Chapter 55
The dress is beautiful, as it seems to be every year. This time, it is a subtle lavender colour, which brings back memories of the first eyes I looked into when I met Sinful. I shake off the cold feeling that dances up my back. Sinful has nothing to do with this night. This is about me and Asher, and what the decision is going to be that he has to make.
Nothing has changed since last year. The transportation is still the same. And the nerves for what the night might hold are still there, prevalent as ever.
What if Asher isn't there? He seemed to only be there to distract me. Everything was about distraction, so tonight, I'm trying to foresee his next move. Will I be drugged again? Will Shanae throw me off a balcony?
As we pull up outside the estate, the camera's flashing in my eyes already, I almost have to excuse myself to throw up.
Can I do this?
The procedure remains the same. I walk across the carpet, I hand the invitation to the same lady as last year, and shoulder my way through the strands of glittering confetti, ready for what I will see on the other end. Of course, it's business as usual, with all the same looking people dancing around, drinking the drink that will steal their memory later tonight. Those who live on the Main Street with copious amounts of money all look the exact same.
Why did I ever think that was the life for me?
My next move to find Asher, which won't be easy. I was deceived every step of the way while I was here all those years ago. The only way I had first contacted Asher was by his means, rather than mine. For all I know, he could do anything in his power not to see me.
Naturally, I'm going to try my luck. I slip through dancing bodies, ignoring the pounding music in my ears, making a straight line toward the bathroom. This is a bad idea, but right now, it's the only one I can think of right now.
No one is in the bathroom as I step in, closing the door behind me as if it would make a difference. I glance at myself in the mirror, ignoring how dressed up I am. I don't like conforming to the simplicity of the people outside.
Taking a deep breath, not knowing what's about to happen, I turn to the door.
When I open it, my heart jumps to my throat. The ballroom has disappeared, and I'm in the same hallway as I was when this first happened. Immediately, without hesitation this time, I make my way confidently to the next door. When I open it, I'm thrown back to three years ago.
It's Myles.
"What are you doing here?" I question, closing the door behind me, as if his reasoning would escape if I didn't. I'm trying not to act too disappointed that I'm seeing him instead of Asher.
"I'll pretend like I'm not kind of offended," he replies absentmindedly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black trousers. "We need to talk actually."
Great. Every talk I've had with Asher at one of these parties has been super satisfying.
"Where's Asher?" I question.
"I actually wanted to discuss him with you. Well, mainly Sinful, but Asher too," Myles says, raising a dark eyebrows. I raise one in return.
"The last person I want to talk about is Sinful," I mutter.
As I go to turn away, Myles reaches out and grabs my arm. It's not a violent action, but it makes me jump, my back nearly making it to the door out of fright. His usually perpetually amused expression has deformed into a flat, serious one that has my blood running cold. His intentions suddenly seem all the more different.
"I want to first apologise. When I picked you up that day, Sinful knew about it. He's known about everything, and I've been working for him," Myles explains, to which I roll my eyes.
I push his arm off me. "Tell me something I didn't already suspect."
"He has something terrible against me, and the other two, Coen and Dawn. We are all trying to escape him but we can't," Myles pleads, trying to reach for me again as if to make his point clearer, but I continue to step back until I can't anymore. There is no way I'm about to trust him.
"I can't help you-"
"Yes, you can," he says desperately. So much so, I can see it in his eyes.
I swallow uncomfortably, unsure of how I'm supposed to respond. I'm useless to everyone. Throughout this entire thing, I've just been a pawn in a came to use against Asher, and now, I've been discarded of. For a reason today I hope to find out.
"The more, on the back of the invitation. I know about that, and so does the author of the note, obviously," Myles says quickly. I nearly threw up on the spot. "You need to tell Asher."
My body immediately tenses in retaliation to the idea of telling Asher. Obviously I need to, but I telling him makes me sick. What would his reaction be? He's already left me once before...
Would this be too much?
"How would that help you?" I question, my voice shuddering in shock.
"You have no idea," Myles says softy. "But Asher would. That's why you need to tell him, so he can help us."
"How can I do that? When I don't even know where he would be?" I question, leaning my entire body against the door in defeat. I can hardly think right now, let alone admit this kind of thing to Asher.
Myles looks grim, but he ushers me forward to open the door, and point me in the direction I need to go.
I take a deep breath in front of the door, hoping like hell it's the right one.
Myles could have sent me anywhere, but hearing the desperation in his voice for me to tell this to Asher has me thinking that behind this door, my mate will be there, attempting to hide from me. What will he say when he sees me? Will he hate me?
I don't bother knocking. Perhaps he wouldn't answer that way. I push my way in, knowing that I could see anything when I walk in.
Instead, I see his bedroom...but not Asher.
I see his bed, adorned in darkness, and a few other furnishings. That's about it. It's evident from the looks of the room that he doesn't spend much time in here unless he has to. As I walk in, I let the door close behind me, shutting out most of the light.