I hung up, and more tears found their way to my eyes, falling through my puffy and stinging eyelids. If I didn’t love Brian so much, I would have hated him for making me do this.
I only had a few hours before Kai would be here. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to see the disappointment and hope in his eyes. He knew about the baby, but he didn’t know it wasn’t his.
I wasn’t ready to see Breeze, either. I didn’t know how I was going to face her today, knowing that I was carrying her sibling and the fate I sealed for him. I got a cooling eye mask from the fridge to try and save my swollen eyes and then lay down for a nap.
I started drinking early, and Kai was pissed when he realized that I was already drunk by the time he got there before the party. He kept trying to get me to go upstairs and talk to him, but I just avoided him. It was easy in such a big crowd.
I saw Breeze across the room with Chase and Celeste. That wasn’t good. She was always picking on Breeze. I think Celeste was jealous of the attention Chase gave her. I sauntered over as Celeste said something bitchy about Breeze’s outfit. I wrapped my arm around my best friend and squeezed to let her know I had her back.
“That’s my best friend. She always prefers comfort over high fashion. Some people just don’t have to try hard to look good. Breeze is effortlessly beautiful,” I said, giving Celeste a don’t fuck with me look, and kissed Breeze on the cheek.
“Violet, I’m ready to fucking leave,” Kai growled out of nowhere. Shit. He found me again. He tried to get me to leave again, but that’s the last thing I wanted to do. I picked a fight with him, knowing that Chase would take my side. Kai finally scowled and stalked off.
I grabbed Breeze’s wrist and led her to the dance floor. I just wanted to blow off a little steam and have fun dancing with my best friend. People handed me drinks, and I downed every single one. I wiggled my ass and sang along to the song while trying to get Breeze to dance with me. “My bestest friend in the entire world. No matter what,” I cooed in Breeze’s ear.
Out of nowhere, a fight broke out. I heard the crashing sounds of my parents’ expensive knickknacks being knocked over and broken.
“Shit! Can you go get Chase? I will find Kai,” I said to Breeze.
I was making my way through the dense crowd of people when I started feeling really hot, and my stomach turned. Running to the nearest trash can, the contents of my stomach came up hard and fast. My first thought was that it was morning sickness, and that brought hot salty tears to my eyes, again. I sat on the floor and cried as people went around me, pretending not to see me.
I heard the familiar wail of sirens. The damn Petersons must have called the cops, they always did. I had to find Breeze and get her out. I picked myself up off the floor and tried to find her. I caught a glimpse of her blond hair and yelled toward her. “Someone called the cops! Go outside. Find Kai. He’ll take you home. I have to stay here.”
“Come with me,” she pleaded.
“Chase is here. Can’t let the asshole get in trouble without me,” I said, managing a grin. “Go. I’ll call you.”
“I’ll help you find him,” she offered. Brian would kill me if I got his daughter arrested. I didn’t want to piss him off any more than I already had.
“I don’t have time. Please.” I pushed at her shoulders. “Go. I’ll call you.” I needed to find my brother and get out of here.
“Be safe,” she yelled as she disappeared into the crowd.
Well, hell, this was not the end to my eighteenth birthday that I wanted. I snapped a couple selfies for the memories before I scrambled to find Chase and get everyone out of the house. It was amazing how fast drunk teenagers could move when they needed to. I caught up with Chase and Celeste in the last group of people leaving the house and slipped outside with them, trying to disappear into the darkness.
“Come on, Violet, let’s go,” Chase said, motioning me to come with him and Celeste.
“I want to make sure Breeze isn’t still here. Go without me, I’ll catch up.”
Chase had already slid into the driver’s side of his sports car when Celeste turned to me and said. “I think I saw Breeze heading toward the woods. That’s probably a smart place to hide, but man they give me the creeps!”
I thanked her and watched them drive away. That would make sense, it would be the fastest way to get to her house on foot, but fuck, the woods in the middle of the night? I guess she didn’t find Kai. I had to go after her.
I followed the trail into the woods and called out for her but got no answer. I went deeper into the trees until it was so dark that I could barely see, calling out Breeze’s name the entire time. I stumbled over some branches and fell. When I stood back up, I couldn’t remember which direction I came from or which way I should go.
I know I shouldn’t have, but I was scared and I wanted Brian. I wanted his big arms around me, telling me I was safe. I wanted to breathe in his scent. I sent him a message through the app he made me install, and hoped it would go through.
Violet: Brian? I need you.
