I watched Gage look around at everything, soaking it all in. I could tell he already felt uncomfortable being here, and I felt bad making him come. This wasn’t his scene.
“We can leave, you know. You don’t have to stay,” I said, tugging on his arm gently.
“Who else is going to shove you up on stage if I leave?” he teased, smiling down at me.
“Does this mean I won’t be able to distract you so I don’t have to go up?”
“No way in hell.” He flashed a smile at me. I groaned, having all my attempts fail.
“Let’s go see Luke and Macey,” I muttered, and once again pulled him toward the side of the ballroom, where they were.
“She keeps trying to get out of her speech, doesn’t she?” Luke said the moment we came to a stop in front of them.
“This all would have been better if you just did it.” Luke just rolled his eyes and ignored my comment.
“So, Gage, liking it so far?”
“Luke, we just got here.”
“First impressions are everything, Carter.”
“It is…very fancy.” Macey and I laughed.
“This is how my parents fell in love, actually,” I said, glancing around the place. I noticed my parents were moving slowly through the crowd, talking to people. They made the best-looking couple, honestly.
“Oh, really?” Gage asked.
“Yeah. Apparently, my dad made my mom take care of everything for a party similar to this one. She had to do everything, and only in a week. My dad was an ass to her, of course. Anyway, my dad always says that night is the night he fell in love with her because of all her hard work, and the red dress she wore.” I grinned, looking at my parents.
“And we always have to hear the damn story anytime there is a party for the company.” Luke groaned.
“I think it is sweet,” Macey said.
“Of course you do. You are a girl.” Macey smacked the side of his head, which earned a yelp from Luke.
“What the hell was that for?” he whined, rubbing the spot she hit.
“For being rude.” I grinned as they bickered back and forth, just like what they used to.
“Do they do this often?” Gage asked with a raised eyebrow, staring at the couple.
“Yeah, regular occurrence usually. You get used to it.” I waved them off. While they continued bickering, I glanced around trying to find Ethan. He took off the minute we got here, making me wonder where he went off to. He was around somewhere.
“Okay, yeah, that shit is disgusting,” Gage muttered next to me, bringing my focus back to us. I glanced over at what he was talking about, and found Luke and Macey caught in a tight lip-lock.
“Thank the lord we aren’t like that,” I said, scrunching up my nose. I would never get used to seeing my best friend and brother kiss. They pulled apart and Macey glared at us, clearly having heard what we just said.
“You guys are just as bad as we are,” she said.
“No, we aren’t.” I shook my head.
“Yes, you are. You two are always staring at one another with doe eyes all the time, or making out. It is gross to watch.”
“We do not!” I looked up at Gage then back to her. “We never kiss in—” I didn’t get to finish, as my dad’s voice spoke loudly throughout the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming.”
“You so do,” Macey said one final time, because she knew I couldn’t respond. I stuck my tongue out at her maturely, and we all turned our attention to my dad.
He stood up on the little platform they had built for this, which was just tall enough to allow him to see everyone. The room had filled up even more as the four of us were talking. At my father’s voice everyone quieted down, which just amazed me. Next to him on the platform was a row of items people could bid for, and the highest bidder would win the prize, and the money would be given to the community center. There were things ranging from a trip to Paris to tickets to New York Giants football games. And yes, they even had jewelry and brand-name bags for women to bid on as well.
My father thanked everyone for coming and talked about how this was a Christmas party, and that he hoped everyone would give to the charity tonight. He mentioned who already donated.
While he talked, I looked around and noticed Aunt Kacey and Uncle Nick were here, standing by my mom. I even recognized a few people that worked for my father, or who I had met in previous years. I only hoped no one would come up and talk to me like they usually did; it was always so awkward.
I wasn’t listening as my father started to talk a little bit about the charity. I knew my turn to speak was coming up. I glanced over at Gage, who was staring at my father and listening. I looked over his side profile and smiled softly to myself.
I couldn’t tell you how much it meant that he came with me. I knew this wasn’t his scene and he would rather be somewhere else, but he was there. He was there in an awkward situation, and there to help me as well. I didn’t think I had thanked him just yet for being there, but I would. I needed him to know how much I really appreciated him doing this.
My love for him had grown. I never thought the rude boy that ran into me the first night I moved onto campus would end up being my boyfriend. End up being the guy who would get me over a stupid crush, the guy who would teach me to let go of things, the guy who has stolen my heart.
I was too busy staring my boyfriend to notice my father calling my name. It wasn’t until I felt a nudge on my arm that I came back to Earth.
“Your turn,” Gage whispered down at me. His words sunk in and my eyes widened. “You will be fine. Just look right at me, okay?” He stared down into my eyes intensely. Taking a deep breath, I nodded at him.
Leaning down, he placed a small kiss to my forehead. Smiling at him, I moved past him and headed for the platform with my father. I could feel people’s eyes on me as I walked. I had to grab the end of my dress so I wouldn’t trip and make a fool of myself.
When I finally reached my dad, he gave me an encouraging smile. Giving me a kiss on my cheek, he moved off to the side and let me take the mic. When I looked out, I gulped at all the eyes staring back at me. A bright light hit my face, and I had to hold back the urge to cover my face. Being in the spotlight was not for me.
“Uh…hi, e-everyone,” I stuttered out like a loser. Mentally I slapped myself. Great way to start things off.
“I am here to tell you a bit about this charity and why you should donate.” My fingers played with my notecards that had somehow ended up in my hands. I nervously glanced around the crowd. I could tell most wanted me to be done talking, and others had sympathetic looks on their faces.
My face was turning red, and I knew I was making a fool out of myself by just standing here not saying anything. I kept looking through the crowd until I met a pair of familiar brown eyes. Gage sent me a breathtaking smile and it calmed me down a little. He made a motion with his head, and I found myself nodding.
“I have had the privilege of being able to volunteer at the children’s community center. I learned about it through my father, and decided that I should lend my help in getting it started. The moment I stepped through the front doors, I was met with amazing people and an atmosphere that immediately felt like home. The people that volunteer their time and effort to make the place the best it can be for kids are the ones we should be thanking. Without them, kids in troubled situations would not have a place to go, a safe haven,” I said.
As I went on I found myself not using my notecards. I kept my eyes on Gage, who was standing there smiling. The more I talked, the more comfortable I found myself becoming. My words were coming out better and I wasn’t stuttering anymore.
“I have seen firsthand how great this community center is for children. Everyone needs a place they can go and be safe, where they can be themselves and be looked after. A place to realize that things do get better. We all encourage you to help donate to keep the center going, and to get more volunteers to help. Anythi
ng big or small will help. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your night.”
I sent everyone a smile before stepping back. Once I heard applause, I let out a sigh of relief. I got through that without too many mistakes, and it was finally over! I couldn’t be any happier that it was finished.
“Good job, sweetie.” My dad pulled me into a tight hug and placed a kiss on top of my head. I hugged him back as we got off the platform. We were met with my mom, Aunt Kay, Uncle Nick, and my four friends.
“You did great, honey.” Mom grinned and hugged me. I smiled at her and at the other compliments Kacey and Nick gave me. I politely said thank you, but the one person I wanted to see was standing off to the side. Moving past everyone, I went straight for Gage. I wasted no time as I basically launched myself at him.
My arms wrapped around his neck as his arms came around my waist, twirling me around. I grinned and the moment he set my feet on the ground, I pressed my lips to his. I just loved the feeling of his lips pressed to mine.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his mouth a minute later.
“You did all the work, I just helped a bit.” He looked into my eyes as we pulled away.
“Nope, you are still getting credit for this. Because of you I didn’t make a complete and utter fool out of myself.”
“Damn it, I owe Ethan fifty bucks!” Luke butted into our conversations. I turned and glared at him.
“You made a bet with Ethan that I would fall and embarrass myself?” I seethed at him. What the hell was wrong with my family?
“I had to go with the odds, Car. But hey, at least you didn’t mess up,” he tried to point out, but it did nothing to help the situation.
“When we get home, you are dead,” I said through clenched teeth. “Sleep with your eyes open, Luke.” His eyes widened, and he gulped. I’d done enough things to him while he slept that he knew my threat is good.
“I think there are people that want to talk to us. Come on, Mace,” Luke said before grabbing Macey and quickly walking off in a different direction. I grinned evilly at his back.
“I am so glad I am not on the receiving end of that stare,” Gage said next to me.
“My family has a gambling issue.” I took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts of torturing Luke later into the back of my mind.
“They’ve placed bets to see if you’d embarrass yourself before?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Among other things.” I waved it off. “They’ve been doing it since we were born. Apparently, everyone in my family placed a bet on my mom being pregnant with Luke.”
“That is not weird at all.”
“My family is weird…good luck.” I shot him a grin.
“I’m not sure if this is what I signed up for,” Gage teased, grabbing me by my waist and pulling me flush against him.
“You’re a little late to back out now, mister. You are stuck with us.” My arms once again found themselves wrapped around his neck. He scrunched up his face as if he were deep in thought before he answered.
“I guess I better get used to it.” When he grinned down at me, I felt my heart stop. His smile was breathtaking. It was something I would never get tired of, hoped I never did. I hoped I would forever see it being directed toward me. I just loved knowing I was the one who made him smile like that.
“Good.” I leaned in for another kiss. My lips barely grazed his before a familiar, high-pitched voice interrupted us.
“Who do you have here, Carter?” I would remember that voice from anywhere. Celeste Mathers, aka rich spoiled slut from the East Side. Her father was a very successful lawyer and her mother was a well-known doctor. The only reason she was ever invited to this party was because her father represented a bunch of people here. If anything happened to your business or got a lawsuit thrown at you, you call Mr. Mathers and he would take care of it immediately.
Every year Celeste came to this party and had to act like the bitch she was. She had to always say something to Macey and me, and when we didn’t respond, she talked even louder to gain attention. She never got it through her pea-sized brain that this was my family’s party, and that if we wanted, we could get her ass uninvited. I never said anything because I didn’t want to cause any problems. We all knew she would just go crying to her father, but everyone knew he rarely paid any attention to her.
Because her parents were so busy, they were never around. That was why she acted this way. To make up for not being around, they always bought her these expensive gifts and when she complained about not having any clothes, they gave her more money to buy what she wanted. In a way, I almost felt bad for her.
“You never told us you had a boyfriend,” she said again. I held back a groan and closed my eyes, trying hard not to say anything. I pulled away from Gage to see her standing to one side of us, her two clones next to her. Her “friends” were also daughters of some big businessmen in the room, and I never bothered to really get to know who they are. They followed Celeste around like puppy dogs, which was sad and pathetic if you ask me.
“Celeste, I didn’t know you would be here this year,” I said as politely as I could. I grabbed Gage’s hand and squeezed it tight. I could tell he was confused as to who these people were, and why I wasn’t comfortable. I clenched onto his hand, wanting to remind myself that he was mine and that he wouldn’t leave me for her or anyone, for that matter.
“Of course, silly. I can’t miss the party of the year, or your speech.” I clenched my jaw. While she sounded nice to others, I could detect the hidden meaning under the words. It was girl code. In order to be a girl, you have to know hidden messages—secret jabs that are disguised as nice.
“Well, glad you could make it.”
“Who is this? He is very handsome. Good catch, Carter.” The way she was looking at Gage was like she was looking at a piece of meat she couldn’t wait to sink her fangs into. I hated it. I was the only one allowed to look at him like that.
“My boyfriend. Now excuse us, we need to go see my parents.” I pulled on Gage’s hand and started to push past her, but her two clones stepped in my path. I exhaled through my nose loudly. From the corner of my eye I watched Celeste move closer to Gage and place a well-manicured hand on his arm.
“Sorry about my manners. I am Celeste Mathers.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and flashed a fake smile. She also pushed her fake-ass chest out, her dress doing little to cover her.
“Gage.” He grunted out and glared at her hand on his arm, clearly not pleased with her touching him. Inside I was grinning widely. “You take your hands off of me now.” His tone was harsh, the same tone he used when he first met me. This time I was glad he was using it.
“It would be very rude of me not to give you a tour of the place.” She almost pouted at him.
“I think my girlfriend is more than capable of doing that for me, considering this is her parents’ party.”
“I know all the rooms, though, Gage. I bet your little girlfriend doesn’t.” I did not miss that jab at me. Yes, she knows all the rooms because she has fucked in all of them! I mentally yelled at myself. “I can show you a good time.” She leaned in close to him. This time I lost it. Over the years I had put up with a lot of her shit, and I could handle the jabs at me, but not her flirting with my man.
“Listen here, bitch.” I pushed Gage to the side and stood right in front of her. “He is mine. I know you spread your legs for just about anyone, but he wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole; he has some class. Just because you have fake tits and daddy issues doesn’t mean you can just push yourself onto others who clearly dislike you. Now I would back away before I cause a scene and make it so that you won’t ever be invited to this party again. Trust me, I can do it, and I can make your life hell. There is a hierarchy here, and I am higher on it than you are. In my eyes you are low class, so I wouldn’t test me.” I growled at her, my face now inches from hers. Her expression was priceless.
Not bothering to stick around, I sh
oved past her and dragged Gage behind me. I was still fuming as we walked away and headed in a different direction. I weaved past people, my grip still tight around Gage’s hand. It wasn’t until we were on the other side of the room that I stopped.
“Woah, that was…fucking hot.” Gage breathed as we stopped walking. I turned around and raised an eyebrow at him. “Who knew my girlfriend was such a firecracker?” He grinned, grabbing my hips.
“She’s always been such a bitch to me through the years, and man, did it feel good to finally say something.” I huffed. “And she can’t touch what is mine.”
“Yours?” he questioned, looking at me amused.
“Yes. She didn’t even get that the hint you don’t like her, and she still touched you.” I shook my head feeling myself getting angry at the whole thing again.
“Got to say, it is hot you saying I am yours.”
“Really? Is that all you can think about?” I smacked his arm.
“I’m sorry, but when a hot girl labels you as hers and gets possessive, it is kind of a turn-on.”
“I’m not possessive,” I said, but even I didn’t believe that. Seeing someone touching him made me see red, and I could not even fathom the thought of him being with anyone else.
“I think it is cute. You are like an angry chipmunk.”
“I am more scary than a chipmunk!” I said defensively.
“Whatever you say, babe.” He kissed my forehead. I wanted to pout about it, but hearing that he liked me anyway, I didn’t care.
“I just don’t like her,” I mumbled, pulling him into a hug.
“I don’t think she will bug you again. And if not, you can go all chipmunk on her ass.” I heard the teasing in his voice, which made me smile. He knew how to calm me down.
“Now…” He pulled back and took a step backwards. I was confused until he held out his hand for me. “May I have this dance?” A huge grin spread across my face.
“Of course.” Placing my hand in his, I let him lead me to the dance floor, where other couples were swaying to the music.
“Since when do you know how to dance?” I asked as we moved to an empty space. I expected him to just wrap his arms around my waist, but instead he grabbed my right hand, holding it with his while his other one came to rest on my hip. My other hand went to his shoulder.
Silent Love Part Four_Forbidden Series Page 6
