Rich People Problems

xxxxiv | dealt cards

"Hey, what's going on?" A soft voice entered the conversation, a voice which instantly made Ashton's eyes light up.

Another person walked through the front door, and I turned around hoping it was Kimberly, only to be disappointed when I saw her ex-boyfriend. "I heard you guys yelling from my apartment. What's up?"

I ignored him with a glare, looking at the couple for an explanation.

Ashton immediately reached out for his girlfriend and kissed the top of her head. The mere sight of them made my heart ache for Kimberly. "I don't know, baby. Something about Kim."

"Well, I had a day off today," Darius replied, raising his hands defensively. "Zari had a dentist appointment."

"I'm not asking about the condition of your sister's teeth," I snapped, still glaring. "Where is my wife?"

Camelia glanced towards my disheveled appearance and sent an empathetic look.

A look that told me that Kimberly told her everything. "She came by earlier and asked for unofficial therapy. I warned her that I was only minoring in Psychology, so I wouldn't be much help, but you know her. She's persistent."

"That she definitely is. Did she tell you where she was going?" I asked, hoping to finally get an answer.

"She hasn't gone home yet? Shoot, was it something I said?" Camelia immediately started worrying,  just for Ashton to quickly rub her arms comfortingly. "She seemed fine when she left. A little sad, to be honest. But it's not like we went over light topics."

The frustration was filling my veins again, and I did my best to keep my emotions level. "Is there anything you could tell me about what she said? She hasn't been home in two hours and Vivian and I are worried."

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. Something about patient confidentiality"—my heart dropped—"but I'm not a doctor so that technically doesn't mean anything. I don't think it's right for me to reveal too much, but let's just say that she talked about her ex and how she was conflicted about her feelings for you."

"Her ex? Darius?" I asked, confused and pointed to the man in question

"Marcel." Ashton and Darius breathed out at the same time and started cursing.

Ashton started cracking his knuckles, pacing nervously like I was not too long ago. "Shit. Holy fucking shit. We need to find her like now."

It was at that time that my phone decided to ring. I didn't even need to look at the screen to know who it was. "What did you find out?"

"I called all her favorite bars and clubs and I found out that she left Oasis about an hour ago with half a bottle of vodka. Knowing her, that's legit nothing, but considering everything, I'm praying she isn't drinking." Vivian's voice carried from the phone. "What did you find out?"

"It's bad, V," Darius just whispered in disbelief. It was a little unnerving to know that he once loved her, but oddly comforting. I needed as many people who knew her as possible.

"According to Lia, she's got Marcel and heartbreak on her mind," Ashton answered.

I hated being kept out of the loop about this Marcel guy.

"Fuck, but I think I know where she is. I'll send you the address, Jace. She's not gonna be okay when you see her, so just be gentle. Very gentle. No matter how much she tries to fool everyone, she's extremely sensitive. It's why we all love her." Vivian let out a sigh, clearly showing how distressed she was.

I was so busy thinking about how shitty I felt without realizing how everyone else must've felt.

Ashton was her closest family and they are inseparable. Knowing that his cousin was suffering was not the greatest feeling in the world. Darius, as much as it pissed me off, was one of her ex-boyfriends and oldest friends. Despite their rocky relationship, there's still some type of love lingering there.