Iridescent

23| To Now

Do you like me? 

I had imagined myself saying it to him, knowing I will never. 

Not in a friend way. In a love way. In a forever way. 

That night, we were in each other's embrace, on the balcony. The atmosphere was just right: there was a breeze, not cold, not hot; there was a slow beat in the background, and there was us. Alone. 

His palms were cold against my bare skin and our gazes were locked. I was nervous. 

"You look beautiful tonight, Cass," he said after our dance.

"I look beautiful all the time," I managed a smirk, trying to be smart, making him chuckle. 

"Of course..." Jaxton always knew what to say at the right time. Even when it came to comforting me, he would always leave some food for thought. This time, the look in his eyes was different and I forced my eye contact to stay. 

A look. Vel said he had a look. What look? This look?

His eyes shifted to my lips and he opened his mouth, looking as though he wanted to say something. All I could hear was my heartbeat. It was as though we were under a spell.

The spell broke at the slight crease of his brow and his turning head to look down at the gardens, not looking for anything specific. He let go of me and created distance between us. 

"So, wanna tell me about Vel?"

My heart sank a little bit but I forced my feelings down. "I... I'll tell you a little." I swallowed, the next bit was going to be hard, "Vel is..."

Being threatened by people like me? Those who hold the blades of Iridescent?

Will Jaxton be able to see past that? 

"So?" He waited for my answer. 

"Vel's in a tiny bit of trouble."

"What trouble?" I could hear that subtle change in his tone.

"But we solved it."

Whoops, I lied.

***

Jaxton didn't make me leave until I gave him an explanation, which I did, but I was dancing around the edges of truth. Despite so, I still slipped by his grasp and went back to the ballroom where James and Alsa awaited me.

"Where did you go?" James shot, but his eyes were on the food in front of him. He sure did miss me.

"Just the bathroom and wondered around," I placed down my plate of chocolate cake on their table as I spoke. Alsa was not at the table. 

"Where's Alsa?" 

"She went to grab a drink," James sipped on a clear, bubbly drink himself. While I resorted to drinking lemonade. 

"Did you know?" I couldn't help but ask. "Did you know Spark was going to be here?"

James met my eyes, his iris stayed brown, "No, I didn't. I thought he wouldn't have come after that thing he pulled."

"And it was Alsa, wasn't it?"

James' eyes were on me but he didn't say anything. I nodded and said, "I get it if you don't want to tell me."

"No," James put down his drink, thinking, "Alsa actually said earlier that she might explain the previous awkward situation to you. I might as well start with it – but, yeah, Alsa asked Spark to the dance but Spark said 'I'll consider it' but never gave her a reply."