Kacie hadn't talked to, or seen anyone since Christmas Eve.
Christian had been ignoring her, and both Belle and Leighton refused to tell her what exactly Leighton said to push Christian away.
It was New Years now, and Kacie stared at herself sadly in Leighton's huge mirror in his guest room. She didn't feel like interacting with anyone or getting dressed up, but she also knew she didn't want anyone to see her in this state.
Within a week or so, her whole life had managed to fall apart.
Understandably, she just wanted to cry.
But instead, she decided she wanted to get up and put on one of her pretty little midnight blue dresses and unbraid her hair into waves and part them prettily to the side.
Even if she wasn't doing well, the least she could do was make it seem like she was.
Since the whole blow up at Mady's house she'd decided to stay with Leighton. She was embarrassed by everything, and even though the Freemans were the most accepting people she knew, she didn't feel right being there still.
The good thing was, it was New Years and she could probably get away with drinking then hiding in the guest bedroom and claim she was throwing up or something dumb like that.
New Years at Leighton's house was always pretty strange for her. Her younger brother was friends with a lot of people she had absolutely no interest in being friends with. Old guys with model girlfriends, rich people with spoiled children, and her personal favorites to see show up, were the celebrities.
If being a highly rated lawyer in the rich part of LA didn't mean you were successful, then having celebrities with their bizarre scandals contact you every other week definitely did.
Leighton legally couldn't tell her about most of the stuff he was doing, but she had an idea.
The guests didn't start arriving until about six, and Kacie watched from one of the balconies upstairs as everyone walked in.
She saw people that she knew, but wouldn't interact with. New Years was always when Belle and Leighton put their differences aside and hung out, which gave Kacie the time to talk with Belle all night and Leighton for awhile as well.
However, Belle and Leighton weren't going anywhere near each other for another few months, and it probably wouldn't ever be the same.
Kacie looked in the mirror and adjusted her hair, she looked awful. Not in the, "my outfit is gross" way, but the disconnected, exhausted, and depressed way.
The more she thought about it the more she wanted to put back on her pajamas, close her blinds, lock the door, blast the white noise machine and go back to bed.
The girl sat on the edge of her bed and began taking off her suede strappy heels and follow through with her plan, but she slowly turned when she heard her door open.
"Oh, hey. You're dressed." Leighton breathed, not sure if his sister was gonna be dead asleep and in her pajamas when he walked in or crying. It was a pleasant surprise seeing her in a pretty dress, half herself since last week since all she's been in were leggings and oversized hoodies.
"Yeah," Kacie nodded, refusing to look back at her brother.
"You gonna come say hi? A couple people asked about you, said they heard you were here." he hopefully grinned.
"Maybe," the girl replied, implying she wasn't too interested.
"I'm sorry, again." he frowned, going right back to the Christmas Eve incident. He couldn't stand to see Kacie like this. At one point, she was the sunshine of his life and was always there to be supportive and keep him going. Leighton was also sure that she had that effect on other people too.
Kacie's eyes dropped as Leighton's stayed glued to the side of her face and toned jawline.
"I don't mean to be here and sit around, and be all drained and awful." Kacie apologized, "I just want you to know that this is me trying."
"And I want you to know that it was embarrassing and disgusting for me to fight with Belle like that, so I'm sorry that I did that and made you like that." he argued, trying to make it clear to Kacie that none of this was her fault whatsoever, "But I also want you to know that it's a vicious cycle. You haven't replied or came face to face with anyone but me for two weeks. You have to do something, Kk. Please, just for me?" her younger brother pleaded.
Kacie thought about Leighton's words for a moment. They sounded familiar, almost something like she'd said to him when they were younger and he was at his lowest of lows.
"For you," she agreed, softly.
_
Leighton wasn't expecting Cody to walk in looking as miserable as Kacie, hell, he didn't expect Cody to walk in at all.
While Kacie was crying about her siblings, Cody was crying about how much he actually still loved Kacie and the way they looked at each other and held each other on Christmas Eve, all while being soaked and a little bloody on the freezing pavement.
Although they were both miserable, Leighton knew it had to have been a godsend that both of them were here, and needed each other more than ever right now.
This was finally Leighton's time. Finally, he could do what he's wanted to do since Kacie and Cody broke up — Which was to make them good again — and more importantly, get them back together.
Although the younger boy had his doubts considering everything that happened at the baby shower, he came back around and was full-on team Kacie/Cody again, which probably was what compelled him to make those comments towards Christian on Christmas Eve and piss off Belle.
Leighton approached Cody who sat right on down nonchalantly at the kitchen counter, it was like his second home.
"Dude, it's a formal New Years party and you showed up in sweatpants and a baseball cap?" Leighton joked as he sat down next to Cody.
Cody awkwardly laughed it off. Leighton had been pushing for him to come, and Cody knew that the only way he was going to get himself to come was if he came in his semi-pajamas.
Afterward, Cody playfully hit Leighton and said, "This is my formal."
The blue eyed boy afterward looked around at the packed house. Everyone looked rich and was dressed like it was a wedding. He knew what Leighton meant while playfully degrading him for his outfit, he definitely was a standout in this.
Just as he was about to ask Leighton for a drink, Leighton got up and embraced a gorgeous girl in blue, exclaiming, "There she is!"
It took Cody a minimum of one second for him to realize it was Kacie. Her stature was always the same, but looked a little deflated and less bubbly from where he sat.
Once Kacie pulled away from Leighton, Cody immediately said hello and gave her a soft smile, to which she hesitantly returned. She was way off.
"Alright, you two," Leighton grinned, standing in the middle of the two with each of his arms around the pair, "We're gonna have a happy new year!"
