Queen of Diamonds

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I knelt in awestruck silence as I picked up the red diamond petting its sleek surface. The diamond was substantial and organic. Not yet contaminated by a jeweler to be transformed into a necklace or a ring. Just a lump of pure crimson rock. How could this be? The reality of Sarah actually being right about the ridiculous forgotten gems myth was nauseating. What else was hiding in this house?

"Hey! I found something!" Sarah called from the far corner of the empty diamond cave. I got up from the ground, unnoticed by my friends, and quickly put the diamond in my bra for safe keeping. I was too overwhelmed and unsure if I wanted to share my discovery with the group just yet.

"What'd you find Sarah?" Andrew asked as we approached her from behind, her back blocking her findings.

"A bunch of gold and silver chains," she replied raising a few as they dangled between her fingers. They clacked together making the sound of soft sharp rain dripping with money.

"That's it?" Andrew scoffed shaking his head and running his hand through his hair in irritation. "I wouldn't even allow that junk in my ring."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean they don't have value, King," Sarah retorted, mesmerized by the sparkling chains. "Did anyone else find anything?"

"No," Andrew reluctantly replied as I just shook my head averting my eyes from the two. "I think we've found all we're going to in here. Want to go?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely ready to leave," I quickly agreed.

"Well, at least one of us was victorious," Sarah smirked gently folding the chains into her jean pockets.

"Hardly," Andrew snorted heading for the door.

"Get a little imagination King, would ya? Not all value comes from a rock. That attitude is exactly what will keep your family running in the same plain regressive circle for another generation," she chastised him. "Time to branch out. The black diamond families have and that's why you hate them so much."

"Oh yes, I'm so jealous of the fake crap diamonds the Black's are pawning off on the community," he turned around to face Sarah with the full force of his pretention.

"Oh really? So then why are you so anti the black diamond kids?" she squared off with him.

"I'm not," he primly answered. "It's business. They are a competitor. That's it."

"Then why don't you hate Crystal Clear or Buxx Enterprises or Cut Appraisals? They are technically competition too. You just hate that the Black's and the rest of the black diamond group have become innovative and are piquing more interest than your old dusty diamonds," Sarah shot back.

"I don't hate the Black's," Andrew evenly replied. "I actually invited Greyson to my Christmas in July party," he added, skillfully avoiding Sarah's more pointed accusations.

"Ah, right, you don't hate them. You just can't control them. And there's nothing more a King hates than not having control. Which is why you allegedly invited Grey to your party. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer right? Pretty sure that's how the saying goes," she said taking a step closer to him with her dagger shaped fingernailed hands on her hips and her perfectly plumped lips curled into a sneer.

"Well, I'm here with you, aren't I?" he retorted towering over her tiny yet powerful frame.

Although Sarah and Andrew ran in the same circle and were friends in the loose sense of the word, they definitely weren't besties. However, to my knowledge there were no known issues between them. But Sarah definitely wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to defend her boy toy Greyson. As for me, having to watch my new friend and my somewhat boy toy face off in an abandoned probably haunted mansion was a bit uncomfortable for me.

"Careful King, I think you've been hanging out with the Carter's too long," she flipped her mermaid hair over her shoulder, totally stealing that sassy maneuver from me, and shoved passed him toward the door. "Cash and Richy are already twins and they aren't looking for a triplet. Give it a rest," she threw back at him before pulling the door open.

Loud silence fell over the empty jewelry room as the door thudded behind Sarah. Andrew appeared cool, calm, and collected but couldn't help his hand from jumping into his bronze hair.

"So, where does that leave me?" I asked into the silence.

"What do you mean?" he replied looking over at me confused.

"That whole keep your friends close and your enemies closer thing," I said. "Ever since you saw my red diamond necklace you've been all over me and even offered me a job."

"Ava," he whispered and took a few steps closer to me. "That's totally different. I've known Sarah forever and we bicker and disagree on things and people," he added. "But you have nothing to do with anything. I promise," he said lifting his hand to my face locking our eyes for a brief moment. In that moment he was Andrew again and not King the heir to King Appraisals. But now wasn't the time or the place. I took a little step back and walked around him leaving my face cold without his warm hand resting on my cheek.

"We should go," I said as I picked my heavy feet up the few steps to the door and back through the jungle of coats to catch up with Sarah.