The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 38

Alex's POV:

The cool night air hit me as soon as I walked out of the mansion with Cody, relieving me from the heat of the day. Zoe and Elijah followed us as we went after Jeremy, walking out of the tall, silver gates of the mansion and onto the sidewalk.

The streets were vacated, given the late hour, and the loudest sound around was the one being produced by mine and Zoe's heels clicking on the sidewalk. I'd been wearing them for too long now, and my feet were starting to ache, which progressively slowed me down.

By the time we got to the club, there was a permanent pain in my ankles and my lower back, which was bound to book me an appointment with a physiotherapist. It was both ironic and annoying that high heels were capable of sending me to the hospital when bullets couldn't.

As soon as the five of us entered the club, deafening music blared in my ears. I winced and shrunk away, covering my ears with my hands. My head throbbed and I cursed myself for not being prepared for it.

"Hey, you okay?" Cody whispered softly in my ear, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nodded and put my hands away, guarding my ears as best as I could against the music.

The club was dark, the only light being provided by the glow-in-the-dark clothing people were wearing and a glowing beam on the top of the bar. The whole place reeked of alcohol, and I scrunched my nose against the smell. All around me, half-drunk people were dancing, holding cups of intoxicants in their hands. Even though the four of us stood out, dressed in ballgowns and tuxedos, nobody paid us any special attention.

I saw Jeremy head toward the bar, so I followed him, pushing through the bodies of people. Cody was right behind me, but I wasn't sure whether Elijah and Zoe followed. A girl in her early twenties was perched on the counter, dressed in a metallic black skirt and a shocking pink blouse, holding a cup in her hand. Her blond hair was hanging loose around her shoulders, streaked with red, and she wore an unreadable expression on her face.

"This is Elle," Jeremy said, taking off his silver tuxedo jacket and placing it on the counter before turning to Elle. "This is Alex. She's... an old friend." He winked sideways at me and I rolled my eyes.

Elle tilted her head as she surveyed me. "A little overdressed for the occasion, don't you think?" I pursed my lips, but before I could say anything, she continued, "I'm interested in the blond one though."

A crease formed between Jeremy's eyebrows as he looked at Cody. "I actually have no idea who he is."

"Really?" Cody said, a humorous expression on his face. "Because I've heard some rumors that people call me the hot transferred senior."

I tried to keep a straight face and glanced back at Cody who discreetly winked at me. Elle grinned. "They're right there. Now if I didn't have a boyfriend, I'd definitely stick around, but..." Elle jumped off the counter and brought up Cody's hand before placing a piece of paper in it. "Call me." She winked and walked away, leaving Cody slightly traumatized.

"Alright, you two," Jeremy started. "Say it. What do you want?"

"Why would you assume we wanted anything?" I asked instead, playing along with my previous act.

Jeremy raised his eyebrows. "Alex. You got all pretty and came to a ball. Then you walked into a club with half-naked, all-drunk people upon my invitation. You can't say you did that just because you wanted to."

I sighed and dropped the act, just getting on with it. After all, I wasn't going to get another chance. "I want your ring."

He lifted his right hand on which he wore the ring. "This old thing?" I nodded. He considered it for a moment before a devilish glint graced his eyes. "Alright. I have a condition though."