Chapter 90 CURTAINS AND BUTTERFLIES
THIS CHAPTER HAS A DUAL POINT OF VIEW. ENJOY, X!
SERAPHINA’S POINT OF VIEW.
I stood beside Ace, dressed in a silk rose dress that stopped at my knees, as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. All I could think about was the news lately. Theo’s father, Phillip Kingswell, the man I’d met the other day at school, the man Theo seemed to have such a strange reaction to. I couldn’t shake the look in his eyes as he told me to go inside that day.
His eyes, the dark orbs I’d come to love, had been filled with something so visceral that I was worried about what they would cause. I could not shake an ominous feeling, as well as the lump in my throat.
Could Theo have…? No, he wouldn’t…..right?
“Are we ready?” My father’s voice called as he came down the massive staircase in the mansion, dressed in a sleek black suit that befitted his status as the billionaire he was. “Today’s an important day.”
He said, a small smile pulling at his lips.
I smiled back at him, but all Ace did was nod. He’d been in a foul mood all day, and for some reason, nothing seemed to get him out of it.
“Well, let’s get going. We can’t keep your mother and Sloane waiting, can we?” He said, walking ahead of us towards the door.
“Are you good?” I whispered to Ace, but he barely looked at me. His lips just pulled into a thin line as he walked with his hands buried in his pockets. “Is it about Amara?”
At the mention of her name, his head snapped to me abruptly. “Don’t worry about it.” He said, gritting his teeth.
“Your knuckles are busted. What happened, Ace?”
“Nothing, Seraphina!” He hissed. “Stop asking so many fucking questions, damnit.”
He moved ahead of me before I could say anything else, his back muscles tense as he moved.
I shrugged my shoulders, choosing instead to focus on tonight and the drama it would bring.
SLOANE’S POINT OF VIEW.
I took in deep breaths, trying not to focus on what was going on around me, as everyone ran up and down to get things done at the last minute. It was the night of the play, and the literature club needed all hands on deck so everything would be perfect. I simply tried to focus on perfecting my lines and not forgetting anything.
“Hey, baby.” I looked up at the sound of Lucien’s voice, a smile pulling at my lips instantly, at the sight of him, and the Oreo milkshake in his hand.
“Oh, thank you,” I whispered, grabbing the drink from him and taking a huge sip. “O, you have no idea how much I needed this.” I moaned at the taste as I took the straw into my mouth, sipping on the chocolatey goodness.
“It’s okay, baby, although I’ll never understand why you have more Oreo cookies and ice cream in that thing. It’s a heart attack in a cup.” He groaned, pulling me closer to him.
“Oh, please. We’re all gonna die someday, so why not just enjoy life?” I giggled as he nibbled on the skin of my neck, his arms around my waist. I inhaled his comforting scent with content and leaned into him.
“Are you nervous?”
“Nooooo,” I said, drawing out my lie.
“What did we say about lying to me?”
“We said never to do it.” I pouted, staring at the floor.
“Good, so should we try this again?”
“Yeah….I’m nervous.” I breathed out, trying to recite my mantra in my mind.
You won’t forget your lines.
You won’t throw up in front of everyone.
You’ll be the best act tonight.
“You’re gonna be great. Everyone’s gonna stare at you and be like….damn, look at that star go.” He whispered in my ear before biting on my earlobe.
I giggled again, feeling giddy, before I sighed. “Promise?”
“Yes, baby. And guess what, when we’re done, I have a surprise for you.” He said, kissing my cheek, before lightly munching on it.
“Really? Promise, what is it?”
“It’s supposed to be a surprise, baby. You’re gonna have to wait till after the play.” He chuckled.
“Please….tell me,” I said, looking up at him with the best puppy dog eyes and pout I could give.
“No, baby.” He pecked my lips before pushing my hair out of my face. “When the play’s over, you’ll see it.”
“At least give me like…a hint or something.”
“No.”
“Oh come on! Usually, you’re unable to say no to me.” I said, feigning an angry face, as I folded my arms under my boobs. The action causes them to jiggle, and my crazy boyfriend looks straight at it.
“Eyes up here,” I said, smacking his arm.
“Ow, baby. You know I can’t help it.” He said, rubbing the spot like I hit him too hard. “But still, you’ll know when it’s time.”
“Fine, but you know what, I’m gonna get you back for this,” I said, winking at him.
Before he could say anything else, Ms Vale walked in, her red heels clicking as she moved in our direction. “Sloane, it’s great to see you.” She whispered, pulling me in a hug. I smile at her in greeting, and she turns to Lucien, giving him a harsh look.
“You’re not supposed to be on this side of school, Ravensctoft.”
“That’s funny. Nothing in this school is off limits to me. It all belongs to me.” He says, before pulling me into another hug, and whispering. “Go shine, baby. I’ll be watching you.”
He kisses my hair and walks off after that. I stared at his back as he walked, smiling like a little girl at the way he makes me feel. All my fears… everything went poof into thin air, and I wonder if he knew he just solved a big headache I’d been having since I walked through the doors this morning.
“Sloane, you’ll be great, darling.” Ms Vale says, making me turn to her.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said politely, bowing slightly as I clutched my script to my chest.
“You’re welcome. There’s someone I want you to meet tonight. I told him you’re the lead act, and he’s been ecstatic to meet you; he’s also one of the major investors for this play tonight.”
“Okay.” I nodded, walking with her to wherever she was taking me.
“You can come out now.” She called out, and immediately, a tall man dressed in a sleek black suit stepped out of the red curtains. His suit looked like it cost thousands, as he leaned on the cane in his hand. He walked to me with a smile on his face. I stared into his bluish green eyes that reminded me of someone I knew….I just could not put a finger on it yet.
“Good evening, sir. My name’s Sloane Bishops. I’m the lead actor for tonight’s play.”
“Nice to meet you, Sloane. My name’s Valerian….Valerian Everhart.”