19| Disguise

Chapter 19: Disguise (Venus's POV)

"Caden!" I said through gritted teeth. "They'll be here any minute. Go!" 

"I'll go when I hear that front door open." 

"You're not Spiderman, okay? You can't be out of here and out of sight in a second. You should go now if you don't want to risk getting caught." 

"And if I do want that risk?" 

"Then you're stupid. Taking a risk doesn't always mean you're daring. Sometimes it just means you're plain stupid. Get out." I pushed him off the bed with a lot of struggle. 

He sighed in defeat and pulled his shoes on. "Meet me tomorrow morning at Hummingbird Heartbeat," he said. 

"No way! There are so many people there every single day, I can't risk it." 

"I won't be recognizable, don't worry," he said, lying down on the bed. He lay on his side and scooted closer to me. "Meet me by eleven. I have a plan." 

"What plan?" I asked, raising my brows at him. 

"Do you trust me?" 

I snorted, "No." 

He flicked my arm and then asked again. 

"I trust you." I rolled my eyes. "What is your plan?" 

"If you trust me, then show up tomorrow morning. And we'll take it from there," he answered. 

"This sounds like a trap." 

"I would love to trap you, but not like this," he smirked. 

"Bye, Caden," I sang, putting my hands on his shoulders to push him. 

He grabbed my wrists and jerked me closer. "Don't be late," he said. 

"I won't, Jesus. Now go." I pulled back, nodding at the window. 

He still didn't move. 

"Caden." 

"Just one more minute." 

"Caden," I warned. 

"Just thirty seconds more." 

"Caden, you-" I froze, hearing the front door beep and then open from its four-digit code. 

He grinned, leaning up and pecking my lips. "See, I got what I wanted." 

"You are insane!" I whisper-yelled. 

He climbed off my bed and walked over to the window, pulling it open. He crawled through and stood on the ledge. "Come here." 

I rushed over, ready to close the window on him but he held it open with one hand. "What?" I whined.

"Come closer." 

I sighed in defeat and leaned forward. 

He grabbed a fistful of my shirt before pulling my lips down to his. He held this one out. It wasn't just a peck. "Bye," he said before letting go of the ledge and sliding down to the ground. I watched him until he was a fair distance from the house and then I closed the window and the curtains with it. 

I climbed back into bed just as there was a knock on my door. Then it slowly opened and my mother came inside. "Are you feeling any better, honey?" she asked. 

"Yeah, I had a painkiller," I lied. "I was just about to go to sleep." 

"What have you been doing?" she asked, obviously a little suspicious. 

"Nothing much, I just watched a movie and then did a face mask," I shrugged, looking at her straight in the eyes. Which made it a little harder to lie but a lot more convincing too, I suppose. 

"Oh, what movie?" 

"Mean Girls," I chuckled. Always the safe choice. Because I watch it all the time. 

"Okay, you go to bed, hmm." 

"Is Clarissa still awake?" I asked. 

"No, she fell asleep on the way home. Your father is tucking her in," she answered. "Goodnight." 

"Night," I smiled. 

She left my room, closing the door on the way and I let out a huge sigh of relief. I lay on my stomach, groaning into my pillow. 

What am I doing for you, Caden Locke? Look at what you're making me do! 

"Stop thinking about it, Venus. Go to sleep. Just sleep it off, yeah," I told myself while flicking my lamp off. "Sleep it off." 

➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵

I stopped in front of Hummingbird Heartbeat and looked around one time before entering the cafe. I went to the front and placed an order for my iced coffee with caramel and then said I would be around. I headed to the tables and I didn't see Caden anywhere. 

I glanced at the time on my phone. It was 11:02. 

Is he late? 

Then at the very corner, I spotted a guy sitting there with his back to this side and a black hoodie on. 

I rolled my eyes. 

This is his unrecognizable disguise, isn't it? A black hoodie? What a wonderful disguise. 

I walked over and plopped down in the seat in front of his, sliding into the booth. 

"Finally, you're here," he huffed. 

"I'm two minutes late." 

"I've been here since 10:30." 

"Why?" I asked in confusion. 

"I had nothing to do at home," he shrugged. 

"Ma'am, your coffee." The waitress put my cup down while Caden lowered his head so she wouldn't see his face. 

"Thank you," I smiled, taking the cup. Once she walked away, I asked him, "So? What is your genius plan? Please tell me it's not as good as your unrecognizable disguise," I scoffed. "A black hoodie? Really?" 

"Did you see me when you first walked in?" 

"No, but that's because your back is to the entrance, not because of your hoodie. And you're sitting in the hidden corner too. Anyway, tell me. Why am I here?" 

"We're going to the palace." 

I nearly choked on my coffee. "What?" I asked, my voice strained. 

"Have your coffee, then we can go." 

"Are you crazy?" 

"My parents have gone to my aunt and uncle's house for the day, Axel is having a sleepover at a friend's house, Mr. Hilton is the only one home." 

"And if he snitches?" 

He rolled his eyes. "He won't. I'm his favorite," he shrugged. 

"How can someone like you more than Axel?" I mumbled. 

"Have your coffee, then we'll leave." 

"No, I'm not coming. Are you crazy? If anybody sees, I'll be the one getting beheaded, not you. Everyone will just assume I did something to get inside. No way," I shook my head. 

"Are you home alone today?" he asked. 

"No. But we don't have to see each other every day. We can do this another time too." 

"I told you already, I don't have time to waste when it comes to you." 

"Basically, you're really desperate to sleep with me, correct?" 

"Correct," he nodded shamelessly. "And it won't happen, but if anyone does happen to say you, I'll take the fall. I'll say I blackmailed you into coming. I'll say that I told you if you didn't come I would tell everyone bad things about your family or something, we'll cook up a nice story on the way there. And no one will see you in my car either because I have tinted windows. We're good to go. Finish your freaking coffee!" 

"Jesus, you act like we're doing it today. We're not. Have patience." 

"Take it with you, come on." He stood up. 

I gave a look. "Are you serious?" 

"As the dead. Get up," he nodded. 

"Fine," I sighed in defeat. I took my plastic cup with me, sipping on my coffee with a straw as we walked out. I trailed behind him while he walked with his head down. 

We got lucky there weren't people from our school here. In the mornings, it's mostly families and older couples. 

He opened the car door for me and I slipped in quickly. He jogged to his side, climbing in. He started the car while putting his seatbelt on and changed gears to reverse. He pulled his hood down, leaving his hair sticking up in all directions but still seemed to look attractive. 

He put one hand behind my seat and turned in his seat to look behind us. He managed the steering wheel with one hand and then backed out of the spot he was parked in. He shifted gears, keeping one hand on the gear stick, the other on the wheel. He drove with one hand the entire time. 

Which is drawing my attention a little too much. 

"What about your guards? Can't they tell your parents?" I asked, finishing the last of my coffee. 

"They won't. Mr. Hilton will make sure," he chuckled as we approached his estate. 

The main gates opened and he drove further inside, stopping at the front door. He turned the car off and climbed out before getting the door for me. I turned around, looking at the huge, round water fountain with angels spitting out water. He tossed his keys to one of the guards and then grabbed my hand, pulling me into the palace. He opened the front door and we went inside. 

"Is this your first time here?" he asked while closing the door as Mr. Hilton walked in. 

"The first time I remember. But I think I've come here as a kid once or twice. For your birthday parties. When your mother told you to invite the entire class regardless of who you were and weren't friends with," I explained, looking around. 

"Mr. Hilton, this is Venus." 

I sent him a smile with a wave. 

He bowed his head. 

"Venus Jade Princeton," Caden said. 

Mr. Hilton's eyes widened. 

"Can you keep a secret for me, Mr. Hilton?" Caden asked, taking the coffee cup from my hands and throwing it in the trash can nearby. 

"A secret, sir?" he asked. 

"Don't tell anybody she came here, please? Please, Mr. Hilton?" 

He nodded slowly, "All right." 

"Thank you. I love you," Caden smiled. "Come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him, taking me upstairs. 

"Why are you in such a rush?" I asked, jogging behind him on the stairs. 

"Because," he paused, opening the door to his room. I stepped inside and he closed the door behind me while I stood in front of his bed, glancing around. He grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him while putting his other hand on my waist. "I wanted to do this," he smirked before kissing me.

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Chapter 19

gosh damn, he has it bad for her lmao

next chapter: eyes

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