Confined

Chapter Twenty Two - Let's Dance

I gave Jaime a pointed look, eyebrows raised, and while he wasn't happy about it, he remained quiet. That didn't stop his eyes from narrowing in his father's direction. As much as I didn't want to dance with Jaime's father, I also didn't want to give him a reason to hate me more than he already seemed to.

I could feel Jaime's glare on us as he wandered off. I tried to keep as much distance as possible between Mr. Santoro and myself, but his hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me uncomfortably close. I instantly regretted my decision.

"You've been quite the distraction lately. My son has made many reckless decisions because of you." Mr. Santoro hummed along to the music as he swayed us back and forth. "Jaime told me how you met. So you've seen first hand just how dangerous his work can be. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?" His grip tightened painfully on my hand as I held his stare. His eyes were the same gray as Jaime's but there was a hint of cruelty as he looked at me that Jaime's lacked. I tried to keep a straight face, but I was afraid if I danced any longer, it would betray me.

Just in time, the band's song came to a close and I rushed off with a breathless, "Excuse me." I all but ran into the ladies restroom, slamming the door behind me and resting my forehead against it.

"Stressful evening?"

I spun around. In my rush, I hadn't even noticed the woman standing at the sink, looking at me through the mirror. Her pale blonde hair was pin straight, landing right above her shoulders. Her navy dress glittered in the low light of the bathroom.

"You can say that again." I walked over beside her, running my hands under the cold water to try to calm my nerves.

"I'm Gemma, Cole's fiancée."

I gaped at her reflection. Now I recognized her. She was sitting next to Cole all evening, but I chalked that down to a random seating arrangement. I glanced down at the band on her finger, but I couldn't see many details other than it was a big rock.

"Well, you don't have to look so surprised." Her smile lit up her face and I couldn't help but return it.

I gave a small shake of my head. "I just didn't know Cole was engaged. I'm Ava, Jaime's... friend."

She raised her eyebrows at the word friend. "Well, it's nice to meet someone from outside the family. Someone who can understand that they're all crazy." Gemma laughed and it sounded like wind chimes blowing on a cool summer evening. She has a natural charisma and I've already taken a liking to her.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Gemma nodded her head encouragingly. I didn't know exactly how to phrase my words so they tumbled out in a quick jumble. "How can you love Cole?" Gemma looked taken aback and I hurried to explain. "I just mean knowing the things he's done. How can you live with that?"

Gemma nodded knowingly. "I didn't at first, and I'm not going to say it was easy when I did find out. I don't think I talked to him for almost a month. It's hard to explain, but I realized there was so much more to Cole than his job. The long nights spent worrying about him, wondering what he's doing, if he's okay, it's all worth it when we're together. Underneath it all, there's something undeniably human and worth loving."

I stared at the bay of sinks. There was already something going on between Jaime and I and I just needed confirmation that it would be okay.

"Well, I guess I better get back before Cole thinks I've left him again. It was nice to meet you, Ava."

"You too. And congratulations."

Gemma left with a swish of her gown. I debated whether I should hide out in the bathroom the rest of the night, but after realizing how cowardly and embarrassing that would be, I decided against it and dried my hands. Maybe I could fake food poisoning. There was nothing I wanted more than to go home and crawl in bed. Home, I hesitated. Since when did I start calling it home?

I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people crowding the room when I walked out. I didn't remember it being this crowded when I went in. After an unsuccessful scan of the crowd for Jaime, I found a pair of glass doors leading to a deserted balcony. Needing some fresh air, I changed direction.

The cool evening night caressed my skin and I shivered. I leaned my forearms on the smooth, concrete railing, looking out into the sunset. There was a garden below vaguely outlined from the light shining through the windows. I could smell the sweet scent of flowers trying to get in a last minute bloom before it turned cold.

I found comfort in Gemma's words, that it will get easier. I closed my eyes, recalling the dance and I found myself smiling. As I replayed the moment, my mind lingered on our conversation. What did I mean to Jaime? He was going to tell me before his father interrupted us. I dwelled on the possibilities.

A throat cleared behind me and I spun around. I was so lost in thought, I hadn't heard anyone approach. I expected Jaime to be standing there-he always had the uncanny sense of knowing where I was-waiting to lecture me about sneaking off, but it wasn't him. Instead a large man loitered not five feet away, dressed in a similar black suit that the guards were wearing. His curly black hair, tied in a ponytail in the back.

"Victor?"

"Ava, good to see you again."

"I was just getting some fresh air. It was all getting a little much in there."

Victor chuckled. "Jaime sent me to take you home. He's gotten tied up with some business matters."

"Oh, okay." I was surprised by this, but I guess it made sense with most of his family being here tonight. I turned to go back inside but Victor cut me off before I reached the door.

"We can go this way." He pointed to a set of stairs that I hadn't noticed before.

We stopped at a silver SUV and he opened the backdoor. I slid into the backseat, suddenly exhausted from dancing and socializing all night. I stifled a yawn behind my hand. Victor took his place behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot. It took me several minutes before I realized we weren't going the same direction we came in. When I asked Victor about it, he just said that there was traffic and this was the fastest way home. I laid my head against the window, watching the stars fighting through the clouds.