Chapter 5: Fashionably Not Invited 

 

“Hold still, Taliana! You’re gonna make me mess this up!”

Taliana bit back a scream and slapped Marissa’s hand away from her face. The tweezers that had been grasped in her fingers a moment earlier went flying across the room, landing softly on the bed where Taliana hoped they’d stay. When she’d agreed to let the twins help her get ready for Sebastian’s party, she never thought it would involve this kind of torture.

Vanessa, who’d moved quickly to avoid losing an eye to said tweezers, threw up her hands. “Stop being such a baby,” she chided, shooting Taliana a glare as she snatched them up again. “Plucking your eyebrows doesn’t hurt.”

“It does when she’s doing it,” Taliana whined, rubbing one of her throbbing brows.

“Oh, just hold still.”

Taliana winced but obeyed, inhaling sharply as Vanessa ripped out another hair. If it hadn’t been for the fact that the twins didn’t want her showing up to the party with them looking like a slob, they probably wouldn’t have bothered with any of this. Part of her wished she had just refused to go, but it was too late now.

She’d already gone through the pain of having her hair combed and straightened; her nails clipped, filed, and painted blood-red; and her skin exfoliated and buffed so many times that she wondered if she actually had any left. Taliana would be damned if she didn’t go to this party, even if was in honor of her sworn enemy’s birthday.

Plus, if she had anything to do with it, he wouldn’t be celebrating many more.

What seemed like an eternity later, Vanessa put down the tweezers, and Marissa held up a mirror so Taliana could see what they’d done.

“Thanks,” she grudgingly admitted as she took in her reflection. “You did a good job.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Vanessa said. “We’re not anywhere close to being done.”

Taliana’s eyes made their way to the clock on the dresser, the display flashing the current time of eight fifty-five. “You do know we’re going to be late, right?”

“We know,” Marissa said patiently as she grabbed a tube of lipstick and proceeded to assault Taliana with it. “We’ll be fashionably late.”

Taliana waited until she moved the dangerous red substance away from her face before speaking again. “Yeah, well, it’s kind of seeming like we’re going to fashionably miss the party.”

“Oh, relax.” Vanessa glanced at Taliana before handing her twin something that looked suspiciously like a pencil. “For a girl who supposedly doesn’t want to go to this party, you seem pretty eager to get there.”

“I’m just ready to get out of this dress,” Taliana grumbled, tugging at the indecently high hemline of her tight black dress as Marissa came close to stabbing her eye with that pencil. “And don’t get me started on these shoes.”

Taliana tried to glance down at the pumps, but she was slapped not-so-gently before she could do it. “Look up,” Marissa snapped. “Don’t make me mess this up or you're going to look like a raccoon.”

That was enough to get Taliana to comply.

Another twenty minutes and a bit of squirming later, Taliana was looking a lot like that girl in the Colton Couture ad, though she still refused to admit it was her.

“Wow,” she mumbled, at a loss for words as she stared at herself in the mirror. “This is...wow.”

“I know, right?” Vanessa grinned and reached up to brush a stray lock of hair out of Taliana’s eyes. “You look amazing.”

She tried hard not to blush but failed miserably. Honestly, she wouldn’t have minded looking like this all the time if it didn’t take so much effort.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Marissa snatched something off the dresser. “Put this on.”

Taliana’s eyes dropped to her outstretched hand, newly tamed brows shooting up when she saw her mother’s diamond ring in Marissa’s palm.

“Where’d you find that?” Taliana questioned, frowning as she slid it onto the middle finger of her right hand. The stone was so big it almost felt like she was wearing a weapon.

“I saw it when you were unpacking earlier,” she answered, picking up her peachy pink lip gloss and applying a coat. “Where’d you get it from?”

“It’s a Colton family heirloom,” Taliana explained as she ran her fingers over its many facets. “The women in my family have been passing this thing down for generations. Now it’s my turn to have it.”

“I love that,” Vanessa said. “And it’s the perfect finishing touch for your outfit.”

She was right. The massive diamond glittered under the lights, and Taliana couldn’t deny she felt glamorous as hell wearing it. If the twins wanted her to go all out, this was certainly the way to do it.

There was a flurry of action after Taliana slipped on the diamond, and somehow, she ended up downstairs with the twins ushering her toward the front door.

“Mom! Dad! We're leaving!” Marissa shouted over her shoulder as she wrenched open the door.

“See you later, girls!” Katherine called from the living room. “Have fun!”

“Be home by midnight!” Charles added.

They shouted their goodbyes and stepped out of the house, once again piling into Vanessa’s car. The drive to the club was short, but the line to get in went down the block and wrapped around the corner. The twins didn’t even seem to notice though, and if they had, they were choosing to ignore it. Taliana followed like a lost puppy as they went up to the velvet ropes, flashed a smile at the bouncers, and strolled right inside. There were a few cries of protest as they entered since they’d skipped the line completely, but Taliana put her head down and hustled in behind them.

The club was packed, and flashing, colorful strobe lights illuminated the space. Most people were pressed up against each other on the dance floor, and nearly every seat at the large bar off to the left was taken. As far as Taliana could tell, the lounge to the right was at capacity as well. She had to grudgingly admit that Sebastian had to be pretty damn popular to invite this many people.

Taliana glanced up briefly to the glass-enclosed second floor, which was host to the VIP room and overlooked the dance floor. Though she could barely see inside, she assumed Sebastian and his close friends were up there, and she hoped that was where they were going to stay. The crush of people made her relax slightly, since that made the chances of her running into the birthday boy about a thousand to one.

Taliana looked to her left to say something to Vanessa, but to her surprise, neither she nor her twin were anywhere to be found. Damn it. Had they seriously abandoned her five seconds into being there?

Taliana began searching for them, growing more and more desperate by the minute, but she couldn't seem to find the platinum-haired girls anywhere. After ten minutes of weaving her way through the packed club, she gave up and plopped down at the bar. If she hadn't found them by now, she probably wasn’t going to see them for the rest of the night.

Part of her considered leaving—what was the point of being here if she didn’t know anyone? It wasn’t like she was going to have fun just sitting alone. But another part was determined to stay and make the best of it. She wasn’t about to let the twins’ efforts to make her look halfway decent go to waste.

So with a huff, she turned to the bartender and shouted her drink order over the music. The man set it down in front of her shortly after, and she was surprised—and a little impressed—that they were actually serving alcohol to what looked to be mostly minors. Sebastian had, apparently, done something right for once.

She downed the rum and coke in a few sips and ordered another as soon as she could snag the bartender’s attention again. She sipped that one a little slower, knowing she’d be drunk off her ass in no time. Her friends back in LA had always called her a lightweight, but hey, why not enjoy the free booze? It was all on her enemy’s dime, after all.

Drink in hand, she turned away from the bar and surveyed the crowd, trying to see if she could spot any familiar faces. She wasn’t really expecting to considering she’d been gone for years, but she figured it was worth a shot.

And then she saw him.

Either Taliana was hallucinating or she was already drunker than she thought, but standing less than fifteen feet away with his arm around some random brunette and his eyes locked on Taliana was the last person she wanted to see.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Sebastian Phillips.

She sat frozen in her seat as she watched Zak Huntington shove the girl away, not noticing the dirty look she gave him in response. Even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn’t have cared.

It wasn’t like he had a heart.

Zak had been the driving force behind her sudden departure from LA, the reason she’d decided she needed to start fresh. Taliana’s unfortunate one year of involvement with him had resulted in her being arrested for various crimes, nearly being expelled from yet another private school, losing her virginity in the backseat of his Bentley, and ultimately getting her heart shattered when she found him sleeping with her supposed best friend.

To put it lightly, Zak had kind of ruined her life, and now there he was, prepared to ruin it again.

There was no way in hell Taliana was going to let that happen. He had put her under his spell once, but she wasn’t naïve enough to fall for it this time. Even though he’d used her in every way possible, he’d still taught her a few life lessons. But as valuable as those lessons had been, she wasn’t up for being taught any more.

Shooting out of her seat, Taliana pushed her way through the crowd until she could no longer see him. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against the wall, letting her head fall back against it.

This party suddenly didn’t seem like much fun anymore.

***

“Want to dance, birthday boy?”

Sebastian’s gaze drifted up to the girl standing in front of him, her sultry voice sounding more like desperation to his ears.

“I’ll pass,” he murmured, lazily shooing her away.

Shrugging, she straightened back up and wiggled off to find her next victim in the spacious VIP lounge.

Sebastian grabbed a flute of champagne off the table next to his oversized velvet armchair, already bored. In a few seconds he’d downed its contents and was attempting to find a server to bring him another.

“You trying to get blackout?” someone teased from beside him.

Sebastian slowly shifted his gaze to where Michael was sitting. In his hands were two more glasses of champagne, and Sebastian wasted no time taking one.

“You encouraging it?” He laughed and brought the glass to his lips. When it was gone, he motioned to a passing server for a refill.

“Maybe. You’re a lot more fun that way.” Michael slowly sipped from his own drink as he gave Sebastian a looking over. “Come on, you’re acting like a high-strung little shit. This party is for you! You need to stop sitting around looking miserable.” He tipped his glass toward his friend before downing its contents and rising from his seat. “But you know what? Follow me.”

He then turned away and started down the stairs leading to the main club, leaving Sebastian to decide if he wanted to follow, but soon he was on his feet as well. He caught up with Michael at the bottom of the staircase, taking in the boy’s devilish grin as he spread his arms wide, motioning to the mass of people in front of them.

Sebastian had to admit, things were a hell of a lot more interesting down here, and he couldn’t help but smile. He had avoided coming down into the chaos earlier, not wanting to get swept up in it, but maybe that was exactly what he needed.

Michael clapped a hand on Sebastian’s back before leading him over to the bar. They settled into seats and took in the club, and as Sebastian waited for his drink, he had to admit, it looked like he had pulled everything off.

He took a moment to admire the girls all around them, smirking as his eyes drifted over their bare limbs and glistening skin, but Michael seemed too preoccupied with staring at a set of blonde twins to even notice the other girls Sebastian pointed out.

Sebastian laughed. “Having fantasies about the Avilla twins again, Michael?”

“How could I not? Doesn’t every guy fantasize about a set of gorgeous twins?”

“Not really my thing.” Still, he gave Michael a hard slap on the back. “But if it’s yours...”

Michael’s grin was brilliant in the darkness. “Hell yes, it is.” Soon he was shoving his half-full drink into Sebastian’s hand and pushing away from the bar. “Don’t expect to see me for the rest of the night.”

Considering the challenge Michael was about to take on, Sebastian expected to see his friend back there in no time. Still, he wasn’t about to sit at the bar alone all night. Michael was right, he should be out there enjoying himself.

Sebastian made his way into the crowd, greeting people as he went, but it didn’t take long before he was bored again. With a sigh, he made his way back to the stairs that led to the VIP lounge, the only haven in the loud club. The shock of the strobe lights was giving him a headache, but judging from the fact that he was the only one sulking on the outskirts of the dance floor, everyone else was having the time of their lives. Too bad he couldn’t say the same.

And then he saw her.

How he hadn’t noticed the girl before was a mystery, but now he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. She was leaning against the far wall of the club, a drink in her hand and pure boredom plastered across her face, the only other person besides him who seemed to hate being there. She practically towered over the other guests in her almost-too-high heels, and her dress looked like it might as well have been painted on her. Something about her was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.

It wasn’t until she met his gaze that Sebastian realized how long he’d been staring, still attempting to place her. Part of him was tempted to look away and pretend he’d never seen her, but she glanced away before he could try. He watched as she rolled her eyes and passed her empty drink off to a nearby partygoer, and he wondered if it was him she’d even been looking at. But those doubts faded when she began moving in his direction.

He took a step forward, determined to meet her halfway, but even that small shift caused him to lose her in the crowd. It didn’t help that a new group of girls had surrounded him, each wishing him a happy birthday and pressing themselves against him in half-assed hugs. He barely avoided being snagged by one of the girls’ black talons as he turned in the opposite direction, praying he’d be able to escape them unscathed. Unfortunately, the move caused him to bump straight into a pissed-off Zak Huntington.

“Watch where you’re going, asshole,” Zak snarled, that hideous lip-piercing glinting under the lights.

Sebastian’s slowly improving mood plummeted again, all because this sorry excuse for a human had opened his mouth. Though he knew Senator Patterson would be upset if he kicked her nephew out of the club, her wrath seemed much more appealing than having to deal with this dumbass all night.

So instead of letting him pass, Sebastian squared his shoulders and stood his ground. “I think you should leave,” he said, nodding toward the club’s exit.

Zak’s lips twitched into a sneer. “I’m not leaving,” he replied, hitching his chin up in defiance. “Not until—”

“Just get the fuck out, Huntington,” Sebastian snapped, all patience fleeing. “Either you walk out that door right now and keep your dignity, or I call security and have them throw you out. Your choice.”

Zak’s eyes flitted to something over Sebastian’s shoulder, but he didn’t take the bait to turn and see. Instead, he waited until the other boy scowled and turned sharply on his heel, stalking toward the exit.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he’d put so much effort into planning this damn party only to end up not wanting to even be there himself. Groaning, he turned away in preparation to go back upstairs and wait it out, but a flash of something glinting under the lights caught his eye before he could get far.

A glance to his left revealed the girl he’d been staring at earlier, dancing with her arms high above her head as she swayed to the beat. A few steps brought him up behind her, and he settled a hand on her waist, letting the other drift down to her hip. The icy-blue-eyed girl glanced over her shoulder, offering Sebastian a slow, unsurprised smile that made his stomach twist into knots.

“Thanks for getting rid of him,” she said, obviously referring to Zak, her head falling back onto his shoulder. “That guy’s an asshole.”

He could smell the alcohol on her breath, and her softly drawled words brought a smile to his lips. “Happy to help,” he murmured, pulling her closer.

Her response caused him to flirt with the notion that Zak had been possibly trying to harass this girl—just another reason to hate him—but the fact that her hips were now pressed dangerously against his own made any other thoughts disappear.

Sebastian lost track of time while they were dancing, stopping only to get more drinks for them both. Finally, he was enjoying himself, the liquor and the good company going straight to his head. But when she turned to him and brushed her lips across his jaw, he knew just being there wasn’t going to cut it for much longer.

His arm wrapped possessively around her waist as her hips pressed hard against his. “You want to get out of here?” he whispered against her ear.

The girl leaned back just enough to meet his eye. “I thought you’d never ask.” She grabbed his hand and smiled, taking a shaky step backward as she tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they stumbled out of the club and onto the sidewalk, her giggles echoing down the busy street. When she realized she had no idea where she was going, Sebastian took the lead and guided her another block down the street to the hotel where he’d booked suites for himself and his friends. The concierge shot them a sharp look as they breezed inside and into an awaiting elevator, keeping them in his sights until the doors had closed, but Sebastian didn’t care what the old man thought.

Her hand slipped out of his once they were alone, but before he even thought to question it, her mouth was on his and there was no more time for words. A shiver rolled down his spine as she pressed herself against him, hands roaming and fingers grasping at whatever was in reach.

With her hands tangled in his hair, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, and her legs wrapped around his waist, he was having a hard time figuring out where he stopped and she began. Not that he honestly cared—but he wanted more.

The elevator dinged not a moment too soon, and they tumbled out, gasping for breath as they moved down the hallway, somehow still getting in a few impatient kisses as they continued on. Sebastian swore it took forever to reach the door, but it took longer to get it unlocked. With the way this girl was currently kissing his neck, he could hardly concentrate enough to get the damn keycard in the slot. After a few seconds of fumbling, the door finally gave way, and he pulled her inside with him.

It slammed shut with enough force to shake the room as they staggered toward the bed. His fingers finally snagged the zipper of her dress and yanked it down, though much to his chagrin, the fabric didn’t instantly pool at her feet.

He bristled when she laughed, but before he could even think to voice his displeasure, her lips were on his, and they were crashing onto the bed, soft pillows absorbing the shock of their weight.

But even though the actual impact hadn’t hurt, something sharp had scraped his cheek, and he turned his head to break the kiss.

Swatting her hands away, he reached up to touch his face, startled when he drew back to find blood on his fingers. His eyes darted up to the girl straddling him, but her gaze was trained on the red-specked diamond ring on her middle finger. It took her a moment to put two and two together, but a sheepish grin spread over her face when she realized her jewelry had been the culprit.

“Sorry,” she murmured insincerely, slipping the ring off her finger and tossing it to the side as if it were a mere toy. “Let me make it up to you.”

With that, she slid a hand behind his neck and brought his lips back to hers.