𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 [𝟏𝟖+] ✓

07

I know the update is late, but I'll make it up to you guys soon.

This is so pretty Starkcanchokeme
Thank you so much for this ❤️

━━━━━━━━━♚━━━━━━━━━

Hayden Evans

"Good Morning, Hayden..."

Saoirse's voice faded just as her smile before she averted her eyes away from me and lowered them to her plate, donning a mask of aloofness which betrayed the emotion she felt, her reddening skin the only sign of her anger. For reasons I could never understand, Saoirse looked up to me and learnt to conceal her emotions, always hiding behind a mask of false buoyancy. 

Unlike her, I shrouded my chaotic demeanour with a veil of calmness.

"Hayden!" My father's voice interspersed my mental space. His next words dripped with disdain. "How are you feeling? Especially after your drinking contest?"

"Not particularly well enough to chat with you even if you intend to, Father," I replied, my eyes flying to the clock across the room.

Saoirse's and Jennifer's jaws were on the floor and my mum's eyes were still cutting glares at her beloved husband as fury licked at my blood. Garrick Evans had no place to judge me when he had gambled with more valuable things than our wealth.

Besides, I wasn't entirely a drunkard. 

When the dualistic battle within me between my chaos and my calm pushed me to the edge of insanity, I capitulated to drinking. My drinking issues — as my sister so eloquently named it — were neither a result of compulsion, nor a result of craving, nor a result of lack of control. It was because of the consequences. It was certainly addictive behaviour, but it also kept me sane.

Or so I thought so until my gaze collided with a bright golden gaze. Heat rode Katrina's cheekbones, nearly turning her face to the colour of her fiery red hair. She averted her eyes and memories from last night poured over me.