Enchanted by Sins

Chapter 14

SIERRA 

I tug gently at my dress, making sure my hair falls in front of my face. The dress is perfect in every single way; it makes me look tall and regal, whilst still giving me curves. And with a fancy jewellery set of a (fake) silver necklace and a glittering bracelet – both given to me by my mother – I feel like a princess.

Out of the corner of the mirror, I see Val struggling with her dress. I chuckle quietly, and walk towards her. Her dress fits elegantly around her waist, down to her ankle, and the cropped top, has beautifully-made silk shoulder-sleeves. She breathes in a shaky breath, staring at me dark-eyed. "Si, what's going to happen to Chris?"

"Don't worry," I reassure her. "He'll be absolutely fine. Remember, you just have to get into the dance together, as a date, after that, you have one dance, and then Chris is all yours, baby doll."

"Yeah," she says slowly and then grins. "Well, at least I have Ralf. You never know. Maybe I'll end up kissing him. And then he'll want me instead of you!"

"Shut up," I shout, throwing a pillow at her. "Christian's yours. Don't dare take Ralf away, too."

"Why?" she coos. "Do you want to give him a big smooch? I bet you're ready to rip your dress off for him, instead of Kaden!"

At this point, we're both in hysterics, throwing pillows at each other, jumping on our beds. And for once, ever since we've started VWI, I feel whole. Like I'm not pretending to be someone I'm not.

***

The two of us are walking, arms linked, with our dates for tonight. Kaden Ralf Ralf Kaden. It drives me crazy. And then in front of our faces stand Christian and his date: Layla. She's beautiful, not just because of her stunning designer dress, but because she is beautiful naturally. Her dark hair is pinned up, with gold pins that match the bodice of her dress. And on her wrist is a rose corsage.

Christian holds her hand, and I immediately notice Val's eyes dart to their entwined hands. Layla's lip curls into a sly smirk. "Hey, surprised to see you here. We thought you guys would already be there."

"Lay–" he warns, not finishing her name.

Val sees it as a nickname. I see it flash in her eyes. "Yeah, we're surprised to see you two here as well. Well?" her gaze lands on Ralf. "Let's go." And then with a single nod to Chris, "See you there."

Val and Ralf are walking away, leaving the four of us lost for words. "Well, don't let this spoil your night, sugar," Ralf insists. "Come on."

I nudge her with my shoulder, grinning. "Ralf's right. There's that one dance where we've got to dance with somebody else, right? Chris'll use it to his advantage. I bet."

Once my best friends are inside, Kaden leads me to the school's corridor of photographs. For a long minute I wonder why he's taking me here, and then a light bulb flashes inside my brain – his brother, John. When we reach the wall for CH Barnes, a school photo from three years ago catches my attention.

One boy especially catches my eye. I don't know why, perhaps because it's John Lowe. He looks so happy, smiling with teeth at the camera, no once thinking that he's different, and a vampire. I place my hand over his figure. "Is – is that John?"

Nervously, he stuffs his hands in his jean pockets, nods. "Yeah, I thought I'd show you. Now," he laughs, "seemed the best time. Since we're becoming closer," he winks.

I blush; he utterly rocks the casual tuxedo with his shimmering smile. I hug him, hard, inhaling his very own scent – Kaden. "I wish he was here. He'd be so proud that his baby brother has a girl in his arms."

He laughs. "Oh, I've got you more than in my arms."

I raise an eyebrow, does he mean what I think? "Naughty, naughty, you can't go there just yet."

He grasps hold of my hand, kisses it. "But I will."

He takes me back to the hall, where it is crowded with First Years and Second Years. All the couples are dancing together, with smiles on their faces, until a teacher speaks into the microphone with a muffled voice, tells us to switch partners. My heart begins to beat faster. Is Kaden going to let me go so easily?

Kaden leans forward, his lips brushing against my earlobe. "I want you back afterwards." And then he's gone, now at Layla's side, holding out a hand for her. With a slight grin, she takes it, giving Christian one brief glance, and then with Kaden's speed, they're far from us. Not more than a large speck. Val and Christian leave, go through the doors to walk through the school's garden peacefully. And I'm left, staring absentmindedly at Ralf.

He holds out a hand, and I take it reluctantly. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I have no other choice but to politely place mine round his neck.

Kaden's face keeps flashing in front of me, keeps telling me to stop what I'm doing – it's wrong. It's not. I'm only dancing with Ralf as a friend. And, God, how I hope he thinks the same.

"It feels so good to have you in my arms again," he says.

I force a smile.

"What's wrong, See?"

I turn away. "Nothing's wrong, Ralf. I'm – I'm just getting a little jittery, I don't know why."

His hands move lower and I pull away, uncomfortable. "Please, Ralf, I don't want any trouble. You know we can't do this."

He cranes his neck to look around the room. No sign of Kaden or Layla. "Look, Sierra, you don't look happy with him. I know it. Dammit, I've known you all my life. You can't hide anything from me. You're scared of him for God's sake!"

His words make me defensive against my boyfriend. "No, he doesn't scare me. It's you who's making me scared of him! I can't – he's beginning to think that, you and I are together. That I'm doing this behind his back, and I'm not."

He licks his dry lips, stares at me with a hunger flaring in his eyes. "But I know you want something to happen between us, don't you?"

Yes. Well, I did. Before Kaden and I became a thing. I used to think I'd get married to Ralf, have four kids with him, two boys, two girls. But then a girl got between us. Pam Davis, two years older, and beautiful, smart and witty, it was everything Ralf always told me he wanted in a girlfriend. It broke off a couple of days after her parents were turned into hybrids willingly. And she got sent abroad by her weak, cowardly uncle to go to boarding school. I don't think Ralf's spoken to her since.

I shake my head. "You've finally broken, Ralf, because of Pam."

A crease forms between his eyebrows. "You think this is about her? God, Sierra, I'm trying to forget about her, try and move on. I have. And when I come to you, you bring up my ex-girlfriend, who I haven't spoken to for almost two years."

There's the answer to my question. I touch his face, smiling sadly. I wonder what it would've been like if I'd been his. Would he be more romantic than Kaden? Make me melt where I didn't know boys had the power to?

"I'm sorry, Ralf. But I don't feel the same way I used to."

He frowns. "Is it because of Kaden?"

I nod, "Yes."

He swallows, looks at me with something I've never seen in his eyes. "Do you love him?"

I turn away. "I don't know. Not yet." It's true. I haven't known Kaden enough to say that I love him. Sure, I find him more than attractive, seductive and mysterious. And the fact that he makes me shiver and melt in places only we know about. Our very own private places. But I can't lie to Ralf and say something I'm not sure of myself. 

When I turn my head away, little do I know that I could possibly be turning away from my first crush, and going towards the boy who makes Badass Sierra emerge.