Spiraled ⚪⭐⚪⭐ (A Brollins Novel)✔

EPISODE TWENTY

Quinn's Mansion. Los Angeles, California.

Words can't describe how utterly free-spirited Rebecca was when she broke away from the  guests gathered around, already done with cutting her cake and feeding a slice each to her mother and Ashley. Greeting a few of the guests fortunately hadn't taken long and before her mother had finished hugging her, whispering into her neck what a fine job she'd done with her speech, the music had taken on a more electric vibe instead of the boring tune that had been playing earlier. Though things had turned out much better than she'd anticipated, all the nerves and anxiousness she was experiencing before proving to be unwarranted after, it still feels like a dead weight has been lifted off her shoulders the moment she stepped away from the podium, her half-eaten cake and the cameras that had been circling around her everywhere she turned. She judge it must be because she's that relieved to be away from the dazzling lights and above all else looking forward to finding out just where Colby has suddenly vanished to.

It's unreal to think he's still in her bedroom. She'd personally told him before she'd left that he should leave the same way they came in; through the back door connected to her painting room. The mansion is big but not that huge for him to get lost navigating his way around it even though the route she'd taken him to the pool area had been dark and barely recognizable. If anything, the current booming music at the party is a guaranteed give away to direct him to the hall which rules out only one possibility. He isn't here at the party on purpose and given his clear uneasiness about being surrounded by people, Rebecca can only guess he's outside, watching everything unfold from afar or simply kicking grass at the lawn or staring at dim-lit flowers at the garden.

For Rebecca, she's determined to get out of this party before she’s forced to give the interview her mother unfortunately promised the paparazzi  without her consent. The guests had been friendly and nice as to not give off any sort of brazen, rude attitude which would've propelled her to say something she might have regretted later but she can't trust the paparazzi to be so lenient. Just thinking of the absurd questions they might ask causes her stomach to churn but she doesn't let the thought dampen her mood nor does she allow it to wipe the smile of satisfaction stretching her face as she walks over to where her brother and Mercedes are standing and chatting, a small slice of cake between her fingertips.

Unlike her mother and Ashley who were warm and recipient to the gesture, Fergal once again prove to be a hard nut to crack. It doesn't astound Rebecca when he subtly inclined with a shake of his head his refusal for the slice of cake she's offering him. Rebecca is aware pressing may end up irritating him but she isn't ready to let Fergal off the dance floor tonight. He dragged her onto it and it's now time he dances to the tune of the music as well. "You have to eat it," she insists with a sugary smile, holding the cake at his face. "Remember, the cameras are watching."

Fergal's eyes narrow as his forehead wrinkle, no doubt thinking she's blackmailing him but for Rebecca, blackmail is out of context. She's just reminding him of what they've been bugging her about her whole life, even when her father was still alive. It was often her mother who used to scrutinize their every activity in the past and always made sure to let them—–including their father—–know the family's reputation is at stake even when they were going to something as harmless as a party at a friend's house. Fergal only inherited that behaviour after their father’s death and so far, Rebecca can say with every ounce of certainty that her brother is ten times worse than her mother.

After seconds of him being nothing but silent, pondering, momentarily glancing around, no doubt checking whether the cameras are on him and they are; Rebecca catches with a quick glance back over her shoulder. Fergal, without much fuss, opens his mouth. His teeth sinks into the spongy, rich flavour of the cake Rebecca knows so well by now and bites, the only thing giving away his displeasure is his scowl as he munches on it. Rebecca just smirks in victory, offering the rest of the cake to Mercedes who smiles and accepts it graciously.