Page 28 of Born Chaos

Just then, both our phones ding. Mine is sitting on the counter, but Sebastian pulls his out, checking the screen.

“That’s Elena,” he says, dread and darkness in his eyes. “We were supposed to be there five minutes ago.” He tucks his phone back in his pocket. “Juliet, we can talk about this later. We will sort this out. But we have to go. Everyone is waiting on us.”

A huff leaves my lips, and I shake my head in disbelief. This is some serious, deep shit. This is world shaking. And Sebastian wants to table it for later because others are waiting for us. To celebrate our engagement.

“You think you can fake it, knowing what’s happened?” I question.

“I think I still love you more than anything, and for now, I can wait to talk about this,” he says coolly. “Because I know you care about everyone coming to this party. Things were never going to be perfect between us, Juliet. This is just a bump.”

My stomach rolls.

Just a bump.

The truth comes out, and to Sebastian, this is no big deal.

I see it in his eyes. He’s settling this, justifying it in his head. This is something he can smooth over later.

I snatch my phone from the counter, tucking it into the little black bag I got to go with this dress. I slip my matching black pumps on, and without looking at Sebastian, I walk right past him out the door.

Silently, we take the elevator to the ground floor. Without saying a word, we climb into his fancy car, and we drive eight blocks to the venue.

Once parked, Sebastian moves to get out and walk around the car, but I climb out before he can open my door. Without looking at him, I cross to the grand doors. He scrambles after me, and I hear him let out a frustrated breath.

This is one of the most high-end hotels in the city. The ceilings stretch high above us as we walk in, crystal chandeliers hanging from above. There are footmen just waiting to serve, waiting for those big tips to drop. There’s soft, elegant piano music playing, though there’s no actual piano.

There’s an easel set up with a board on it announcing the Doe-Vincent engagement party. The script is fancy, ostentatious. There’s an arrow pointing down a hall, so without asking anyone any questions, I set off, walking just fast enough that Sebastian doesn’t catch up to me.

One last sign directs me to an over-the-top set of doors. I pull on them, using too much strength. They swing open too fast, snapping loudly on the door stops.

Inside, every set of eyes lands on me.

There are three sets of tables set up, all of them in a U shape. Directly ahead, the table is empty, obviously intended for Sebastian and I. To the right and left, there are more tables, filled with all the people we care about.

I see from Elena’s expression that she knows something is wrong the moment she sees me. But I don’t stop. Don’t communicate any messages with a single glance. I march into the room, Sebastian on my heels. We round the tables, and I have a hard time looking up at anyone as I settle into my seat, pulling it under me before Sebastian can act like a gentleman in front of the crowd.

“Someone must have been having too good a time to bother showing up when the party was supposed to start,” Poe says, the receptionist at Godfrey Tower.

I like the man. A lot. But right now, I can’t look at him. I can’t even crack a smile.

The room falls awkwardly silent. I keep my eyes fixed on the ground in the center of the U. I feel every pair of eyes on us, waiting for either of us to say anything. The tension between Sebastian and I is so thick, it’s going to suffocate us all.

But he’s the one who thought it was still a good idea to show up to this party.

“Thank you all for coming,” Sebastian says, ever the smooth talker. I don’t look over at him, but I can hear it in his voice, the smile he’s faking. “And sorry for our tardiness. It’s my fault.”

You bet your ass it is,I think to myself.

“I’ll forgive you just this once,” Elena says with a smirk. “But if you show up late to the actual wedding, I’m going to have to kill you.”

Sebastian chuckles. Everyone in the room chuckles.

I just keep staring at that spot on the floor.

“Thank you all for coming,” Elena launches into it, slipping into center-of-attention CEO mode. Just then, a swarm of servers enter the room. With them, they bring a mix of wine bottles and glass pitchers full of a thick, dark red liquid. They begin filling the glasses on the tables. “This is something I always wanted to do, but honestly never really thought I’d get the chance to. Who doesn’t want to throw their best friend a party like this?”

Once again, the room laughs. Elena loves any excuse to make a big deal of something.

“But I kind of always thought no one would ever be able to handle the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.” Finally, I look up to meet her gaze. She smiles at me, always teasing, always giving me a hard time, always loving me to the end. She raises her filled glass. “So, Sebastian, congratulations. You’ve got a wild one on your hands. I hope you’re ready for a life of adventure.”

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