Carcel Evander Dawson

"Would you look at that," Ace's voice cut through the chatter at our table, dripping with sarcasm. We were at Ciel's after-party, her ridiculous penthouse on the beach, designed to show off just how filthy rich she is. The place was all white marble and glass, with the ocean crashing below us, but I couldn't care less. It was just another over-the-top display of wealth and status.

Before this, Ciel and I had to endure some formal dinner with our parents, pretending to be the perfect, loving couple. I hated every second of it. But I played along, smiling like an idiot to keep everyone happy. I wasn't in the mood to ruin someone's birthday, even if the whole thing made me sick to my stomach.

Ace leaned on the balcony, his eyes narrowed as he watched the scene below. We were on the second floor, our exclusive little circle keeping the rest of the party-goers at bay. Typical. These people always need their private space, as if they're too good to mingle with the masses. Whatever. I wasn't about to complain if it meant fewer people in my face.

"It's Galini Sinclair, alive and well," Ace sneered, his voice full of mockery. The name caught my attention, but I didn't let it show. I'd heard of her, sure. Who hasn't? But we'd never crossed paths. I knew her dad and mine played golf together—a regular buddy-buddy routine. But that's as far as my interest went. She was just another spoiled brat in the sea of them.

"Yeah, heard she almost got kidnapped," Ciel chimed in, sipping her champagne like she was talking about the weather. I kept my mouth shut, not that I had anything to say, but it's just that the way they talked kidnapping seems like a joke. Well, hell, it was a joke to me, too, but there are some opinions you should be kept to yourself.

"Serves her right, after all the shit she's pulled," Faye added with a smirk. I couldn't help but agree, even if I knew Faye was no better. They were all the same—vultures tearing each other apart when it suited them.

"I'm glad she didn't injure herself or something," Ciel added, but I knew she didn't give a damn. She didn't care about anyone unless they were a threat to her. She's the queen of the school, after all, and she's got a reputation to maintain.

But then Ace perked up, his eyes locking onto someone. "But who's that cutie?" he asked, nodding toward the crowd. My eyes followed his, and there she was—the grocery cashier. The same girl, the same eyes.

Huh, this is funny.

I know it's been days but I still remember her, I'm usually the type of person to just forget about things especially if it's not really that interesting, I didn't expect her to be here, not in this world, not with these people. But there she was, standing next to Sinclair like she belonged. And beside her, some guy. How brave of them to sneak in a party like this.

"And there's that guy too," Faye pointed out, but I wasn't listening. All I could think was, what the hell was she doing here? And why did it bother me so much?

"Ciel, did you invite them?" Ace asked, his tone sharp with annoyance, eyes still locked on the unexpected guests.

"Of course not," Ciel snapped back, her face twisting in disgust as if the mere thought was beneath her.

"Should we, like, kick them out or something?" Faye suggested, her voice dripping with malice. She was always the first to jump at the chance to flex her petty muscles.

"Oh, come on, just leave them be," Jade drawled from her spot on the couch, barely lifting her head. "They might be Galini's guards or something." She couldn't care less—too busy lounging like she was born to do nothing else.

"Jade is right, girls," Ace said, his tone shifting from irritated to something more energized, which immediately raised my suspicion. "Let me handle it."

I watched him with narrowed eyes as he got up, his sudden enthusiasm setting off alarms in my head. He was up to something, and it wasn't going to be good. Ace was never this excited unless he was about to stir some shit.

As Ace left the room, Crue suddenly walked in, his face set in its usual calm expression. "Where's that idiot going?" he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. Among these people, Crue was one of the few I could actually stand—at least he had some decency.

I pointed towards the bar on the ground floor where Ace had made his way. He was leaning against the counter, clearly up to no good. A few moments later, the bartender handed him a drink, and I immediately recognized the deep red liquid swirling in the glass.

"The Devil's Advocate," I muttered under my breath, the name slipping out before I could stop it.

"The what?" Crue asked, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out what I was on about.

"The drink," I said, my tone flat.

Ace had already knocked back a few drinks tonight, and with that particular cocktail in his hand, it was clear he was trying to get as wasted as possible. And when Ace got drunk—really drunk—he tended to do something incredibly stupid. Like getting butt naked and jumping into the pool, even though the idiot couldn't swim.

It was basically a death wish for him.

Both Crue and I watched the idiot below, tracking his every move. A minute later, he was talking to that grocery cashier girl for reasons only his twisted mind could fathom. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but the uncomfortable look on her face made it clear that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Then Ace started taking off his shirt.

"Shit," we muttered in unison, realizing where this was headed. We bolted from the room, sprinting down the stairs. But by the time we got outside, it was too late—the dumbass had already leaped into the pool, flailing like a fish out of water. The party came to a standstill, everyone staring at him in confusion as he thrashed around, desperate for air."Fuck!" I cursed under my breath, knowing what had to be done. Without a second thought, I dove into the pool after him, the water engulfing me as I reached out for the piece of shit I unfortunately had to call a cousin. I was still in my formal clothes—dress pants, a button-down shirt. The fabric clung to me like a second skin, making it harder to move, but I didn't care. I had to save this idiot from himself.

Crue was at the edge of the pool, already holding out a towel for both of us. Thankfully, he didn't inhale too much water—he was just coughing it up, sputtering like an old engine. Lucky for him, because if I had to do CPR on him, I'd seriously consider just letting him drown.

I glanced around, noticing the cashier girl standing behind the guy she came with, looking like she'd just seen a ghost. Hell, who wouldn't be freaked out by what just happened? I hauled myself out of the pool, water streaming from my soaked clothes, and started walking away, leaving Ace to Crue's care. I couldn't deal with that mess right now.

As I walked, I felt eyes on me, intense and lingering. A quick glance down told me why—my shirt had gone completely see-through, no wonder the stares were getting intense. Of course, just as I realized this, my ever-so-lovely fiancée appeared out of nowhere, offering me another towel, probably to cover myself up.

But do I look like I give a fuck?

I entered my bedroom, barely acknowledging Ciel as she followed me in, still clutching that damn towel like it was going to fix everything. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice dripping with fake concern.

"You should be asking Ace that," I muttered, already unbuttoning my shirt. But she didn't take the hint.

"But I'm concerned about you," she pressed on, as if her nagging would somehow make me care. I'd been pushing her away, but she was as persistent as a bad habit.

"Yeah?" I spun around to face her, peeling off my shirt. "What exactly are you concerned about?" I took a step toward her, watching as her confidence wavered and she started to back up. But I kept moving forward, forcing her back until she was pinned against the door.

"Are you worried about those eyes on me?" I asked, leaning in close enough to make her squirm. I reached behind her, my hand brushing against the doorknob. She didn't answer but just looked away, her cheeks flushing red. I couldn't help but chuckled on her, looking so naive and unguarded under my gaze.

"Well, guess what?" I paused, letting the silence stretch until she finally looked up at me, still blushing. "I don't like you staring at it either." With that, I twisted the knob, and the door swung open, pushing her back into the hallway. I slammed it shut without another word, leaving her standing outside.

I knew she would be pissed by now, but that's not my problem. She could stew in her anger all she wanted; it wouldn't change anything for me. I glanced around the room, realizing I had nothing to wear. Thankfully, these guest rooms were always stocked with extra white shirts and pajamas—basic, but whatever. My shoes were still at the bottom of the pool, but I couldn't be bothered to care. This fluffy slippers would suffice.

The stress Ace gave made me wanted to drink so badly. I hurried back to the room where we were hanging out, throwing the door open. The second I stepped inside, As soon as Crue laid his eyes on me he burst out laughing.

"You didn't mention you had nothing else to wear," he managed to get out between laughs. "I've got an extra shirt if you want."

"Save it. But my shoes?" I asked.

"They're gone, man," he said, handing me a drink. "Didn't survive the dive."

"Well, it is what it is." I muttered, looking down at the hotel slippers. "These are more comfortable anyway, where's my idiot cousin?"

"He's passed out in his room," Crue said, and I felt a genuine wave of relief wash over me. At least the he wouldn't be causing any more trouble for a while. But I noticed Ciel wasn't around. She's probably throwing tantrums, no doubt.

I wandered over to the balcony, scanning the crowd below. My eyes searched for that girl again—and there she was, staring right back at me. I couldn't help but wonder...

what's her name?