live here you're going to be able to have him?" she yells at me. I knew trying to avoid her wouldn't last long. This bitch seems almost as obsessed with me as Rayan . She claws at my face. I let out a scream and try to shake her off.

"You can have him, you fucking psycho! No one said they wanted it, except maybe you. But you're not really mad at me, are you? You're just mad at the fact that he doesn't want your nasty ass!" I squeal at him as I scratch and claw at him.

I'm so fucking exhausted with all the shit chasing me.

"You have no idea what you're talking about! He fucking belongs to me," he blurts out.

"Who the fuck invited this bitch here?"

"So weren't you the one who had a gangbang at that party? The one who got caught cheating?" I say innocently, and she goes ballistic on me.

I don't know who did it, but someone uploaded her video to that stupid website. Most of the comments said it was when she was supposedly with Rayan .

I'm not shaming anyone, if someone likes gangbangs and that sort of thing, that's fine, but the girl is a fucking slut for cheating! And she has the nerve to insult me when I've only had sex with one person.

My neck and cheek burn from the scratches she's inflicted on me and I scream in pain. She catches me off guard at first, so I don't take advantage of her.

I manage to hit her again in the nose and she lets out a scream. Before I can counterattack, she's knocked off me. I let out a groan from the pain I feel in my neck and face, and I notice my blood dripping. Just from the sensation, I know she got me good.

"I suggest you leave her alone and get out of here!" Noah pushes her away and steps between us.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?" she yells at him.

"Bitch, I'm going to knock you out if you don't move!" blurts out Serena , appearing next to Noah .

"You think you're so tough? You can't do shit to me. I'd kill you first." Lily snaps.

"Oh, I'd like to see you try. It would be so much fun to skin you alive and watch you suffer before you die a slow, painful death. No one touches her and lives," Rent says , pointing at Serena and then at me. "I won't let you touch her either. I suggest you get your filthy ass out of here," she blurts out. I guess she can see the seriousness in his eyes because she scurries away from us.

"Fuck! I knew I should have come with you." says Serena as she runs to my side.

Noah walks into the bathroom and grabs a tissue before handing it to her. He helps me wipe the blood off my face. I feel so tired and humiliated.

"Are you okay?" Chris asks a few moments later and I shake my head.

"Fine, then let's get the hell out of here!". says Zack , smiling, and I agree.

I don't want my mom to see me like this. She'll ask me too many questions and I don't have any answers to give her.

I don't even bother to change the dress I'm wearing, even though I was planning to. I walk out the front door with the boys and Serena .

"Where do you want to go?" she asks me.

"Is there a beach around here?" I ask.

"Yes! There's one not too far from here," Rent answers me .

"Great! Can we go? I haven't been to one in ages," I tell him.

"Your wish is my command," he says, giving me a bow, and I roll my eyes at him.

I love that the boys have become my friends in a way. I know it's mostly because of Serena , but I'm no fool. The boys can be nice to me, but I can sense that they are dangerous.

I have this underlying feeling about them. Like if you mess with them, they won't hesitate to unleash their anger on you. It makes me feel good to be on their side.

"Can you guys give me a few minutes before we go? There's something I need to do quickly," I tell them and they all nod.

I run back into the house and go straight to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Then I go into the garage and head straight for Rayan's Venom GT . It's a beautiful car and I'm guessing very expensive. I want to cause a bit of trouble.

I'm feeling reckless right now. I open the gas tank and pour the water bottle into it. It could kill me if he finds out, but this is worth it! I want to hurt him where he definitely will. I've seen him take care of this car like it's his baby or something.

Suck it, asshole!

When I get back to the front, Zack tells us to follow them. Serena gets in the car with them and I get in the car with Noah , and off we go. It takes us about twenty minutes to get to the beach, and when we do, the guys park. We get out of the vehicles.

We walk up the boardwalk and head down to the beach. The lights on the boardwalk create a nice glow on the sand. It's not too bright, but we have enough light that we can see our way.

I take off my shoes and keep walking until we reach the edge of the beach, close to the water. I feel the sand between my toes. It's been a while since I've been to the beach and I'd forgotten the peace it always gives me.

I lie down on the sand and close my eyes for a second to listen to the sound of the waves and how soothing it is.

The night air, along with the waves and the stars, make me feel a little less like I'm drowning. The beach at night is always my relaxing place and I hope the feeling kicks in soon.

"Are you okay?" asks Noah as he sits down next to me. He drapes his arm over my shoulder and pulls me close to him before pressing a kiss to my forehead. A tear slips down my face. "It's going to be okay."