Chapter 88 Give me this
SOMA
The entire school is buzzing with excitement about the ball. Jade is more excited than I am. My lack of enthusiasm might have to do with a certain prince or my lack of a date to the event, but whatever it is, I don’t care.
Exams begin this week, yet they’re more interested in a party that won’t happen until everything is over.
“Soma,” Sienna grumbles beside me.
Her voice snaps me out of my trance, and I loop my arm around her elbow, dragging her toward the annex. Getting her to join me there was tough, but with her around, I don’t have to worry about Brynne.
Classes might be over for the day, but studying doesn’t have to be.
Sienna groans, filling the silence at intervals with her disapproval of my ‘methods’. As long as she accompanies me, I’ll accept anything. Besides, what type of friend am I if we aren’t studying and passing together?
The library looms in the distance, and I skip forward, forcing her to quicken her footsteps. She grunts but keeps up. As we near the building, I notice the guards at the entrance. It’s not abnormal, but they are more than usual.
“Is it just me, or is security tighter?” I murmur.
She laughs. “It’s not just you. I’m sure it’s because of the ball. Kade says it was really crazy last year. Maybe they’re trying to prevent the same thing from happening this year.”
Maybe. I hope they’re gone once the party is over because I’ve been seeing armed men in corners I didn’t think I would. I know they are here to ensure our safety, but they frighten me.
We enter the annex, and Sienna goes straight for the fridge. I shake my head, dropping my backpack on the table before removing my books. The study materials Brynne offered me have been super useful. The last batch of questions came from last year’s exams, and I’ve been able to answer most correctly. If we were to have the exams right now, I’m certain I’d pass with flying colors.
Sienna returns to the table with an armload of snacks and bottled water. I snag the bag of chips from her, my body betraying me when she sucks her finger into her mouth after taking a bite from the chocolate bar.
Damn her big brother. He’s ruined my imagination.
We spend the next hours poring over notes and past questions. She’s smarter, so it’s challenging but fun. At some minutes past eight, her head falls to the table with a dramatic sigh.
“Let’s go home,” she pleads. “Let’s end the studying here for today, or I’ll die. My brain will explode.”
With a laugh, I pack our things and pull her up to her feet. She’s right. Today is a weekday. I don’t want us to sleep in class tomorrow. We return to the house, and she gasps with relief when we stop at her door.
After exchanging goodbyes and promises to see her again tomorrow, I head to my room. Seeing Brynne’s door locked sends a bout of annoyance through me. I change direction and head to his room instead. My fist raises to bang the door off its hinges, but I pause.
What am I doing?
This is what he wants. He wants to consume me. I can’t give him the satisfaction. I let out a deep breath and enter my suite. Jade is gone, but there’s a meal tray on the table. Since I’ve been staying out so late recently, I asked her to stop waiting for me. After all, I can serve myself dinner and get myself ready for bed.
It will also give her more time to spend with Tristan.
Instead of checking the dinner, I rush to my room. There’s a cupcake on my vanity, and on it are two lit candles with the numbers two and zero.
Tears rush to my eyes as I stumble forward. No one has ever celebrated my birthday, so I tend to forget it exists. Mason tries, but he remembers only when I do.
Beside the cupcake is a knitted bookmark. I snort, picking it up to run a finger across the material. It’s Jade. She’s fallen in love with knitting lately.
How did she know it’s my birthday?
The bookmark isn’t the only present. There’s also a box with a folded note under it. The note slips to the floor when I pick up the box to open it, and my breath hitches.
Pearls. Real pearls.
It’s a complete set, including earrings, bracelets, and a necklace. This will fit perfectly with the dress Jade picked out for me for the ball. How can she afford this?
No, Jade couldn’t have done this alone. Tristan must have helped. Wiping the tears at the corners of my eyes, I grab the note from the floor. There’s only one line written on it that brings a big smile to my lips.
Happy birthday, Soma!
The handwriting is unfamiliar but clear, so I know it’s not Jade’s. I change into the black dress and clip the necklace and earrings into place. The fabric feels too soft against my skin, and I struggle to hold back the tears. Holding the ends of my hair, I turn this way and that way to check out the earrings that glint in the light.
It fits too well, highlighting the slender shape of my face. My fingers brush the necklace. The white pearls settle over my collarbone, contrasting with my brown skin without detracting from my face.
With just a bit of makeup, I’ll look even prettier. For the first time since I heard about the ball, excitement surges through me. I twirl around the room, pretending to be a princess in her own fairytale with her happy ending.
All I need now is a date, and I’m ready for the ball.
Still brimming with excitement, I lift the cupcake to my eye level, make a wish, and blow out the candles. After gobbling down the cake, I shower, unable to eat anything else from the meal tray Jade left behind.
Tomorrow, I’ll thank Tristan and Jade. Every day, they give me more reasons to continue rooting for them.
It doesn’t take long for sleep to come knocking. As I slide into bed, I make a mental note to get Jade more yarn. Whatever she needs to boost her knitting skills, I’ll give it to her.
Sleep comes too fast, but it’s disrupted by a creak. I blink awake slowly, trying to make sense of it.
Is it a dream? A silhouette drops onto the edge of my bed, causing the thought to vanish. This is real, but I don’t scream because a familiar scent floods my nostrils.
Brynne.
He flips the corner lamp on. Once he lies on the bed, he pulls me against him like this is a routine. I try to resist by smacking his chest or kicking him in the groin, but he overpowers me in a heartbeat.
His brows crease in amusement as he watches me struggle and writhe beneath him, my wrists tight in his grip. When I realize there’s no way out, I stop.
“What do you want?” I whisper-yell. “Why are you here? You finally remember my existence?”
He chuckles. “Sounds like you missed me.”
“You wish,” I snarl.
My tone doesn’t discourage him. Instead, his head lowers, drawing so close until his lips brush mine. I jerk out of his grasp, my fists pounding on his chest. He lets me have a go at him, but I’m not satisfied.
I need to hurt him, too.
But he doesn’t let me have that opportunity because he pins me to the bed by my shoulders, nudging my legs further apart with his knee. I try to close them, so he knows how furious I am, but my refusal only has him sliding his hands downward to cup my ass.
Who does he think he is? What does he think I am? I’m wearing panties, but that doesn’t stop him from nudging the lace into my shamelessly dripping core.
What’s wrong with me? I’m proving him right. I bite the inside of my lip until it draws blood, but his head dips lowers, and he flicks his tongue over the spot.
His fingers hook around my panties. “Give me this.” Of course, he came for something else, not me. “Somi.”
My breath catches me, and I whisper, “Brynne,” while loathing how quickly I’m getting used to his nickname for me.
His eyes close, and he murmurs, “Yes?”
“No.”