A/N: This chapter is VERY VERY much longer than my others. Enjoy, Juanifans ❤️
"He's acting suspicious. I don't like it. He's planning something, right? He's gotta be planning something."
"Yeesh, Connie. Relax. You're freaking yourself out over probably nothing."
"But he's not acting right." I almost continued but got a pointed look from my sister and simpered. "Sorry, he's just in my head, I guess." I say a little red faced.
"Does he ever act right?" Stevonnie asks with an evil laugh. All I can focus on is Kevin, though and the way he's been ignoring me. Instead of spending time with me like he usually does, he's allowing that tramp Lapis to rub all over him like a cat in heat. She flashes him hot, yearning glances constantly, bats her thick lashes at him and licks her lips like she's starving where they make eye contact. And that fake tinkling laughter anytime he says anything grates on my nerves every time I hear it.
We had planned a dinner date tonight, but instead we're at a cocktail party along with various employees, investors and managers from Crystal Clear Cosmetics. I really didn't want to go. I tried my hardest to beg Kevin out of it, but he wouldn't hear of it. He's in full-blown suck-up mode at the moment, ready to do whatever it takes to please my Father and any of the other executives paying attention to him so he can secure that job promotion in London.
He doesn't seem to really see me anymore. He sees through me, past me, over me. He sees an opportunity to seal that promotion when he sees me, his own fiancé.
Ex.
Ex fiancé. Not ex girlfriend.
"We were supposed to go to dinner by ourselves," I tell Stevonnie. I'm watching him, sipping my glass of wine distractedly. "I didn't even want to go to this stupid party, but he did. He thought we'd make the best of it. Put in an appearance and leave-those were his exact words." I slowly shake my head, remembering how serious and loving he'd seemed. He grabbed my hands gently and earnestly he had said we would be quick. How he promised we wouldn't stay long. What a lie. He came here to see Lapis, not to spend any time with me. "We came together, but the moment we entered the doors he took off. Hasn't spoken to me since, and we've been here awhile now." I glance at the clock on the wall and sigh. "Almost two hours."
"Are you saying he club snubbed you?" Stevonnie sounds shocked, though with a hint of sarcasm.
I nod and sip from my wineglass again, surprised to find it empty. I drank that faster than I thought. My head is feeling lighter than usual, too. "Can you believe it?" I say deadpan.
"No, I honestly can't. He's always so attentive. Sometimes too attentive." Stevonnie rolls her eyes and eyes my empty glass out the corner of her eye.
"Not tonight," I scowl and Stevonnie laughs a little. "What?"
"You seem a little loser now." She remarks. "Must be the wine." A waiter strolls past with more drinks and she grabs two, handing me one.
"Thank you," I say, beaming at him. He smiles and nearly trips over his own feet.
"Oh?" Stevonnie asks the moment the waiter leaves, sounding incredulous. "You must be tipsier than I thought."
"Tipsy?" I drink more wine, enjoying the buzz of the alcohol as it courses through my veins and heats my skin. My hair is down, the dress I'm wearing is black and sleeveless, with delicate sheer lace along the shoulders and stretched across the bodice. I have on the highest, shiniest black heels I can muster, the skirt of my dress hits just barely mid-thigh. I felt pretty, confident. The day had started off positive from the start. I gathered a collection of inspirational photos and sent them to Steven so he and his team understood my vision. My older sister Rose and I met for lunch, and it was really nice. We had a real, deep conversation. I'd been grudgingly excited about tonight despite not wanting to go in place of our dinner date.
Of course, Kevin immediately sucked the joy out of my day by acting like a sweetheart and then abandoning me as soon as he got the chance to be with Lapis instead of me.
"I don't know. Griping about Kevin? You never complain about him. Drinking wine like it's water when you have a one drink maximum at these dreadfully boring events, and usually just drink club soda. And you flirted with that waiter," Stevonnie says pointedly.
"I did not!" I protest loudly.
"Did so. You smiled at him and almost sent him sprawling."
"So?" I'm oddly pleased that I could send someone sprawling. "Smiling at a stranger. Is that a crime?" I say, far too seductively. I'm starting to remind myself of Lapis.
"When you're usually too worried and fidgety over what other people think of you, yes. It's a crime for you, Connie Mahaswaren." Stevonnie slowly shakes her head, surveying the quietly murmuring crowd before us. "God, this is awful. You, on the other hand, feel like a breath of fresh air."
"I'm not that drunk." Fine. I am acting different. I'm frustrated with my boyfriend's behavior. If he gets to be a whore then why can't I?
I can't even believe I'm thinking like this. I must be more intoxicated than I thought.
"You are, but whatever. I'm going to enjoy it. Ply you with more wine and hope you make a spectacle." Stevonnie starts laughing when I shoot her a deathly glare.
"Stop it," I tell her firmly, going into big-sister mode. "There will be no spectacles made tonight, especially by me. You know Father wouldn't approve."
Stevonnie lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Aw, you're no fun."
"What, you want me to make a fool of myself? Become sloppy drunk and get all crazy like Rose? You want me to be out of control and a disappoinment to my calling? Fat chance." I continue drinking because it's calming my frazzled nerves. Not because I want to act like a complete and total fool. Hearing Lapis laugh, watching as Kevin leans into her and whispers in her ear makes me batty. But I refuse to confront him. What good would that do me? I'd end up ashamed in the morning and probably ashamed immediately after. Kevin would make me feel guilty for causing a scene.
I'd rather pretend it's not happening.
"You shouldn't knock her," Stevonnie says quietly, looking into her glass uncomfortably. "She's trying."
I immediately feel awful. Using my older sister as a punching bag is not my normal style. It's wrong. "I know she is. I just had lunch with her today, remember?" I polish off the rest of my glass of wine and snatch Stevonnie's glass from her hand. She stares at me, her eyes wide, mouth open in shock, and I shrug, not bothering to acknowledge what I just did.
"He's a dick," Stevonnie mutters under her breath, and I know exactly who she's talking about.
Ignoring her, I sip from my pilfered glass, purposely keeping my gaze averted from Kevin. Watching him with Lapis only makes me angry. And I don't feel like being angry tonight. Or upset. Or jealous. Or any of those other, horrible, self-defeating emotions I'm so used to dealing with. I hate that part of me with a passion. It makes me feel weak.
There's a bit of freedom in not worrying what your boyfriend thinks about you as you drink yourself into oblivion. I should remember that. Revel in it. Do it more often.
'Well just you wait, you'll be able to revel in it all you want once Kevin leaves for London and dumps you for a cute foreign girl.'
I shove the nagging voice in my head firmly to the side.
"Oh my, look who's heading in our direction," Stevonnie murmurs, giving me just enough warning to glance up and see Steven Universe coming toward us, devastatingly handsome in a dark suit and tie, his curly hair in casual disarray, his eyes filled with a predatory gleam that's directed toward me.
And me only. A shiver goes down my spine and I stand straighter.
"Ladies." He stops in front of us, blocking my view of Kevin with Lapis completely, which is probably a good thing. "You're both looking especially beautiful this evening." He's looking directly at me though, shamelessly sizing me up.
"Charming as ever, aren't you, Steven?" Stevonnie laughs when he offers her a quick wink and jealousy rises within me, dark and ugly. Ridiculous. I'm with Kevin, no matter how much he's behaving like a bad boyfriend at this particular moment. It shouldn't matter to me if Stevonnie and Steven flirt. Father would just love this. He's trying his best to create a monopoly within the company. Since he feels like he's already lost Rose completely, he's always trying his best to steer both of his girls toward what he believes are the right choices.
And Steven Universe, with his obvious ambition and how quickly he's moved up the ranks at Crystal Clear, is the perfect choice for Stevonnie.
Just like Kevin was the perfect choice for me. Was.
"Always," Steven says, his dark gaze sliding to mine and staying there. I stare back, bringing the wineglass up to my lips and swallowing the rest quickly. Was that my third? Or my fourth? I blink slowly, my head swimming for the briefest moment, and I purse my lips, blowing out a shuddery breath. His smile falters and he takes a step closer, his head tilted toward me as he lowers his voice to ask, "Are you all right?"
Startled, I blink up at him a few more times before I answer, "Yes. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I can feel my face heating up and for a moment, I'm thankful for my dark skin.
"You're not a big drinker." It's a statement, not a question.
"And you know this because?"
His smile returns, softer this time, and I find myself helplessly entranced. "I'm sure you assume I ignore you as much as you try to ignore me, but I assure you, I know about you."
Alarm races through me at his words, leaving my skin chilled, and I look to my sister for support. But Stevonnie is gone; I catch a glimpse of her retreating from over Stevens shoulder. We make eye contact for a moment and she smirks before disappearing into the crowd, leaving me alone.
With Steven.
"I know you're cautious. That you keep yourself under tight control whether at work or at social events such as this one." He glances around before returning his attention to me. He leans in my direction and lowers his voice, almost as if we're sharing intimate secrets and having a private discussion no one else is allowed to hear. "And even if I didn't already know this fact, it's obvious you don't drink much. And I've seen how unbearable Kevin gets when he's drunk."
I part my lips, ready to say something to defend myself, to defend Kevin, but Steven cuts me off.
"I know you tend to dress modestly." His lips curl into a salacious grin and his voice drops an octave. "But the dress you have on tonight just so happens to be the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen you wear." His gaze drops to my chest and I glance down as well. My breasts are on display through the sheer fabric. My skin warms at his blatant perusal of me. "The excessive drinking tipped me off." He reaches out and touches my collar bone. "I'm concerned. This is totally unlike you."
"Why do you care?" I ask incredulously. I genuinely have no idea why he would care. Kevin hardly ever cared. But suddenly Steven and I run into each other at a party and now he's my old friend? It makes no sense.
"I'm upset, too, you know," he says, his voice so low it's my turn to lean into him to hear what he says next. "How obvious they're being together."
Realization dawns and I take a step around him, his hand falling away from me. I stare at Kevin and Lapis across the room, all the air escaping my lungs at what I see. She's got her hand on his arm and he's bent forward a bit, so that she can whisper directly in his ear. Her splayed hand rests on his chest as they say their goodbyes.
Anger burns inside of me. It tears at my gut, making my head spin. How dare he let her hang all over him. How dare he make such a fool of me in public!
Lifting my chin, I keep my voice even and say, "It's probably nothing." I glare at them both unceasingly. It's as if I can't look away.
"It doesn't appear to be nothing," Steven drawls, taking my drink and handing it off to a waitress. She blushes and giggles at him, but his attention is back on me.
I turn on him, my voice tight, my emotions barely reined in. I begrudgingly can admire him for knowing to take away the alcohol. I blame him for goading me on unintentional as it may be. I blame Lapis for being such a seductive whore and stealing my boyfriend. I blame myself for being such a pushover. I also blame Kevin for being so blatantly, arrogantly stupid. "Stop trying to cause trouble."
Steven steps away from me as if I offended him. And maybe I did, but for once in my life, I really don't care. In fact, I couldn't care less. "I'm not the one causing trouble, Connie. They are."
I return my attention to Kevin and Lapis. Big mistake. They're talking and laughing as if they're together. Another couple approaches them. I recognize the woman, a well-respected beauty editor with one of the top fashion magazines. Kevin introduces Lapis to the editor, and the calculating gleam in Lapis's eyes is noticeable as she shakes the woman's hand.
She knows she has him wrapped around her little finger. She doesn't even realize he's using her.
Of course, he could be doing the same.
Part two coming soon!
Like... Very soon.
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Stay tuned, Juanifans!
Love, Juanitasuniverse