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Instead I’m standing here with a furious look on my face, unable to move, speak, or function as he walks away. Me at a loss of words, only seems to happen where Sebastian Silver is concerned. My eyes roam the space around me until they connect with exactly the person I was hoping to find first. Stella. My real friend who deep down I’m praying had nothing to do with the betrayal I faced from everyone else. She immediately spots me rushing over to me but I meet her halfway.
“Jade!” she shouts, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug, “It’s really you,” God it feels good. I almost lose my shit as a tear threatens to spill, but I bite my tongue and do what I do best in situations that almost shed light on the reality that I am in fact a real girl with a beating heart.
“Yes, last time I checked I’m still me,” I answer, mockingly. Jokes are my steel armor. Turning a bad or serious situation into one of dry humor or dark sarcasm is my wielding weapon of choice.
“I was so worried about you,” she says as she lets go of me, ignoring my blunder of sarcasm. I must admit she’s gotten quite good at that. “I tried calling but you wouldn’t answer, I wanted to see you, talk to you, to make sure you were okay.”
“Well now you see I’m perfectly fine, actually never been better,”
“Clearly,” someone snickers from behind me and I curse the gods on earth for bringing her here and now. “You look like shit Wolfe,” Ruby sneers, walking around me and standing beside Stella.
“Ruby, that’s so rude!” Stella shrieks, playfully punching Ruby in the shoulder and I almost flinch at what I expect Ruby to do in retaliation, but nothing happens. No smoke coming out of the Red Dragon’s ears, no fire spewing out of her pouty lips, no claws coming out to scratch the living shit out of Stella. Nothing.
“You don’t look so hot yourself Drake,” I sneer back at her. Although I must admit, I’ve gotten used to seeing the bitch daily and somehow she was missed, not to mention she always looks like a fucking ten. Fuck these hormones must already have me all mushy and emotional.
“I’m just saying, you look like you’ve just cried your eyes out or puked your guts out, either way not so good.” Fuck. I thought I did a fairly good job of covering my red blotches of skin with my foundation and the popped blood vessels in my eyes with some Clear Eyes drops, but I was wrong. I guess I can’t hide the fact that I've been vomiting constantly from someone who’s used to puking her guts out multiple times a day, having had an eating disorder like Ruby.
“You know I’ve done none of that Ruby, I guess I’m just not as hot as I used to be,” I say, shrugging my shoulders and playing off her insult.
She laughs at my response clearly not believing any one of my blatant lies. “Uh huh, that’s it. Anyways,” she says, looking dangerously bored, “Where’ve you been really?”
“With Gray and Sarah,” I answer bluntly, feeling someone approach from behind me. Stella’s eyes pale while Ruby’s smirk widens, letting me know my suspicions are correct. “Got a little homesick, felt like reaching out to my real family,” I say, knowing full well that it’s my sister who’s joined us, “you know the ones who didn’t betray me.
“Jade,” Scarlett murmurs, a pang of guilt mixed with anger, and sprinkled with a hint of sadness flows within me at the solemn tone in her voice.
Fuck these brand-new feelings.
“Oh Scarlett, I didn’t see you there,” I lie, my mask of indifference back in place as I turn to face her.
“Can we talk?” she asks, her body shifting nervously as she watches me with sorrowful eyes. I look behind her and see Ace hovering protectively over her, his gaze pleading me to listen to what she has to say. I can’t imagine this has been easy on her either, given everything that happened that night of the fire at Servite Manor, and to be truthful I haven’t even given myself time to ask anyone the extent of what occurred, but I just can’t deal with whatever is about to ensue if we do hash things out here and now.
“Maybe some other time sis, right now I need the bar,” I turn to Ruby who smirks at my dismissal of Scar. If there is anyone who is proud of me finally giving Scar the cold shoulder it’s Ruby.
“Follow me Wolfe,” Ruby says, as she turns and leads Stella and I toward the bar.
When we reach the full-service bar set up on the outdoor deck surrounding the large pool, a fucked-up realization hits me like an ice-cold bucket of water. I can’t fucking drink. I may not know much about pregnancy or having a kid, but I’m quite sure rule number one is no fucking liquor. Fuck. How is an alcoholic like me, who isn’t ever without a drink in my hand, supposed to hide the fact that I'm not consuming any liquor?
“Jade, hello?” Ruby snickers, waving her hand in my face. I must have looked off in a daze, consumed by my thoughts and ignored her calling my name.
“What sorry,” I say, looking between her and a worried Stella.
“The bartender asked what you want to drink. God Wolfe, what's wrong with you today?” Ruby sneers, rolling her eyes obviously irritated.
And I’m not sure why but something in me snaps, and I take all my anger out on my undeserving friend. “I don’t know Ruby, maybe the fact that my father’s dead, my brother killed him, and my sister knew and didn’t tell me,” I blurt out, fury taking over my common sense. The bartender blankly stares at us knowing better than to react to my remark. I’m sure working parties like this he’s either sworn to secrecy or forced to sign some NDA agreement of sorts. To be a fly on the wall here in Hillcrest Hills must be something.
“Fuck someone’s touchy, you on your period or something?” she asks and I know she’s not expecting an actual response. “I was just saying you seem off your usual no fucks given attitude and seem all emotional and shit. No need for your dramatics,” she scoffs, grabbing the drink the bartender placed on the countertop and giving him a flirtatious wink, “Thanks darling,” she adds, sensually licking the drops of the fruity cocktail of her bright red lips.
“I'll just have a gin and tonic,” I say, turning to the bartender who looks slightly amused at our interaction, his cheeks go bright red as he watches Ruby swirl the straw in her cup with her tongue. I’ll have to get Ruby and Stella drunk if I want them not to notice that I'll be babysitting this drink all night, “And another of whatever bubble gum concoction these two are drinking.” He nods his head walking away and grabbing the bottles of liquor and glasses from behind him.
“With an ass like that, I can only imagine the tips he’ll be getting tonight,” Ruby mutters, standing on her tippy toes and biting her lip as she watches him bend over to grab the ice from the freezer under the back counter.
“Do I smell trouble in paradise Ruby?” I ask, turning the conversation on her, and the lack thereof Jaxon Wylde on her arm.
“He’s around here somewhere,” she answers, not adding anything further and I think I’ve struck a nerve.
As if he heard us summon his name, Jax appear with Drake and Kai looking like fucking sex with their bad boy tattooed selves.
“Well, well if it isn’t the infamous Jade Wolfe,” Kai says, coming up behind me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I take their arrival like a fucking blessing and easy distraction from having to gulp down the drink in my hand.
