He opens his mouth to reply, but a strange expression screws up his features, his eyebrows knitting together. He closes his mouth again, seemingly unsure of how to respond.
I hear the trapdoor open and look over my shoulder to see two servers climb up. Each is wielding an impressive stack of food that I'd have dropped ages ago, had I been in their shoes.
They unfold a table that must have been stored behind the chairs and set a stunning array of dishes in front of us. My mouth is already watering as I take in the sight of filet mignon, lobster tail, risotto, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. There are also several items from the kids' menu like grilled cheese, chicken fingers and pepperoni pizza.
The servers leave just as quickly as they came, closing the trapdoor and leaving Jayce and I alone with enough food to share dinner with at least four others.
By the time I get another good glance at him, the strange expression has been replaced by his usual aloof, slightly-amused demeanor.
"So, what do you think of all this?" He smiles, gesturing out to the sky, which is pretty much black by now, save for a thin line of color on the horizon.
I look up to see that there are a few stars beginning to break through the velvet of the night. The horizon is splashed with a combination of deep purple and magenta, and the whole sky seems to be at my fingertips, as if I could simply reach out and embrace its soft caress.
"It's pretty fucking incredible," I nod, taking a bite out of the grilled cheese. Leave it to me to start with the grilled cheese when there's literally a gorgeous, probably very expensive surf and turf entree mere inches from me. "I am curious about one thing, though."
"What's that?"
"How many other girls have you brought up here?" I tease, raising an eyebrow.
He shoots me a challenging smirk, "I've never brought anyone else up here."
"Oh really?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice even. "And why's that?"
He opens a water bottle and takes a thoughtful swig before replying, "I never trusted anyone enough to bring them up here."
I'm trying to figure out if he really means it or if it's just another one of his lines, and the fact that my heart is currently threatening to pop right out of my chest is not helping.
He continues as if I'm not already moments away from cardiac arrest, "Only my family has ever stepped foot up here. Well, and the servers, of course. But yeah, this was made for us, so we could have a way to escape the crowds and also have a good view of the fireworks."
I take a deep breath in, savoring the sweet aromas of fresh food and crisp air. More stars have made their debut in the evening sky. "It really is amazing up here," I confess.
"Yeah, it was my dad's idea."
My stomach clenches at the mention of Jayce's dad. It's hard for me to imagine Jayce buying into anything that his dad wants... especially when Alexei apparently wants to see Jayce and Layla together. Then again, the only times I've been around both Jayce and his dad, Jayce had practically shut down completely.
"No offense," I start carefully, nibbling on the crispy bread. "But how the hell did you turn out half-decent with him as your father?"
Jayce looks at me with an amused expression that seems pretty fucking forced, "Believe it or not, he wasn't always as douchey as he is now."
"Oh?"
"It's true," he shrugs, reaching for a piece of pizza.
I study him as he devours it, never seeming to even take a breath. He always eats like it's a damn contest.
"What happened?" I ask cautiously, my mind cluttered with possibilities.
"He, uh..." Jayce glances at me nervously and picks up another slice of pizza, somehow managing to not swallow this one in three seconds flat. "He just... changed, I guess. Ya know, like we all do over time."
Uh huh.
Sure.
I'm so focused on Jayce's unusual behavior, trying to imagine what could've possibly turned Alexei into who he is, that when a loud BANG! splits through the night air, it causes me to almost drop my half of the grilled cheese. And I sure as hell don't waste grilled cheese.
The fireworks have started.
What normally would be a stunning, beautiful display of lights is now only adding to my growing anxiety.
BANG!
Jayce glances at me uneasily.
BANG!
Suddenly, the trapdoor flies open again and I whip around to see Alexei storming through, glaring at me with his murderous green eyes.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON!" Alexei screams, yanking my arm and effectively ripping me out of the chair.
BANG!
I fly toward the balcony railing, but somehow Jayce manages to catch me before I can body slam into it.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Jayce shouts at his father, wrapping his strong arms around me and moving me safely behind him.
BANG!
"What the hell do you think you're doing, bringing her up here?" Alexei snarls as he points an accusing finger at me, his normally handsome features turned into ones of complete disgust.
BANG!
"You need to calm down, right the fuck now," Jayce growls over the fireworks, his voice slow and intimidating. I can feel the tension in his entire body, every one of his muscle fibers ready to react. "I haven't told her anything."
I can barely breathe.
What the hell is happening? What hasn't he told me?
BANG!
"Just get that manipulative, gold-digging thief out of my sight, or I'll remove her myself," Alexei's voice is a threatening rumble.
Gold-digging thief? What the fuck?
BANG!
I barely have time to register what he said before the loud sound of skin hitting skin happens at the same exact time that another firework explodes.
In an instant, Alexei crumples to the ground.
Did Jayce just punch his dad in the fucking face?!
Holy shit.
BANG!
"Let's get out of here before he wakes up," Jayce tugs my hand but I'm glued to the spot, staring down at Alexei's knocked out figure.
Jayce quickly scoops me up bridal style and dashes down the steps at a frightening speed. Right as we hit the bottom, I hear Alexei roar, "JAYCE!" From above our heads, clearly having regained consciousness.
BANG!
~~~
You could say this chapter ended with a ~bang~ lol
Today is my birfdaeeee (the clock literally just struck 12 as I hit publish on these 2 chapters) 🎂🎁🎈🙌 AND Thanksgiving in the US, which is my #1 favorite holiday 🍗🥧🏈🍁... so TRUST ME... The next chapter is a fucking GIFT and something to be THANKFUL FOR, OH LAWD IS IT EVER😍😍😍
Tap the star to vote, tell me your thoughts and then get ready to be ✨😇BLESSED😇✨ by the second chapter of this update ! READ ON SQUAD. READ ON.
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The Senior Bad Boy | ✔️
Teen Fiction"My intentions would be simple," he says with a deep, heated gaze, his warm breath fanning across my face. He slowly moves himself even closer to me so that our bodies are mere millimeters away from touching, causing breathing to become a chore. "M...
23. Benefits + Bang
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