23. Benefits + Bang

Part 1/2 for this update!🙌💙

"I normally don't wanna come to the Harvest Parties, but every year I still end up attending, and this is the main reason why," Jayce has led us to the very front of the party, just off to the side of the main stage. "They assemble it every year."

We have to shout to be able to hear each other over the loud cover band.

Jayce and I are standing in front of a huge sculpture of grapes that stands probably 100 feet tall. I personally think the sculpture looks pretty cheesy and weird, but whatever. "Um... No offense," I start, not sure why Jayce is so in awe of some big-ass grapes. Maybe it's a Solis thing. "But why would this make you want to come to the Harvest Party? I thought you hated your family's business?"

"I don't hate it," he looks confused as to why I would think such a thing. "Just because I don't want to run the vineyard doesn't mean I hate it, Tink."

"Okay, well those are some super nice grapes, Jayce. Really really round and...purple. And stuff," I turn to face him, my stomach growling. "Can we get some food now?"

"Hold on, feisty pants," he chuckles, leading me around the side of the wide, large sculpture.

Standing behind it, there's a bald, buff dude wearing a suit, his eyes covered by black sunglasses while a clear radio rests in his ear.

"Evening, Ron," Jayce nods to the man as we stand in front of him.

He doesn't say anything, but just barely nods and steps aside, opening up a door in the sculpture for us.

Inside, there's narrow winding staircase with dimly illuminated steps. Jayce starts up it and I follow him, growing more and more curious.

When we make it to the top, he opens a trapdoor and we climb out onto a cozy landing that's open to the sky. A wall, facing the crowd, is painted to look like grapes and extends another ten feet into the air. The other three sides are enclosed by balcony railing. Four large chairs that are clearly designed for viewing the sky sit in a straight line.

It's a simple set up, but an amazing one, none the less. I would've never known this was up here.

"So, you mean to tell me that this entire structure is going to be taken down in pieces and built back up next year?" I ask, slightly terrified at the thought of being 100 feet in the air on something that's made to be taken down.

"Yep!" Jayce strolls over to one of the chairs and plops down in it, then pats the one next to him, gesturing for me to join him.

I sit hesitantly, about to ask when we can go back down, when he passes me a menu and completely distracts me from my fear.

"Order whatever you'd like," he grins and slumps back in his chair, reading over the menu.

Soon, Jayce and I have given our large orders to Ron over the radio and we sit back in our chairs, gazing up at the darkening purple and orange sky.

"I get why this makes you come to these parties," I tell Jayce, settling further into the plush chair and letting out a contented sigh as the sounds of the party drifts up to our ears, greatly silenced by the tall wall behind us.

"Yeah, it always felt like a chore because of all the small talk and mingling my parents made me do. But the benefit of this made it worth it," he places his hand behind his head, still watching the last rays of the sunset.

"What's that like?" I'm not sure if he's actually going to answer my question or if he's going to shove it off, like I'm accustomed to him doing whenever I start asking him personal questions.

"What's what like?"

"What's it like having so many expectations on you at all times, just because of who your parents are?"

He's silent for several moments and all I can hear is the distant music, whistling wind and the beating of my own heart.

"It's really tough," he says in a small voice that makes me want to climb onto his chair and kiss every ounce of hurt away. "Sometimes it feels like everyone wants something from me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." He gives me a quick peripheral glance, like he's deciding whether or not to open up to me. "My dad wants me to run Duende, my mom wants me and dad to get along, the Founder's Council wants me to join when I turn 18, Coach Mills wants me to consider going pro... I know most of my friends are only my friends because they want something, be it popularity or money or girls or whatever. It's fucking draining and makes you question who in your life really wants what's best for you, not what's best for them." He takes a deep, uneven breath, his hands clenching into tight fists.

My heart flutters at his honesty. I adore this part of Jayce - the real him, the side that he doesn't seem to show to anyone.

"I can't say I know how you feel," I study his face, which beholds an empty expression that absolutely breaks my heart. He's still staring up at the navy sky, which is making his tanned skin even more beautiful. "But I can say that you're one of the most talented and passionate people I know, and it would suck to see you waste that on things and people you don't care about."

He turns to face me, propping his head up on his hand, his elbow pressing into the chair. His familiar brown eyes pull me in instantly and my heart can't seem to keep itself from speeding up. "You sound like my mom," he tells me.

"You know, most girls would probably hate having a guy compare them to their mom, but it this case, I'm totally fine with it," I flash him a small smile. His mom is an angel.

He chuckles and a light breeze causes his eyes to be momentarily covered by his chocolatey curls, which he pushes aside immediately. His scent of clove and perique kisses my nostrils, carried by the fragrant autumn wind.

I don't know if I could ever get used to looking at him.

"Thanks for saying that," he offers me a warm smile that's more satisfying than the most exquisite meal on earth.

"If you feel like everyone wants something from you," I shift in my chair and pull at the hem of my dress, "Why do you act like such a player? Wouldn't you want to just blend in?"

"I don't act like a player," he says, a mischievous grin spreading across his lips. "I am a player, Tink."

I scoff and roll my eyes, "That's not normally something one would be proud of."

Jayce just shrugs, "The way I see it, when you're well-known, you can control people's perception of you, control what they see. If no one knows you, all they can do is judge you, in which case, what they think of you is completely up to them."

I'm shocked by the depth of his answer and I can't help but shiver a little. Though whether it's from the breeze or the fact that Jayce is way deeper than meets the eye, I'm not sure. "Is it so bad to be known for who you truly are, not who you want people to think you are?"

"Says the girls who pretends to be other people for a living," Jayce rebuts smoothly.

"That's completely different," I shake my head. "But people are going to judge, whether you're well-known or not. You can't control others, Jayce. I'd think you, of all people, would know that. Especially with a father like the one you've got."

He opens his mouth to reply, but a strange expression screws up his features, his eyebrows knitting together. He closes his mouth again, seemingly unsure of how to respond.

I hear the trapdoor open and look over my shoulder to see two servers climb up. Each is wielding an impressive stack of food that I'd have dropped ages ago, had I been in their shoes.

They unfold a table that must have been stored behind the chairs and set a stunning array of dishes in front of us. My mouth is already watering as I take in the sight of filet mignon, lobster tail, risotto, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. There are also several items from the kids' menu like grilled cheese, chicken fingers and pepperoni pizza.

The servers leave just as quickly as they came, closing the trapdoor and leaving Jayce and I alone with enough food to share dinner with at least four others.

By the time I get another good glance at him, the strange expression has been replaced by his usual aloof, slightly-amused demeanor.

"So, what do you think of all this?" He smiles, gesturing out to the sky, which is pretty much black by now, save for a thin line of color on the horizon.

I look up to see that there are a few stars beginning to break through the velvet of the night. The horizon is splashed with a combination of deep purple and magenta, and the whole sky seems to be at my fingertips, as if I could simply reach out and embrace its soft caress.

"It's pretty fucking incredible," I nod, taking a bite out of the grilled cheese. Leave it to me to start with the grilled cheese when there's literally a gorgeous, probably very expensive surf and turf entree mere inches from me. "I am curious about one thing, though."

"What's that?"

"How many other girls have you brought up here?" I tease, raising an eyebrow.

He shoots me a challenging smirk, "I've never brought anyone else up here."

"Oh really?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice even. "And why's that?"

He opens a water bottle and takes a thoughtful swig before replying, "I never trusted anyone enough to bring them up here."

I'm trying to figure out if he really means it or if it's just another one of his lines, and the fact that my heart is currently threatening to pop right out of my chest is not helping.

He continues as if I'm not already moments away from cardiac arrest, "Only my family has ever stepped foot up here. Well, and the servers, of course. But yeah, this was made for us, so we could have a way to escape the crowds and also have a good view of the fireworks."

I take a deep breath in, savoring the sweet aromas of fresh food and crisp air. More stars have made their debut in the evening sky. "It really is amazing up here," I confess.

"Yeah, it was my dad's idea."

My stomach clenches at the mention of Jayce's dad. It's hard for me to imagine Jayce buying into anything that his dad wants... especially when Alexei apparently wants to see Jayce and Layla together. Then again, the only times I've been around both Jayce and his dad, Jayce had practically shut down completely.

"No offense," I start carefully, nibbling on the crispy bread. "But how the hell did you turn out half-decent with him as your father?"

Jayce looks at me with an amused expression that seems pretty fucking forced, "Believe it or not, he wasn't always as douchey as he is now."

"Oh?"

"It's true," he shrugs, reaching for a piece of pizza.

I study him as he devours it, never seeming to even take a breath. He always eats like it's a damn contest.

"What happened?" I ask cautiously, my mind cluttered with possibilities.

"He, uh..." Jayce glances at me nervously and picks up another slice of pizza, somehow managing to not swallow this one in three seconds flat. "He just... changed, I guess. Ya know, like we all do over time."

Uh huh.

Sure.

I'm so focused on Jayce's unusual behavior, trying to imagine what could've possibly turned Alexei into who he is, that when a loud BANG! splits through the night air, it causes me to almost drop my half of the grilled cheese. And I sure as hell don't waste grilled cheese.

The fireworks have started.

What normally would be a stunning, beautiful display of lights is now only adding to my growing anxiety.

BANG!

Jayce glances at me uneasily.

BANG!

Suddenly, the trapdoor flies open again and I whip around to see Alexei storming through, glaring at me with his murderous green eyes.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON!" Alexei screams, yanking my arm and effectively ripping me out of the chair.

BANG!

I fly toward the balcony railing, but somehow Jayce manages to catch me before I can body slam into it.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Jayce shouts at his father, wrapping his strong arms around me and moving me safely behind him.

BANG!

"What the hell do you think you're doing, bringing her up here?" Alexei snarls as he points an accusing finger at me, his normally handsome features turned into ones of complete disgust.

BANG!

"You need to calm down, right the fuck now," Jayce growls over the fireworks, his voice slow and intimidating. I can feel the tension in his entire body, every one of his muscle fibers ready to react. "I haven't told her anything."

I can barely breathe.

What the hell is happening? What hasn't he told me?

BANG!

"Just get that manipulative, gold-digging thief out of my sight, or I'll remove her myself," Alexei's voice is a threatening rumble.

Gold-digging thief? What the fuck?

BANG!

I barely have time to register what he said before the loud sound of skin hitting skin happens at the same exact time that another firework explodes.

In an instant, Alexei crumples to the ground.

Did Jayce just punch his dad in the fucking face?!

Holy shit.

BANG!

"Let's get out of here before he wakes up," Jayce tugs my hand but I'm glued to the spot, staring down at Alexei's knocked out figure.

Jayce quickly scoops me up bridal style and dashes down the steps at a frightening speed. Right as we hit the bottom, I hear Alexei roar, "JAYCE!" From above our heads, clearly having regained consciousness.

BANG!

~~~

You could say this chapter ended with a ~bang~ lol

Today is my birfdaeeee (the clock literally just struck 12 as I hit publish on these 2 chapters) 🎂🎁🎈🙌 AND Thanksgiving in the US, which is my #1 favorite holiday 🍗🥧🏈🍁... so TRUST ME... The next chapter is a fucking GIFT and something to be THANKFUL FOR, OH LAWD IS IT EVER😍😍😍

Tap the star to vote, tell me your thoughts and then get ready to be ✨😇BLESSED😇✨ by the second chapter of this update ! READ ON SQUAD. READ ON.