"How's your day been so far?" Dad asks through the phone, while I lie with my head on Jace's lap.
"It's been good. Max and I went out for lunch with Mom and Enrico. She's going out tonight with Amelia's Mom and staying away from the party. I told her she doesn't have to."
"I'm bet you're glad though," he chuckles. "What about Enrico? He coming?"
Jace's fingers tickle my skin on my neck and I shiver. "He's here right now but he said he's gonna leave when people get annoying."
"Fair enough," Dad laughs. "I wish I could be there."
"Me too. But I'll come see you tomorrow."
"I can't wait. Listen, I need to go."
"Okay." I try to stop my mood from dropping.
"Feliz cumpleaños, Yasy. And tell Jace I say hi." He says the last part with a hostile tone.
"Um, I will," I look up at Jace who's smirking.
"I love you, hasta luego."
"Love you."
The line dies and I throw my phone down with a sigh. Jace watches me sit up. "Cheer up, birthday girl."
I kiss him softly. It's slow and intense and makes me want to stay on this bed all day. When I pull away, I smile.
"All better. I gotta get ready."
"Need some help?" He grabs the bottom of my top and pulls it over my head, leaving me only in my bra and shorts.
I roll my eyes and stand up, heading to my wardrobe but Jace wraps his arms around me from behind and lifts me off the ground. My complaints turn to laughter when he starts kissing my shoulder and neck. I can never stay fake moody around him.
There's a knock at the door then it opens but Jace doesn't let me go. Luckily it's Amelia and Brooke, as opposed to one of my brothers. I asked them to come over early so we could get ready together. Well, Amelia was already here.
"Umm, should we come back or..." Amelia laughs while Brooke looks shocked.
"No, Jace is just leaving." I pull away and he lets me go while pouting.
"Can't I stay and help?" He smiles mischievously and leans into me again.
"Jace, get your ass out," Amelia demands and points at the door.
"Fine." He kisses my cheek then heads to the door, looking back at me before Amelia shuts it and he's out of sight.
"You guys are so in love, it's sickening," Brooke says. She sits on my bed and starts pulling stuff out of her makeup bag.
"Yeah, how is the honeymoon stage going for you?" Amelia asks.
"I don't think we're in the honeymoon stage yet. At least not until he's sure he actually wants to be with me." I say the last part quietly and begin to look through my wardrobe.
"Wait, what?"
"It's just that... he's scared he's gonna panic, and run away and fuck shit up again like he did before. And I'm also scared that I'm gonna get too scared by him changing his mind, that I fuck shit up for him." Saying it out loud makes me realise how screwed up we are. Can't we just be normal people that get into a relationship easily?
"Why the heck would he change his mind? He seems crazy about you," Brooke questions and Amelia agrees.
"He doesn't think he will but I don't know. I know that it's just who he is and he has an extreme case of commitment issues, but it's kinda freaking me out."
I'm definitely the leave before you get left type of person, but I'm trying really hard not to be right now. Even though inside I'm drowning in my thoughts.
"Girl, the only advice I can give you is that if it destroys your peace of mind, then it's not worth it," Amelia tells me and I try to let that sink in.
"Says the girl who went back to Alex after he broke her heart," Brooke jokes, lightening the mood.
"Oh c'mon, it's Alex Fuentes. I'm only human."
They laugh and I try to pull myself away from my self destructive thoughts. We're not doing this tonight, Yasmin. And don't even think about using alcohol to make yourself feel better.
"Yasmin," Santiago says from the other side of the door an hour later. "Mom wants to see you before she leaves."
"I'll be five minutes!"
I finish my makeup with some lipstick then pull my hair back into a low bun. After showing Amelia and Brooke a few outfits, I finally decide on a pair of black vinyl trousers and and a sexy black top.
"We look hot," I say as we check ourselves in the mirror.
Jace, Alex, Diego, Enrico, Max and Santiago are sitting in the living room talking but their attention is turned to us when we come down.
"Wow, you look beautiful," Mom gushes and gives me a hug. "Could be a little more covered up though."
I roll my eyes. "Gracias, Mamá."
"Maximino, come get a photo with your sister," she demands and he obliges.
Mom and Enrico leave when people start showing up. I invited girls from my grade and Max invited his friends. We thought about inviting Tyler but decided against it as he's Wesley's best friend and kind of a douche himself. Valentino, Montana and Sam all show up just after. They were the only friends he was allowed to bring because I know one of his friends is a drug dealer and tonight is a no drug zone. And every night is a no drug dealer zone.
"Wow, this is the classiest party you guys have ever had," Montana tells me as she takes a glass of champagne from the table and sips it.
"Hey, the night is young. You should get drunk for the both of us."
She smiles mischievously and takes a big drink. "That is something I can do."
"Hi, Montana," Jace says as he approaches us and puts his arm around my waist. At least that means he's not changed his mind about me yet.
"Jace." Montana flashes him a fake smile. "I'm leaving now." She turns and walks to Val and Santiago.
"So, I have your birthday present, but I'll give you it later when everyone's gone." He speaks quietly, his lips close to me so that I feel his breath on my skin.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"I wanted to." He turns to face me and touches my cheek. "You look so pretty."
I smile and look down.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Just scared you're gonna leave me.
He pauses before speaking. "Drink?" He picks up to glasses and holds one out to me.
"I can't."
"You can drink without getting drunk, remember? Like at the club? We'll have tipsy fun instead."
I press my lips together, unsure. A drink would be good, I just have to make sure I don't want it that badly.
"Cheers, birthday girl," Jace says when I take the glass. We clink the glasses together and I slowly take a drink.
"So now, kid, we're gonna do this thing called pacing ourselves," he jokes.
"Sounds fun," I say, sarcastically. I don't know why I'm being so weird; I can't help it. It's like I'm stuck between fight or flight and my mind just doesn't know how to behave. Luckily, I'm saved by the doorbell just as Jace is about to question me more.
"Gotta go," I say then quickly walk towards the door.
"Hey, happy birthday," Chrissy says cheerfully. I thank him and go in for a hug.
"Come on in. Amelia is in the kitchen."
"Cool, thanks. You look great, by the way," he says shyly.
"Thanks." I smile brightly and he goes to the kitchen.
When I turn around, I see Jace still standing at the table, looking down at his glass. I walk towards the living room, hoping he won't notice me, but of course he does.
"Hey, did you invite him?" He asks, holding onto my arm to stop me rushing by.
"Yeah, why?"
"Just asking." He grimaces and looks back at his glass. "Just thought this was a close friends only thing so I wondered why you invited the guy you fucked."
I unintentionally flinch. "Why do you have to say it like that? You slept with Montana and she's here, but I don't care. You could go and kiss her for all I care." I pull my hand from his grip and walk away, filled with so much anger but not exactly knowing why.
I go up the stairs while emptying the contents of my glass down my throat, already thinking about finding a bottle of vodka in one of my brothers rooms.
"Hey!" Santiago shouts from behind me, startling me. I hadn't realised he'd followed me.
"Leave me alone."
"Yasmin, cut it out."
"I said leave me-"
"No, that's enough!" He raises his voice, which he never does, making me stand still. "I'm done with your shit."
"What?"
"You are not fucking shit up for yourself again. I'm not letting you. I can't be fucking fucked with seeing you do this for the millionth time."
"What are you talking about?"
"You just can't let yourself be happy, can you? Things were going good just this morning so you have to go and make a problem. You're not doing this anymore, Yasmin. As much as I hate to say it, Jace is trying and you're still making it hard for him. I mean, if you can't forgive him for hurting you then why even bother?"
"It's not that I don't forgive him, Santi." I start to tear up, but they're mostly angry tears. I'm not angry at Jace though. Maybe I'm just angry at the world and thinking it's against me even though it's not. "It's that it's too good to be true. And I can't lose him again. Because I love him."
I'm shocked at myself for saying the last part. I didn't plan on letting myself feel love for a long time, until I was sure it was safe. But now I'm fucked, because I do love him. I love him in a way I've never felt before for anyone. Maybe I always have.
Santiago looks at me as if he's just as surprised as I am, and that's when I see Jace appear at the top of the stairs, the look on his face revealing that he heard what I said.
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teaser: Jace has something to tell Yasmin
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