01

    SOLAYNE

Tonight was the best night of my life. The night my biggest dream was stepping out in heels and coming straight to me.

I giggled to myself as I added more gloss to my lips. In the round tiny powder-mirror, I adjusted my hair, pressed my lips together in a kiss of approval, and I was good to go.

I rejoined the party, threaded through the crowd with a barrage of 'hello,' 'excuse me,' 'sorry,' here and there. It wasn't a surprise that the anniversary party was this Packed with people. The Domayne family were quite famous.

I found who I was looking for—my younger brother—and snatched his drink as I joined his table.

"What the hell, Solayne? There are servers moving around. Do you have to take everything from me?" He flung his arms wide

I simply chuckled as I emptied his glass.

He gave me a beady, big-brother look despite being younger. "Now, what's with the excitement?"

"Well," I cleared my throat, tried to tamp down the squeal. "Vance is going to ask me out tonight."

God, the words tasted like champagne. I’d waited my whole life for this. Okay, at least since sophomore year, which is close enough to eternity.

Leo scanned me head to toe, his expression spelling out P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C in capital letters. "Did he tell you that himself? Like, 'Hey, get ready to be asked out'?"

"No, idiot." I rolled my eyes then smiled when I remembered how it happened. "I saw the infinity necklace."

"What Infinity necklace?"

"The one he knows I like. I mean, I told him some time ago. And as you know, infinity means forever. I believe he's going to gift it to me tonight."

I was coming from his room where I found the necklace. I'd gone to check on him and found the opened box lying on his bed. The goosebumps I felt at that moment... I'd do anything to feel them again.

Leo sighed, tucking a hand into his pocket as he shook his head. "Sometimes I pity myself for having you as a sister. There are people with smarter sisters, you know. Why did it have to be me?"

I leveled him with a laser-straight glare as I plucked a glass of red wine from a passing tray. I was already loading a lecture when he kept going.

"You and Vance have been best friends since childhood. You're Twenty-two now, he's twenty-three. And not once has he ever asked you out. I told you before and I'll tell you again for free; Vance doesn't regard you as a girlfriend. I'm one hundred percent sure he doesn't even see you as a crush. You're just his best friend. Stop being so desperate."

His words found the soft part under my ribs and pressed, mostly because too much of it flirted with the truth.

"He... loves me," I said, twisting the wine stem. "I'm sure he's only shy and scared of rejection."

"Seriously? Vance Domayne scared of your rejection? And here I was thinking you'd only get smarter." He raised his glass to his lips. I hit him on the shoulder, prompting some of the liquid to spill on him.

Good.

"You better watch your tone, brat. I'm still older than you, okay? Besides, you're just twenty. You shouldn't have too much say on relationships."

"So, you feel I'm a minor?"

"Of course you're a minor, you rat. You think wearing a suit makes you sixty? Look, it's my fault for telling you about my relationship when you should be reading a book or something. Forgive me."

He shook his head again in that way that screamed "pathetic" and I just wanted to hit him in the jaw.

I turned away, scanning the glittered room so I wouldn’t have to keep inhaling his smug. But there was no denying that his words sat uncomfortably in my chest.

'You're just his bestfriend.'

No. I was more than that. 'We' were more than that.

Vance loved me. I knew it in the way he treated me. He was usually the first to call me every morning to be sure I made it through the night—I always called him crazy for that. We send each other gifts at random, share secrets, spend the holidays together. We do things even lovers don't! There was no way on earth he didn't feel what I felt for him. There was no way Vance didn't like me!

The necklace was for me; I knew it deep in my bones. It was his parents' anniversary party, and he was going to ask me out to make it memorable.

"Oh, my God! Are you serious? Marshall's here!?" A lady gasped behind me.

My glass stopped halfway to my lips, my pulse tripping over itself. That name still had the power to freeze my blood.

No.

"Yes, girl. He just got back for the anniversary. You know he’s not exactly on talking terms with his dad. Pretty sure his mom’s the only reason he showed up."

"Damn, girl. Then, where is he? How have I not seen him? I need to get laid with the legendary Marshall. Need to see what the bedroom rumours are all about."

"Those are no rumors, darling. They truly do happen and you have to be mentally prepared to face it. They say there's no going back once you walk in."

"Well, shit. I'd really like to see for myself. I've wanted a man like him my whole life. Girl, I can't wait to have him."

My glass stayed seated in my hand. There was no doubt the liquid would get stuck in my throat if I attempted to drink.

Marshall Domayne. Here in Raventon. In this very house. How had Vance failed to mention that?

It's been nine years already. Yet, it still fucking hurt like it happened yesterday. I honestly thought I wouldn't feel a thing again if I met him. Who knew it'd only take the mention of his name to reopen old wounds?

Marshall was the child you'd refer to as the black sheep of the family. He left home when he was nineteen after a major disagreement with his father. He gave the old man the middle finger, told him he didn't need his money.

Karma wasn't a bitch this time. Marshall did succeed and currently ran businesses that people gossiped were more successful than his father's.

The last time I saw him was in high school, and I'd been hoping I never would again.

"Hey, Pinkie."

I spun around so fast my hair nearly slapped me in the face.

And there he was; the one face that could reboot my entire day. One look into those blue eyes and the noise around me melted like butter on hot pavement.

"Brute!" I laughed, thumbing him in the ribs just to hide how my heart was doing acrobatics behind my ribs.

Vance always looked unfairly good in a suit, but tonight he looked better

'Maybe it's because he's about to ask you out.'

"Wow. You look gorgeous. Do you have a date here or something?" He glanced around the hall.

I laughed as I thumbed his ribs again.

"You don't look bad yourself. I was actually wondering when you'd make an appearance."

I didn't want to tell him I'd been to his room. Didn't want him guessing I'd seen the necklace.

"Yeah, I was busy with something." He hesitated, scratching his neck before his eyes met mine again. "By the way, um... can I speak with you for a moment? Outside, I mean."

He said those words and my heart stopped, then immediately overcompensated by pounding loud enough to qualify as background music. I wondered if he could hear it.

"S—Sure." I cleared my throat.

Holding my hand, he led me out of the hall. I glanced at Leo who was in a conversation with a guest, but thank God he caught my glance that said: Yup, I was right!

Outside, the air was softer, cooler. The stars sprawled across the sky like they’d shown up just for this moment. But honestly, none of them could hold a candle to how it felt having Vance’s hand wrapped around mine.

He led me to a quiet corner where the light dimmed enough to make everything feel private and intimate. Not that I needed light; his eyes had always been their own kind of glow.

Vance Domayne had always been my best friend, my longest ache, my almost everything. He was one of the finest boys in school then with his wavy hair and pink lips. Girls used to trip over themselves for him, but somehow, I’d been the one who got to stay by his side. The only one who didn’t just crush but belonged.

There was no way he didn't feel it too.

"I just need to ask you something, Pinkie."

That was a nickname only he called me. It stemmed from my love for pink when we were younger. Pink wasn't my favourite color anymore, but the way the name rolled off his tongue still made me melt.

"What is it?" I tried as much as I could to sound casual even though my pulse was doing parkour.

"You know, I've had this in mind for long now. I just didn't know how to do it."

His hand dipped into his pocket and came out with a small red velvet box; the very one I'd seen in his room!

Oh my God. This is happening.

Vance Domayne was about to do this. And I might actually pass out before he finished.

"As my best friend, you already know you're special to me."

He opened the box, revealing the sparkling piece sitting pretty.

I took a nervous swallow, praying to the heavens I didn't have tears in my eyes already.

"This is why I wanted to ask you first—what do you think about this?"

I stared down at the necklace. What did I think about it? Well, it was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen.

"It's beautiful."