Blade

Chapter 39: Sneaking out

Sienna

I knot the lace of my sneakers tightly, slip into my black leather jacket, and step out of my room. The moment I do, I collide with Cam, who is too absorbed in her phone to notice me coming.

"Sorry," I murmur, tugging at the hem of my jacket, lips twitching into a sheepish smile.

"It's okay. You ready?" She slides her phone into her pocket and lifts her gaze, her eyes full of expectation.

"Yeah." The word slips out with a small cough, my tone laced with hesitation as I wipe my clammy palms against the rough fabric of my denim jeans.

"Great!" Camilla beams, her excitement contagious as she grabs my elbow and tugs me toward the stairs. I dig my feet into the floorboards to steady myself, doing everything I can to keep from stumbling after her like a complete fool.

"Are you sure Blade won't mind?" I glance around the vast expanse of the mansion, my pulse hammering against my ribcage. "Where is he anyway?"

Cam rolls her eyes but answers, brushing her thick brown curls off her shoulder. "He's still in a super important meeting, Sienna. Just forget about that. We've been stuck in this massive place for way too long with nothing to do. Besides, he doesn't expect us to sit around and die of boredom. I'm sure he won't mind."

He won't mind.

He won't mind.

He won't mind.

I cling to those words, repeating them like a prayer, hoping they might calm the unease rising in me. But the more I whisper them in my head, the tighter my chest feels. My nerves are raw, my heartbeat restless, thudding like it wants to escape. "What about Nico and Franco?"

"They are passed out in the game room. Apparently, they had too much to drink which gives us the perfect opportunity to go for a quick stroll." Cam says with a mischievous smile that didn't make things any better.

"What if we get caught? Blade is going to be—"

"Blah blah blah. Can you please stop being a worry whale and come with me? You promised, remember?" She bats her long lashes at me, her lips forming a childish pout that makes her look more like a sulking teenager than someone trying to negotiate.

"I didn't promise you shit. When you brought it up, I tried to object to it, but you didn't listen to a word I said," I reply with a small frown. She pulls her phone from her pocket and starts typing furiously, the sharp clicks of the keyboard filling the silence. Her Converse squeak against the freshly cleaned tiles as she paces in tight circles, completely absorbed in her own little world. "Like right now, you aren't even listening to me."

"Oh, sorry." She squeaks out the words with an awkward smile, pink heat rising to her cheeks as if she has just realized how obvious she's been.

I arch a suspicious brow at her, as she hugs her phone to her chest, her gaze darting everywhere but me. "Who are you texting?"

"Um, no one." Her tongue presses into the inside of her cheek, avoiding my eyes.

"That's bull—"

"Enough with the questions, Sienna. Let's go before they wake up." Her words tumble out in a rush as she seizes my hand, pulling me forward so suddenly I let out a startled yelp.

Camilla slams the front door of the mansion shut behind us, her sharp eyes scanning the darkened grounds. "There." She gestures toward the driveway, tugging me down the steps and across the gravel toward Blade's sleek row of parked cars.