Chris' eyes travel from hand to my eyes and I pull my hand back as if I have been burned but still I find myself yelling at him in my mind, WHY ARE YOU HERE? I feel Jaxons arm snake around my waist and then he's leaning into me, putting his lips near my ear.
"Did you invite him here Cyn?" I whip my head to face his and realize it was a mistake because hes still leaning in. "Tsk tsk tsk, tryna play two men here?"
"What! No." I reply furiously. There's amusement dancing in his eyes as he leans back and turns to look back at Chris. And then it hits me. Jaxons standing there with a smirk on his face, arm around my waist and looking at Chris. "Jaxon. Don't."
"Why not? It's been two weeks for fucks sakes, he needs to move on." I let out a tiny groan and tell him to wait here and then make my way over to Chris, smoothing my hair on the way.
"Hi." I try to say more but nothing comes out.
"Hi Thea." He smiles and I feel some of the pressure on me lift causing me to smile back. "You look good." My smile turns painful, I really don't need him saying something to cause me guilt, but then he shakes his head corrects, "I meant you look happy, good too but...happy." Well yes, I just had the best makeout with a person who wasn't you which still has me feeling just a little bit high, of course I look happy.
"Thanks, I am." We fall into a silence and then my moms next to me, saying hi to Chris and thanking him for coming. I interrupt them and blurt out, "I thought you weren't coming since we broke up." Moms hand rests on my shoulder and she squeezes it lightly.
"Cynthea..."Before she can continue, Chris is telling me how Mom asked him last week because I hadn't found a date and if he had known that I didn't know, he would not have come. Anger courses through me and I turn on Mom.
"Mom how could you! I told you I would find someone, and I did. Can you just trust me sometimes?!" People turn at my raised voice. Mom purses her lips and then gently grabs my hand and takes me to the balcony.
"I'm sorry, your right. I should have trusted you more but I needed you to have a date and there was only a week left." My anger doesn't go away and I let out a groan.
"Why? Why do I need a date? Why couldn't it be like the last couple years where Owen and I just came together? Talking about Owen, where is he and his date?!" Mom lets out a sigh and some of the anger edges away as I notice how tired she looks.
"This is the last annual ball we will hold." Mom sees the confusion in my eyes and continues, "Thea, we're shutting the business down, the investors are pulling out and we don't know why. The money's not coming in like how it used to. Your Dad, Owen and I have tried everything but its not helping." All the anger edges away and I'm left in despair.
"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice comes out as a whisper and I feel hurt.
"Thea you were going through so much with Jenns death and all, we didn't want to burden you." I don't end up replying and Mom leaves me with a sympathetic smile and a quick kiss to my forehead. Leaning off the railing, I stare into the night, the sun has just set so there's no stars littering the sky. I can't believe Mom and Dad have been going through so much and I've been just thinking about my problems. I remember when I was looking for jobs and the look that was shared between my parents flash in my mind. They knew then and thats why they told me to find another job. My hands clench on the railing and I am about to let out a frustrated cry when the door behind me opens and someone leans onto the railing next to me.
"Did he leave?" I ask without turning.
"Yea, I guess he finally got the hint." I don't reply, just turn to look at him. Like always, when I look into his eyes, its as if he sees it all.
"What's wrong?" And so I let it all out, telling him about my family problem. I tell him about the financial situation, the investors pulling out and mostly how my own family hid this from me. By the end of it, we're sitting on the ground, me with my knees hugging against my chest, him with one leg bent, other one extended. His arm rests over his bent knee and sits lazing against the railing. Instead of consoling me like anyone else would, Jaxon just sits there with me in silence, his presence being all the consoling I need.
"So what are you gonna do about it now?" He asks as we get up to go back in. "Now that your mom has told you, prove them wrong, prove that you can deal with it." Letting out a sigh, I hold the door open for him. I know he's right but I can't think of anything. When we enter, Mom and Dad are just finishing up the same annual toast they do. A hint of sadness hits me, this business was their everything.
The party wraps up a little later and Jaxon offers me a ride home. We stop at the bridge and take a quiet night stroll. A shiver runs down my arms as the night chilly air hits me. Jaxon notices and places his jacket around my shoulder.
"Being a gentleman, huh? Didn't know you had it in you." I smirk up at him as a memory hits me, one where I was drenched in rain, shivering at the graveyard. Jaxon lets out a chuckle and I know he's probably thinking about the same incident. We continue walking in silence, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, my head against his. When we reach his car, he pulls open the passenger door for me. "Now you're really acting all gentlemanish." Closing the door behind me, he gets into his seat before replying.
"Gotta show my girl the side no one else sees."
YOU ARE READING
Shattered Dreams
Teen FictionI feel his gaze on me as I walk over to the chair where my dress is resting. As I pull his shirt over my head, his eyes travel down my naked body before I cover it by slipping on my dress. When I turn around and meet his eyes, the intensity in them...
