The Line That Binds Series Box Set (51 page)

Hay bales and roped poles funneled people toward the stairwell, which was blocked off by an enclosed wooden booth. A pair of goblins talked with someone inside before moving around the ropes toward the ballroom hidden by the wall of hay.

When the couple dressed as ketchup and mustard containers left the booth, we stepped up. That was also when the headaches started.

Ugh!
Can’t I just have one great night without this happening?
I rubbed my temples and took a deep breath, wishing tonight’s torture only consisted of shallow breaths from a viselike corset and trying to maneuver a hoop cage in a bathroom.

A hockey mask peeked through the thick webs and plastic spiders covering the booth’s open window.

“You ladies look fantastic. You do too, Gavin.” Lloyd’s voice was muted until he lifted the mask. He smiled widely, forcing the tips of his mustache toward his kind eyes.

“Thanks, Lloyd,” I replied for all of us. “I thought the party was free.”

“Simone switched it up this year so we could offer the food for free.”

“Oh. Can these guys stay here while I run back to the house for some cash?”

He waved a hand. “No charge for you guys. I hope you have a great night.”

“Thanks,” I said, moving aside so a heavy-breathing Darth Vader could step up behind us to pay Lloyd. Gavin started to walk away, but I tapped his shoulder. “I have my phone. Text me when Taylor’s dad comes.” He nodded then disappeared with Taylor into the darkened ballroom. I shoved the heel of my hand into my temple, attempting to displace the pain again.

“You okay?” Izzy asked, touching my arm.

“Yeah, just a headache.”

Darth Vader came up behind us again, this time bumping into our dresses, causing our hoops to push out in the other direction. “Sorry,” Darth said, noticeably altering his voice. He bowed a little. “Can I invite you ladies to the dark side?”

Izzy giggled. “Thanks, but no thanks, Darth.” I simply smiled as Izzy took my hand and yanked me toward the ballroom. “Let’s find our own Jedi masters, shall we?”

A DJ was set up toward the front, under the tall paneled windows. He wore a giant koala bear head and was surrounded by stuffed animals. I laughed at the ridiculous scene in spite of the pains shooting around in my head. Izzy moved us away from the blasting speakers, weaving our massive dresses through the menagerie dancing in the center of the room. The smell of pumpkin spice and a bad mishmash of perfumes and colognes wafted around the warm room. With a death grip on my hand, Izzy rushed on, passing hooded figures jutting out from to the paneled walls and more webs dangling from the three large chandeliers.

She halted at the back entryway of the ballroom, across from the kitchen. “I knew I’d find him near the food,” she quipped over her shoulder at me.

Spaz and Ben stood just outside the kitchen. Ben had a drink in hand and Spaz held a plate of appetizers. They both looked like proper gentleman wearing the old suits. Their black jackets hung mid-waist up front and the long tails almost touched the backs of their knees. They left their front closures open, exposing their double-breasted gray vests underneath. The only differences between the two suits were the pants. Spaz wore a set of dark beige, while Ben’s were a shade of gray lighter than his vest.

My eyes devoured all of him, every inch of delicious eye candy. The suit was a near perfect fit for his tall frame. The jacket hugged his shoulders and chest like he’d stood for a true fitting instead of rummaged through an attic. If that all wasn’t enough, he had a top hat perched on his head—the cherry on top of the delectable ensemble.

I sighed when the boys finally noticed our big dresses hovering toward them. Spaz’s full mouth dropped open as Izzy ditched my hand and ran over to him. Ben swallowed noticeably. I slowed to a stop in front of him, leaving enough room between us to accommodate my dress. His lips parted and his eyes moved down my body. Then slowly, provocatively, they made the return trip to my eyes.

“Your tits look amazing!” Spaz said to Izzy, raising his voice over the music.

“I know, right?” she replied happily.

I grinned to Ben at their conversation, but he kept staring, his brown eyes focused and intense. I could feel their heat burning through every layer of my dress. Or maybe the heat was from my own body, ready to combust under his salacious stare. He liked what he saw. The thought made shivers claim my skin despite the fire burning deep within. I trickled my fingers along the sides of the dress absently.

“Hi,” I said so quietly the music crushed the word before it left my lips.

With his eyes still on me, he set his drink on the hall table at his side. He stepped closer, bumping the bottom of the cage and shifting the dress behind me. His hands smoothed over my sides and scooped down the bottom line of the bodice to its pointed front. He tugged me forward a tiny bit and dropped his face to the side of mine. “You look incredible,” he whispered, low and enticing.

“You do too,” I replied, inhaling his minty smell. Tonight there was another scent pleasantly blending with everything that was him. A mild, refreshing cologne.

“I think there’s room for me under there,” he said with a breathy laugh as his fingers laced with mine.

I smiled and let my eyes close, concentrating on his hands instead of the headache that was still beating my brain senseless. He lifted a hand to my jaw and tilted my face for a kiss. It was gentle and controlled, making my heart melt for him even more.

“We’re going to go dance. We’ll see you later?” Izzy asked.

Hesitantly, I broke my lips away from Ben’s. “Yeah, sure,” I replied.

Ben hid his face against my neck as they left. His lips brushed over my skin, trailing the warmth of his breath. “Do we really have to see them later?” he asked, dropping his hand back to my sides and moving his lips higher, under my ear. “I’m not sure how much longer I can look at you before I give in completely and drag you back to my room.”

“Hmm. What are you, exactly? You’re dressed like a gentleman, but you sound like a caveman,” I teased.

“I’ll be whatever you want me to be, as long as you want me.”

“You’re everything I want,” I confessed. His hands tightened around my rigid midsection. I sighed heavily. “Unfortunately, we have to wait. My dad will be here to check in during his break. He tasked me with watching Gavin and Taylor until she gets picked up.” I lifted my hand to the side of my head and rubbed my temple.

Now it was his turn to sigh. He stood straighter and looked at me. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Well, I know there’s at least one person here that isn’t happy with some element of their life,” I said, regarding the headache. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Do you need anything?”

“Yeah, let’s get a drink. I’m afraid to eat anything, though. I might bust out of this dress.”

He tipped his head sideways as we walked, flashing a mischievous grin like he wouldn’t mind seeing that happen. I raised an eyebrow back and he laughed.

Ben knew the bartender from previous parties. He gladly spiked our sodas for a tip. I welcomed the idea of taking the edge off my aching brain. And it worked for little while. My drink was strong enough to blur the unspoken voices of the costumed people wishing for something better, something more.

We spent most of our time laughing at costumes while we waited for my dad to show. Spaz and Izzy found us again a little later to let us know they were leaving. We all took some pictures then I ran to the house with Izzy so she could pick up her clothes. When I returned to the event house, the headaches kicked up a notch. I waved to Lloyd as I passed by his booth, trying my best to smile through the pain. After a couple of steps, my bodice vibrated. I slipped my fingers under the tight material to retrieve my phone. It was a text from Ben.

Randall’s here with the Cuda. Come out and see.

I texted back,
Yay! But
Dad should be here soon so I should wait.

Within seconds, he replied,
K. I’ll be back over in a few.

I made sure Gavin and Taylor were still on the dance floor then I went to the kitchen for another drink. Even though I didn’t ask, the bartender hooked me up again. I gladly accepted, needing a little extra help to settle my mind. I leaned against the wall beside the courtyard exit, allowing the hoops to push far out to my other side. Through the dwindling crowd, I kept my eyes on the front entrance, waiting for Dad. A woman paid at the booth then walked toward the ballroom. She had no costume on, only jeans and a large black sweater. Her dark chocolate hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She turned her thin face slowly, scanning the room with her sunken eyes. That’s when I realized who it was.
Mom.

Her eyes finally landed on me. She glanced down for a moment then threw her shoulders back and began to walk in my direction. My heart sped up, causing my head to throb harder than it had all night. I slammed the rest of my drink and steadied myself, unsure what my mind was telling me to do. Half of me wanted to dart out the back exit and the other half wanted to find the closest weapon. With each new step she took, the memories came bounding back and the decision made itself.

I tossed the glass, not caring where it landed, and took my first step toward her. My fists balled involuntarily as I remembered all the times I’d cried without her. My nails dug into my flesh as I recalled all the broken promises. I was tempted to rip my damn dress off because it wouldn’t let me move as fast as I wanted, catching on people’s legs as I pushed forward.

“What do you want?” I screamed through the last few bodies that separated us. They looked at me, turned to find my target, then quickly stepped aside and whispered amongst themselves. “You have some freaking nerve coming here,” I said when only air remained between us.

Her brows furrowed and I noticed how unkempt she looked. Those brows weren’t as neat as they’d once been, and neither was her dull black hair. It had no evidence of bleaching at all, not even a sprinkle of highlights. Her hands fidgeted nervously, picking at her natural nails.

She’s out of money. Like I thought.

“Lila—”

“Rina,” I cut her off with her name. There wasn’t a chance in Hell I’d ever call her Mom again. This woman had ripped out the very portion of my heart she’d held since my birth and stabbed it until there was no love left to bleed. She’d killed our connection. And it wasn’t simply because of her addictions. There were moments of clarity in her years of intoxication. She could’ve seized them with every bit of strength she had. She could’ve tried harder for Gavin and me, even if she no longer loved Dad. We would’ve done anything to help her. But she chose to rob the people who cared for her the most, monetarily and emotionally. Moving here had filled the part of me she’d broken. There was no room left inside for her.

She tore her eyes from her fidgeting fingers, looking at the people now staring at us. I didn’t bother. I didn’t care. My only concern was to make her leave before she could ruin Gavin’s night because she’d already ruined mine.

“I know you hate me,” she said, and my body began to shake. The thrumming in my ears was loud enough to replace the beat of the dance music, and all the pressure was threatening to rip my head in two. “I just want—”

“I don’t give a shit what you want!” I screamed, lunging closer to her. Her eyes widened and she backed up a step. “Don’t look like you’re shocked. What did you expect? Some cookies and a damn homecoming parade?” I couldn’t help but to scowl at the dumbfounded look on her face. It pissed me off. And now
I
looked like a psycho to all the people surrounding us when she was the one who had ripped our lives apart. I knew I should walk away. I knew this was not the time or place, but she chose to crash this party. Not me. “Get the hell out!” I yelled through my hazy head then I shoved her.

She stumbled backward. That got her attention. She snapped out of her naïve shock and narrowed her eyes like she wanted to engage me as a parent. I narrowed mine back, daring her to say something. She still wasn’t moving so I moved to shove her again, but a hand clasped over my shoulder.

“LJ,” Dad said from beside me. His eyes creased as he stepped in front of me. My breaths were erratic and I couldn’t help noticing how calm he was.
Why isn’t he mad?
“I’m going to handle this, okay?” he said in a voice loud enough that only I could hear. “I’m sorry if this ruined your night, sweetie. You look wonderful.” He looked at the dress with a little smile. “Taylor’s dad will be here in a few minutes. I’ll still be here to see her off. You should go spend some time with Ben, okay?”

I tried to look around his gray scrubs at the woman who wasn’t putting up a fight. Dad swayed at the same time to hold my focus, though. “Okay,” I agreed, because I knew it was better to let it go tonight.

“You’re okay, right?” he asked, squeezing my forearm just a tad.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said and dropped my arm.

I noticed the deep breath he took before turning around. He was quick to move, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the front door. I stood in the same spot for a minute, letting the buzz of what had happened dissolve before I moved back toward the courtyard door.

“I wish I was honest enough to tell her the truth,”
a voice spoke clearly in my jumbled head.

I’d heard others during the night, but this one seemed more important than the rest. Wondering who had made the wish, I glanced around and noticed Darth Vader stepping out of the kitchen, holding a cup and a bottle of water. The gloves of his costume were tucked under his arm, but his helmet was still on.

“That looked a little rough,” he said in his Vader voice. “Do you want some water?”

He was one of the lucky witnesses. I watched him unscrew the new bottle and pour some into the cup, knowing it was safe to accept. I definitely didn’t want his earlier friendly invitation to the dark side turning into a deranged reality. “Thanks,” I said as he held out the cup.