Page 29 of House of Bass

Richard/Arden.

What the hell did he want?

He was the cannon that launched the cold war between her and Annabel, and still he hadn’t left her alone. Ultimately her curiosity got the best of her, after ten more minutes of contemplation, she changed, quickly left the house and was on the road within fifteen minutes.

Harley found the place the second she arrived, you couldn’t miss the sign that read CORPSE LILY . All she had to do was show her ID and she was let in. It was dimly lit and buzzing with multiple faces she recognised from uni. She had heard whispers from the people around her about the place being a typical spot for the students, amongst others.

There was a piano in the corner of the room, being played by a beautiful dark skinned woman lost in the beat of the music. The bar was unsurprisingly busy, as it was a Saturday night, with three bartenders juggling handing out drinks to customers.

She took a deep breath and walked towards the bar where a girl with reddish hair and a mean mug stood serving people, in hopes to get help in looking for the person who texted her.

“Hi, I am looking for–” the girl raised her hand to stop her from talking.

Rude.

Harley chose to dial back the annoyance that she knew was bubbling within her, waiting patiently for the girl to finish with the customer. A couple minutes later, she finally gave Harley her full attention. No change in her expression.

“As I was saying before, I’m looking for someone,” Harley informed her, standing a little taller, refusing to be intimidated by the beautiful girl with beautiful hair, “Arden Thorne.”

“I know who you’re looking for. He’s expecting you.” The girl quickly spoke to the other two she was working with in hushed voices and jumped over the bar before nodding at me to follow her. “Come with me, they're in the private room downstairs.”

Ignoring her attitude, Harley followed her down a couple stairs and through a long hallway before coming to a halt at a door. It was only just then she remembered she’d said They instead of He . The girl pushed it open without even knocking. It was like a bar inside a bar and somehow more extravagant than what was going on upstairs. Revealing faces she’d hoped to avoid for at least a couple more days.

Everyone’s heads turned immediately, whatever conversation that was being held died down as five sets of eyes were now concentrated on her intrusion. But the worst of all was how her sister was looking at her.

Annabel’s big blue eyes were widened in shock, “What are you doing here?”

Harley didn’t answer but simply focused her glare on the smirking bastard sipping on a glass of wine. She decided then and there, she was going to kill Arden Thorne. There was no way around it.

13

ST. ANNABEL

The first time I ever drank alcohol, I was ten. It was during one of my mother’s illustrious summer Bass garden parties; anyone who was anyone was invited. There was a specific buzz in the air from all the excitement you could feel in your bones. It’s my favourite time of the year.

All the kids were hardly paid attention to because the adults were too focused on themselves: the women gossiping and the men talking business or everyone doing both at the same time. Meanwhile, we stumbled around causing chaos and mischief until we were nothing short of destroying the place or worse. Danny, Arden and I were coined the terrible three by our parents for how much shit we got into.

The year we set off fireworks at the Wriothesleys’ car, we were not allowed within fifty feet of each other for the rest of the summer (that was the worst summer ever, the fireworks barely made a dent).

Anyway, that year, we made a plan: Richard uses his growing charm to distract the waiters, while Danny snuck an open bottle of champagne from the table. I was the look-out; a terrible one since I could barely control my giggles but one nonetheless. Minutes later, we snuck away into a small room, cups laid out.

“I’m going first because I managed to get the goods,” Danny said with a cheeky grin. His curly black hair falls down to his face as he gets ready to pour, before Richard stops him.

“Fuck no. I was the one who talked the waiters away,” He argued. The way the curse word slid off his tongue so smoothly still took me aback, it was uncommon to hear such words from the mouth of a twelve year old. But a lot had changed that summer, and Arden’s vocabulary was one of them.

The two boys continued to bicker, not paying attention as I picked up the bottle and filled it into my cup.

“Stop. It’s my house, so I’m going first,” I say with finality. Finally, putting aside their argument, they both turned to look at me. They threw identical glares my way, but the smile I gave them both had them rolling their eyes into one of their own.

“Fine, but be quick. I wanna go next,” Danny hurried me. As the first sip touched my tongue, I squealed almost immediately at the bubbles. And how it went down my throat in the same way cold fizzy drinks did.

I giggled immediately and just as I got ready to pass the drink to him, the door barged wide open. My mother stood there, holding a sleeping Anastasia against her chest, the look on her face frightening all three of us immediately.

“Mum–” I started but she held her hand up to hush me, she gave us a scolding as my father stood behind her resisting the urge to laugh. A snicker escaped him, but she shot him a sharp glare that wiped his smile immediately. But once she turned her attention back to the three of us he gave me a wink that made me feel like everything would be okay. He’d calm her down eventually, he was the only one who ever really could. Moments like those growing up were what I would hold on to when things got bad, to remind myself that he wasn’t always all bad.

Part of me wondered, if I never took that first drink that day, would I be in the unfortunate position I am right now? Dancing, or maybe swaying, on top of the bar in Corpse Lily as I try to resist eye contact with a man I shouldn’t even be thinking about in the way I do.

Perhaps that’s why I am drinking right now, to avoid all of my issues and yet another attempt to be numb to it. But even with the coke in my system, the voice in my head could barely quieten down.