Playing Heart Games

Level 9: Make Him Jealous

VIOLET

"I'm here for the party," I said.

The gate attendant looked up at me.

My throat constricted.

I expected his eyes to narrow, for him to say I didn't belong here. I mean, I didn't even know the guy throwing the party.

Instead, his look was one of boredom. He gestured through the open gates. "Round the mansion, to the den."

Then his attention returned to his phone.

I blinked, surprised.

I didn't get sent away.

"Thanks," I said.

I glanced back, wishing Axel was still in view. He'd dropped me off first. He would show up later. I was kind of depending on him for morale support.

Swallowing, I made my way up the stone tiled driveway. The mansion sprawled out ahead. I followed the tiles to the left of it, leading to the garden. Like the one at Ken's, it was extravagant—flawlessly groomed with spewing water fountains that glimmered like gems in the sunshine. At the end of the garden was the den. It was a massive construct. It kind of looked like a giant circular one-story house. Like one of the fancy ultra-modern buildings you saw on tv.

Honestly, I don't think you could really classify that as a den.

So far, I still felt out of my depth when it came to the people in Reynard. They were terrifyingly extravagant.

Inhaling, I made my way down marble steps and onto the path leading to the den. The sound of laughter and background music floated towards me.

My nerves worsened the further I walked. Details ahead came into view. At least a dozen teenagers were perched on the grand porch of the "den" ahead, chatting and typing on their phones. I recognised a couple of them from school.

Axel had said this mansion was owned by the parents of a guy who went to Reynard Academy, Jason Helton. And that this was his party. I'd told Axel that I hadn't been invited. He'd said that I didn't need an invite. That all I had to do was walk in.

Still, terror coiled tight in my chest. What if I went in and I was kicked out? That would be the most humiliating thing ever.

Axel had also told me that Mark and Alissa would be here.

As if I wasn't terrified enough already.

I took a deep breath and kept walking. I could do this. I could do this.

The porch was only a few steps away now.

I felt gazes settle on me. The conversations on the porch dulled to silence.

My chest squeezed.

Don't panic. Don't panic.

I started making my way up the stairs, towards the front doors.

Almost there Violet. Almost there.

The double doors were open. The noise of the party drifted into the air outside. I held my breath as I slipped inside.

The room was expansive, stretching out like a sleeping giant. At the back were glass walls. Beyond the glass, I glimpsed a pool.

Nope, this could not be classified as a den.

Teenagers filled the massive room, many of them I recognised from school. They chattered and laughed, voices flooding the space. There were like over a hundred of them.