CHAPTER 24: She Lies on Velvet

I wanted to haul ass the moment Louie parked out front Diego's address. Diego Navarro's address. As in, Familia Navarro's private property.

Yup. It was the mansion Emma and I trespassed on that night of the date. Fate just loves pulling tricks, doesn't it?

Holding in a load of anxiety -- and possibly bile, too -- I entered the gates with the Steffenson siblings.

Italians must have a different understanding of the phrase "small get-together" because what we stepped into was a full-blown party. Half of Westmont High was probably there!

I spotted Cassie with a red cup, looking like she needed some company. But I shook my head at that. I already fucked up with that kind of thing earlier. I'm at this party for one reason only, I reminded myself.

"Gwen!" a familiar voice cut through the thumping music.

It was Kaye. She was hollering at the girl I was trying to find, who I just then discovered was a meter to my left. At Kaye's call, Gwen whooshed past me to go to her friend. But before she could go, I caught her arm.

Her eyes widened at the sight of me.

"Hi," I managed to say with a steady voice.

"Hello," she said with an awkward smirk and eyes wandering towards Kaye.

"Can I talk to you?" That was London and Louie's cue to leave.

"Maybe later, Kaye's calling." She shrugged my hand off but I didn't let go. That's when she looked at me weirdly. "What are you doing?"

"I need to talk to you."

"GWEN!!!"

Both of us snapped our heads towards Kaye by the living room. It looked like she was dragging something -- someone towards the couch. Judging by my familiarity of the frizzy, blonde hair attached to the girl she was dragging, I bet Sage got shitfaced again.

God, how many times will that blondie interrupt me?

Gwen had managed to get out of my grip and made her way to help out. I followed her. I could help out, too, if that meant I'd get to talk to her sooner.

"Trevor! You came!" Kaye chirped when she saw me.

Gwen only groaned in annoyance when she noticed I followed her.

"My God! How is she drunk already?" Gwen questioned, grabbing Sage's hand.

"Vodka shots."

"Why would she even want to get wasted tonight? And with Diego here?" Gwen stressed.

Kaye made a face that was telling Gwen to shut up. That was before her eyes flitted towards me for half a second. Gwen must have gotten whatever Kaye was trying to tell her because she shut up. I didn't get any of that.

"Let's just put her in his room," Kaye stated. "I'm sure he won't mind."

"Of course not," Gwen scoffed as if it were obvious. I swear, somewhere between those three words, I heard jealousy in her voice.

"Trevor, help us out," Kaye asked, so I did.

"This is the second time, Dewirth," I whispered in Sage's ear when she slumped against me.

Gwen opened the door to the room at the end of the second floor corridor while Kaye and I dragged the passed out girl inside. I'm starting to think Sage has a drinking problem.

When we put her on the bed with the velvet covers, Kaye tended to her. Gwen and I stood near the foot of the bed.

"Gwen," I said softly, but she turned to me looking annoyed.

"What?"

"Look, I'm sorry for telling people that we slept together, okay?" I needed her hostility to disappear so I started with an apology. "I didn't know it was that big of a deal--"

Gwen scoffed. "Not that big of a deal?" Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were crossed over her chest. "Do you know what happened after you told my friends about what happened with us that day at the parking lot?"

I shook my head.

"They sneered at me. They thought I was some big bimbo for sleeping around with the likes of you. They didn't even give me a chance to say that we only did it once. That was it. My clean reputation was sacked."

Feeling guilt and regret, I bowed my head down. I remembered how surprised Sage was when she found out about it. "Gwen's known to have high standards. It's what makes her Gwen," I remembered her say.

"My friends didn't want to talk to me," Gwen continued, "The next week they didn't want to sit with me. They'd shoot me disgusted looks in the hallways. The day after that, the rumors spread like wildfire. The whole school was ringing with:

"'Gwen Bellingham's not as high-standard as everyone thinks she is.' 'Gwen Bellingham is just a slut under all that pricy makeup she cakes on her face.' 'Gwen Bellingham's no better than the rest of us.' 'Gwen Bellingham slept with Trevor Jettison so she must be really easy to bed,'" she mimicked, taking a step towards me with every mention of her name.

I stepped back, back, back until my back hit the wall. I heard the rumors. Louie and I laughed at them. I never really paid attention to how they affected Gwen.

"You ruined me, Trevor," she said.

Her eyes were getting red 'round the edges. But even the unshed tears weren't enough to hide the hatred that burned behind her eyes. And I knew that nothing I said would mean anything to her. But I opened my mouth anyway.

"I didn't mean to--"

"Get out."

The sheer indifference in her voice was like a cold slap. She didn't shout the words. I wish she did. But the words rolled out so soft, they flew to my throat and suffocated me.

I needed to breathe so I walked out the door. I jogged down the stairs. I ran outside the mansion towards that gazebo I knew so well. The cold was unwelcoming but ironically much warmer than Gwen's gaze.

The EDM-infused party music clashed with the sounds coming from the fairgrounds just a few blocks away. I was at the spot where Emma and I kissed. I should have been thinking of her. But I couldn't get Gwen off my mind.

I stared at Diego's room from a distance. The girls were still in there. I could see Gwen's silhouette passing by the window every once in a while.

"Not a fan of the music they're playing in there?" an accented voice emerged.

Diego had two beers in his hands. He offered me one and I accepted it.

"Nah, I just wanted to be alone for a while," I answered, taking a swig outta the bottle.

Sitting on the lower steps of the gazebo, Diego shook his head. "That's not really the best thing to do at a party."

"Small get-together," I corrected him.

He chuckled. "Ah, yes. But I stand by my words. You don't go out to a social event to be alone. That's like going to the desert to shower."

"Fair point," I said. "But to be honest, I'm not really here for the get-together."

"Why are you here, then?"

I sighed. I set the beer bottle aside and reached into my jacket. Diego looked at me curiously as I did so. I pulled out a small, green, leather-bound notebook that led me to where I was.

"I just wanted to return this," I said.

"Where did you get that?" Diego's voice changed. Most of the friendliness had been replaced with panic and confusion.

"I found it," I said. There was no need to lie anymore. I've given up. Gwen didn't want to talk to me. Not even if I showed her the diary. I turned to him and said, "You're mentioned in here a few times. I take it that you know who owns this?"

"I do."

I walked towards Diego until I was close enough to hand it to him. "Could you please give it back to her?"

He looked surprised, but took the notebook nonetheless. "You don't want to give it back yourself? You found it."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me right now."

Diego nodded. "I'll give it to her tomorrow, when she wakes."

Starting to walk away, I shook my head. "She's already awake," I informed, pointing up to his bedroom window. Diego looked up just in time to see Gwen pass by again.

"That's Gwen."

I nodded, already having my back turned from him. "Exactly."

"I was talking about Sage."

My feet froze, like somebody pushed the pause button on my life. Recovering from the shock, I turned back to the Italian. Gulping, I questioned, "What?"

"Sage."

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