Pride and Hate with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 21 - No innocent parties

Ellie

"So, who are you dressing up for?" Jenna asks.

"Me?" I hold the black dress in front of me, then toss it to the side.

"Yes, you. You haven't been this excited to dress up in a while."

"Maybe that's because we haven't been out in a while. You've been too busy with a certain someone." I wink at her.

"You can always come with me," Lydia shouts from the other room.

"I don't need alcohol poisoning," I yell back. "Or herpes."

"Your loss."

Lydia is preparing to go out to a different party with her friends.

"So?" Jenna asks and picks up one of my eyeshadow palettes.

"So, no one." D's face flashes before me. "Is it so wrong that I want to look nice?"

"Not for Victor then?"

I force a smile. Ever since we had lunch yesterday, he keeps popping up in my mind. But I don't want to think about him. Because I don't want to think about D being guilty of the things he said.

But it doesn't matter. What I have with D is strictly sexual. And if he was like that when he was sixteen, he's not anymore. Maybe he realized his mistake and became a better person.

I close my eyes. I need to believe that. Because if it's true, it would hurt. My eyes fling open. Not because I care about him. No. That's not it. Because the sex is amazing and I don't want it to end. That's the only reason I care. Why I can't ask him.

"I think it is Victor," Jenna says and applies a golden sheen to her eyelid. "You had lunch with him."

"How did you know that?" I still haven't told her about everything I found out.

"Julian saw you."

"He told you?" I want to ask if D was with him. If D knows.

"He mentioned it. Apparently there's some bad blood between Victor and D."

I put back a dark green dress and try to act appropriately curious.

"Oh? Did he say what it was about?"

"No, he doesn't know. Whatever happened, they've kept it pretty quiet. But it was enough to destroy their friendship."

Jenna is wearing a pale yellow dress and when the light hits her just right, she looks so innocent and pure. I want to talk to her, but I can't.

I swallow. "Do you think D did something?"

"I don't know. I think he's a good guy. Beneath his coldness, he has a warm heart."

I hide my smile and pick out a red dress with a lot of cleavage. He likes my boobs.

As we enter the party, I can't help but think of us as an angel and a demon. Jenna, with her blonde hair and conservative dress, is angelic. Me, I'm wearing a sinfully red dress and with my dark hair styled into waves and my killer heels, I look damn good.

And as soon as we enter, I can feel the attention we're drawing. It takes three seconds before Julian is by Jenna's side and I can't blame him for wanting to lay claim to her.

"You came," Noah greets us with his arms wide open. "And you look fucking hot. Is there any chance you might be my birthday present?"

I laugh as he stops to take me in.

"Happy birthday, Noah." I spot D out of the corner of my eye and his look is exactly what I was going for.

I step up to give Noah a hug before I retrieve his present.