Rising From the Ashes

Prologue

My phone beeped as I put on the finishing touches on the smoky-eye makeup I was applying. This was a lot harder than I assumed when watching my best friend do it: I was seriously afraid I will either destroy all other makeup I put on by smudging it with the liquid eyeliner I was holding, or, worse yet, jab myself in the eye. I let out a sigh of relief as I finished putting on the last thin line, and picked up my phone. Crap. “There in 10” from Jace, sent two minutes ago. He was twenty minutes early, but he hated waiting, and with his temper, he’d be mad at me the entire night. Cursing under my breath, I ran to my closet and flipped through the racks, finding something appropriate for the party we were going to yet demure enough to avoid upsetting Jace. After a minute of hurried searching, I pulled out a strapless, knee-length black dress that showed off my body, but ended safety below any point that could be considered slutty. Hopefully he likes this enough, because at this rate, I really didn’t have time to change into anything else.

Jace Parker was my boyfriend of three months, and every single day I woke up wondering how he ended up with me and why he was still there. He was the textbook definition of gorgeous: tall, built, black hair framing a chiseled jaw and expressive blue eyes. Add to that outrageous charm and a future fortune from his dad’s company, and it’s easily understandable why he is the most coveted senior in the school. Scratch that, most coveted guy in the school. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my hair one more time, knowing that despite his temper and his outbursts, he was really worth it at the end. I guess there really is a downside to everything.

The bell rang out twice, interrupting my thoughts. In five seconds, it rang out again – Jace was never one for patience. I hastily grabbed my purse and slipped my feet into black pumps, making it to the door in record time. I smiled at him as I opened the door, my smile fading as he critically looked me up and down.

“Natalie, you have to have boobs to wear that dress. Really, who are you kidding?” I bit my lip to stop my tears from spilling out and ruining my makeup as he turned on his heel sharply. “I guess I expected it. It’s not the first time I have to put up with you looking this desperate in public. Let’s go, how much longer are you going to stand there?

“Jace, I’m…I’m so sorry.” I mumbled, looking down at the floor. He was right, I didn’t look good. I was a disappointment to him, and he deserved someone much better than me, someone who would be able to match up to him better than I ever could. I followed him into his Mercedes, buckling my seatbelt as he slammed on the gas, speeding out of my driveway. I gasped softly at the speed of the car as I slammed into my seat, looking down to avoid meeting his angry eyes.

We were silent the entire ride, until he pulled up beside his friend Jordan’s house. Jordan was another rich jock who walked our school like royalty, but he damn well knew how to throw parties. Music was blaring loudly enough to be heard as soon as we turned onto the street, and the entire house was lit up and crowded with my classmates. Jace parked the car and opened my door, grabbing my wrist hard enough to leave a bruise and tugging me toward the door. At the entrance, he stopped and turned to look at me, his eyes softening again. By now, I was used to his sudden mood swings, I just wished I was good enough to avoid making him so mad.

“It’s alright baby, I forgive you.” He said softly, leaning in and pulling an arm around my waist. “You can thank me for it later upstairs, if you know what I mean.” He gave me another smile, running his eyes over my body again, and pulled me inside.

I was immediately assaulted by the sound of blaring music and the overwhelming smell of sweat and cologne from the throng. I felt Jace’s arm slip away from my waist as he learned toward my ear to scream over the music. “I’ll be back, I’ll get us something to drink! Stay here and wait for me.”