Chapter 9

Back at home, I took a shower again to get the pool water off of me. Then, I logged into my computer and turned the "find phone" function on. The map showed me that my phone was at the Shields house. No surprise there.

I had no time to lose. Blake could be hacking into it right now. I looked at the clock, it was past 6 pm. Soon, it would be getting dark. I needed the darkness for my plan to work.

I drove by Blake's house a few times, to get a better look at it. Even in the dark, the white silhouette of the mansion looked impressive. And it looked like a event was going on there. The mansion was well-lit and I could hear music and voices coming from the inside.

Huge iron gates guarded the mansion against trespassers. Several cameras pointed at the road. It wouldn't be easy to get in and out unnoticed.

I considered my options for a minute.

Just then, a car approached and the gates opened for it to pass through. I caught sight of perfectly trimmed bushes spread all over the front lawn. That would give me a perfect cover.

Now all I had to do was wait for another car to come in or out.

I got out of my car and hid near the gates. I was dressed in full black, head to toe. Over my head, I pulled a black mask, lest my face got caught on camera and my father heard of this.

Maybe the guests kept Blake busy and he hadn't had the chance of breaking into my phone yet? I prayed it was so.

I didn't have to wait long. A car approached, and soon the gates opened again letting it through. I snuck in after it. Once inside, I hid behind the closest bush and looked around. The phone should be somewhere on the East side of the house. Maybe on the second floor where the bedrooms were located? As luck would have it, all the windows were dark in that part of the house.

There were plants growing up the facade. I evaluated the wall. I was a good climber, I could do it. Not that I had another option. With so many guests, I doubted I'd find any better way of getting in. This was it.

I hurried toward the house and I began climbing as silently as I could. The window right above me was slightly ajar. I pushed it open and got in. I had a small flashlight with me and I turned it on. It looked like a guy's room. Did I hit the jackpot and landed in Blake's room?

I looked around. The room was five times bigger than mine. There was a huge bed, perfectly made. There were a few pictures on the wall. I came closer and shed light on them. There were a few pictures of Blake at different ages. OMG! It was true. I was standing in Blake's bloody room!

I looked around almost expecting him to jump out. My heart began beating heavily. It took me a few moments to breathe through it and calm myself down. Only then, I leaned closer again and studied the pictures. Blake looked serious, like someone who took himself for very important from an early age. Of course, he would, he was an only child, heir to all of this and more.

On one side of the room, there was a large bookshelf. I approached it and looked through the titles. Many were classics. I was surprised to see that he would read books like this. I expected something like Playboy and Men's Health to be clattering his space.

Opposite the window, was the main door. There was another door to the left which was slightly ajar. It looked like it led into his bathroom. There were two closets. On one side of the wall, hang a basketball net. Several surfboards were stacked atop each other in one corner.

His room was impeccably clean. But what did I expect? That it would be a room befitting the devil himself? Burning fires of hell?

Then I caught sight of a laptop on his desk. Damn it! I should have brought a flash drive. It never crossed my mind. I was too focused on getting my phone back. I caught sight of Blake's school bag. It was thrown over a cozy-looking chair next to the entrance door. I dived for it. And just then the door opened and the lights in the room went on. I froze, almost expecting Blake to barge in on me.

But instead, and to my relief, it was a boy of about 14-15 He looked like one of those rich surfer boys that never had a rainy day in their life. Seeing me dressed all in black with Blake's school bag in my hands, the boy froze. We just stared at each other for a long moment. He looked confused, not quite able to place me into this setting.

"Are you a thief?" he asked at last. There was hesitation in his voice. I knew a wrong move or answer, and I'd have Blake to deal with.

"No," I replied taking a step back.

"Well, you look like one," he replied, stating the obvious.

"I am not. I only came to get what's mine," I insisted. I quickly evaluated the distance between me and the window. I doubted I could make it to and through the gate before the entire Shields security team got on my heels.

"What's yours? Here?" he said doubtfully.

"A phone. Blake took it from me."

"Oh."

"Are you going to scream?" I asked just to be sure.

"No. Do you need help finding it?" To my relief, the boy closed the door behind him. It was the wrong move, 'cause now I could knock him out if there was a need.

"I think I've got it covered." I thought it was best I didn't waste time. I unzipped Blake's bag and went through it.

"Who are you?" I asked. I vaguely remembered the boy's face.

"I'm Carter Ohlsen, Blake's cousin." Right, Carter Ohlsen, son of Jacqueline Ohlsen. I remembered now. Both were there at the ball on the night of the accident and on my suspect list.

"What are you doing here?"

"Blake told me I could come up and borrow one of his surfboards."

"Blake is here?" Stupid question, of course, he was. It was his home.

"He is downstairs. And who are you?"

There was no point in hiding. Blake would hear all about it as soon as I was gone anyways. And he'd know it was me. I pulled the black mask off of my face.

"Oh, you are the new girl. I have seen you around. Blake hates you, it seems."

"Yes, that's me. And just so you know, it's mutual."

"Did you climb the wall to get in here?" Carter asked. He moved closer to the window to appreciate the distance.

"Yap."

"You are way cooler than I thought." He looked very impressed.

"I hear that a lot." I kept going through Blake's bag until I finally located my phone. I turned it around a few times. It looked like Blake hasn't had the chance to do much with it. Big sigh.

"Well, you'd need to find another way to get out. Look," said Carter, pointing outside the window. I came closer.

"Shit."

People had spilled out of the house and a few of them were standing below the window. What do I do now?

"I might know a way out. But you might not like it," Carter said with a smile.

"What's the plan, kiddo?" I had my phone, so the sooner I made a run for it, the better.

Carter walked up to one of the closets.

"Blake has sometimes girls over. He's got all kinds of dresses here."

"And why do we care?" I asked not comprehending.

"Because the only way out is through the main door. It's so crowded there, I'm sure we can sneak you out. But not looking like this." He pointed at the clothes I wore. He was right.

He pulled out a dress and threw it in my direction.

"I think this one would fit you," he said giving me an evaluating glance.

It was a beautiful green mini dress, only not something that I'd ever wear.

"No way, Jose!" I told him. "I'm not wearing this."

"It's either that or waiting for all the guests to leave. Blake hates this type of events. He'd be here soon. Trust me. It's your choice."

"Ahh." I threw my hands in the air, surrendering. "I am so gonna regret it."

He pulled two pairs of stilettos out too and showed them to me.

I snatched one pair of them. The one that looked like my size and I was less likely to break my neck in. I then walked into Blake's bathroom and closed the door behind me. I looked around. So, this was where Blake Almighty took his showers. It was strange seeing his things. Even here, everything looked clean and expensive. If he finds me here, he'd kill me. I better hurry!

I quickly pulled off my clothes and put on the dress. It was tiny. My boobs were practically spilling out of it. I turned around a few times in front of the mirror. It was barely covering my arse.

You can do this, I told myself. I let my blond hair fall loose about my shoulders. That way I felt less naked. All I had to do was walk down the stairs, and head straight for the main door. Nothing to worry about. Easy-peasy.

I folded my black clothes and hid them in one of the drawers. I would need to pick them up one day. Or never?

"Wow! You are a bombshell," said Carter when I walked out.

"Aren't you too young to droll over women?"

"No, I'm not. I will be turning 15 next week. Would you like to come to my party?"

"No, thanks," I threw over my shoulder, heading for the door.

"It will be on a boat," he said in a singing voice, trying to make it sound more appealing.

"Still not interested," I told him. "Just help me get out of here." I opened the door, waiting for him. He offered me his elbow. Together we made our way down the hallway. Something was telling me I'd regret it. But right now, it seemed like the best option I had. It's either that, of being caught red-handed by Blake in his room. The thought of that made me shiver.

"Just pretend you know everybody here and that nothing is amiss," Justin told me reassuringly. He had a kind smile on his lips. He was a very handsome boy, but I could not catch any resemblance with Blake in him. And maybe that made me feel more at ease than I otherwise would have been with any of Blake's relatives.

"I can do that," I replied. My heart was pounding hard as I followed Carter downstairs. The music and the voices were getting closer and louder now with every step. To say I was nervous, would've been a big understatement.

To calm myself down, I looked around. I was relieved to see that the foyer was full of people and the lights were dimmed. It was a beautiful house. There were some expensive-looking paintings on the walls. A huge staircase connected the lower and the upper floor. Above it, hang a sparkling crystal chandelier. I couldn't even begin to guess how expensive it must be. It was the fanciest house I have ever been in. I don't have friends or acquaintances in this part of town. So I felt like fish out of water. My entire house or anyone I know could have fit in the foyer alone. I was now holding onto Carter as if my life depended on it. He patted my hand.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded.

We began to descend. I felt a bit like a princess, despite fearing every time I took a breath, that my boobs would fall out. Carter squeezed my hand assuringly. He was clearly enjoying the game. He leaned in and whispered, "See, nobody is even paying any attention to us."

And he was right. All those people in the hall were too busy talking and not even one person was looking in our direction. It wasn't the time to celebrate yet though. The door was straight ahead. And I was too focused on putting one foot before the other. I was no stranger to falling down the stairs. I hated stairs. Period.

We almost had reached the last step and the door was so close... We were so close. But then someone gasped. It was followed by the shuttering of glass against the marble floor. And that rang through the hall like a bad omen.

I turned in the direction of the sound, and my eyes caught sight of a woman and she was looking right back at me. There was such shock on her face. I even looked down on myself again, making sure that everything was still ok with my dress.

"Oh no, that's my mother!" I heard Carter say.

I could see that now too. I recognized Jacqueline Ohlsen from the tabloids and the picture on the wall in Headmaster Hitch's office. And from the pictures that I kept in my shoebox in the closet. She was a very beautiful woman, someone that catches the eye.

And then I caught another pair of eyes staring at me.

They were Blake's.

My heart stopped. Oh gosh, what do I do now?

He stood right beside Jacqueline and must have followed her gaze. His eyes narrowed. Oh no! Why was he forever narrowing his eyes at me, I wondered. Was he nearsighted? I hoped nearsighted enough to have confused me with someone else. And I wasn't gonna wait to find out.

Luckily, the main door was just up ahead.

"Nice meeting you, Carter," I said giving him a nod. Carter helped as much as he could, and now I was on my own. I let go of him and darted for the door. I had almost reached it when Blake appeared and blocked my path. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside after him in a not too gently manner.

"Let go of me, you brute," I complained, attempting to free my arm from his grip.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" He demanded to know as soon as we were outside. He shook me for good measure, and I thought I heard my teeth rattle. He pulled me behind one of the columns, where we could not be seen by the other guests in the garden.

I was now backed against the column, and Blake was blocking my path to escape.

"Wanna guess?" I challenged him, finally freeing my arm. Damn, he was towering over me, and considering that he just caught me red-handed, it was unnerving me. He looked perfectly polished in his black suit. His hair was combed to the back, looking like one of those young and sleek lawyers. Standing this close, I could even smell him which made me even more uncomfortable and very eager to make my escape.

"Did you break into my room?" He demanded to know through clenched teeth, barely holding himself from unleashing his full Shields wrath at me.

"You took my phone. What did you expect me to do?"

He looked incredulous. It seemed like he had a really hard time reconciling the fact that I was here in his house, dressed like this.

Somehow I enjoyed it. Seeing the shock of realisation on his face that someone would dare to go after him.

"This is a break-in. You do know that. I could call the police on you..."

"You mean my father?" I snapped back at him, raising my chin slightly higher. "I am sure he'd be happy to hear about how you assaulted me today while I was naked in the shower." If my father gets wind of this, we both would be in so much trouble. But he didn't have to know that. "Now get the hell out of my way, if you don't want me to make a scene. Or do you want everybody to know what made me come here today? That would plummet your father's company's stock for sure."

He studied my face as if deciding whether he should give me a good trashing right here and right now. Well, he could try. I wasn't gonna go down without a fight.

But then, to my surprise, he just stepped aside.

"This does not end here," he promised.

His eyes then slid down to my chest, where my boobs were practically served to him on a platter. I caught his look and quickly covered my breasts with my hands.

"You perv!" I exclaimed.

"Just so you know, that dress looked way better on its rightful owner," he said. He looked more amused now than angry.

"Fuck off!" I told him and headed for the gates. Which were closed, of course.

I hoped that the gates would just part before me and I would gracefully walk out into the night. Leaving in style, so to say. But no, the stupid gates remained shut when I reached them. I turned to look back. Blake still stood where I left him, his arms crossed. Was he smiling?

"Ah," I exclaimed throwing my arms in the air. I could climb those gates, I decided. I took off the borrowed stilettos and threw them at Blake. He easily ducked and none of them hit the target.

Well, too bad. And then I began climbing the stupid gate. Which was proving to be rather difficult in this joke-of-a-dress. I probably looked ridiculous, but what choice did I have? I had what I came here for and that is all that mattered.

Just then, as I reached the top of the gate, it began to move underneath me. In my panic, I quickly slid down to the other side of the gate and landed with a big "ouch" on the ground. I heard the dress crack in a few places.

Damn, it hurt.

To add salt to the injury, I heard that bastard Blake's laughter from afar. I hate him!

With my butt and my ego painfully bruised, I headed for my car. How was I gonna face that idiot tomorrow? Heaven only knows.

I still stood outside watching the gate close behind her, when Carter appeared by my side.

"Wow, she's something," he said. I couldn't agree more. She actually dared to come to my house!

She's been fighting back, challenging me, and now beating me at my own game. I had to give it to her. She was a force to be reckoned with.

I gave Carter a look that told him he was in trouble.

"You better explain to me how you ended up walking down the staircase with her?"

"That's what my mother just interrogated me all about. I went to get the surfboard you said I could have. I found her in your room dressed like a ninja..."

"Like what?" Was I believing my ears?

"A ninja. All in black. She had climbed the wall up to your room."

"Unbelievable!"I gave the wall a measuring look. It required guts to do that.

"Yeah. She said she was there to get her phone back. That you took it away from her."

"And you didn't think of calling me?"

"My mom raised me to help women in need. She couldn't leave the way she had come 'cause some guests went outside and were below the windows. So I offered to help her. Besides, I think I'm in love," Carter said with a dreamy look on his face.

I rolled my eyes.

"Not that again. You cannot be falling in love with someone new every other week. Listen, Carter, stay away from her. I don't want you to have anything to do with her. With a bit of lack, she'll be gone from Highridge by the end of this week."

"I liked her, she is nice. What has she done to you?"

"You know whose daughter she is. The sooner she is gone, the better. Stay away from her, I'm serious."

"She's not her father...," Carter began.

"This is non-negotiable," I said putting my hands around his shoulders and pushing him toward the entrance. "Come on let's go in before my dad wonders where I am."

As I walked up the stairs back to the house, I gave the gates another glance. I had to laugh again at the memory of her climbing up the gate in that sparkling green dress. This girl was brave and crazy, and she made me laugh. This morning at school, I called her boring. I was already doubting my words when I saw her in the shower. The way her face looked all flashed and she glared at me with those big eyes. She had been on my mind a lot ever since.

And then the shock of seeing her in my very own house, walking down my damn staircase. It felt like she turned up in that sexy, very revealing dress just to mock me and to prove me wrong. She still had barely any makeup on. Her long blond hair was a gorgeous mess around her shoulders. The short dress revealed her long legs and the way her breasts looked so inviting...

Stop it, Blake!

I pulled my phone out and scrolled through my contacts thinking of who I could invite over tonight. What girl would help me forget my new arch-nemesis the quickest?