Seeking Solace

Eight

"Why is he picking you up?" Mae asks.

"I don't know." I confess. "I don't know what goes on in his head."

"I have a pretty good idea of what you two could be doing." Lila raises her eyebrows up and down.

"Lila Elaine!" I push her shoulder and she leans to the side to avoid my shove. "That will not be happening."

"Not tonight anyway." She winks and Mae laughs along with her. I cannot help but giggle with them. "You better go. Liam is going to pick us up and unless you want to answer his questions, you better go."

I grab my jacket and throw it on. "I'll call you later."

"You better!" Lila yells.

I walk outside and look for His car. I take a seat on the bench and wait. Someone sits besides me, I look up quickly and then back to my phone. I look back at the boy next to me.

"Bram!" I exclaim. "I haven't seen you since the bonfire."

"Where you left me with your friend." He nods. "I remember."

"Sorry about that." I shrug.

"All will be forgiven, if you join me and my family for dinner." He smiles.

"I can't." I sit back against the bench.

"Can't or won't?" He challenges. I cock my head to the right and look at him for a moment. I look around for His car and still do not see it.

I smile at him. "Alright." I give in. "But I have to stop home to change and let my Gran know."

"Anything, if it means you're coming." He nods.

"Alright, let's go." I stand from the bench and gesture for him to lead the way. He rises from the bench and grabs his backpack.

"This way." I hurry after him and quickly sit in the front seat of his silver audi r8. He closes the trunk and hops in. We pass the black Bentley on the way out of the parking lot. I gulp when I see it pass us. "Dinner at my house is rather different than most. Do you have a dress?" I nod and return to looking out the window, hoping not to see a black Bentley following us. We are at my house in a matter of minutes. I run up the steps and into the house.

"Gran!" I call out to her, but I already know that she is sitting peacefully in the kitchen. I find her at the table with her nose in a book. "Gran, I won't be home for dinner tonight."

"And why is that?" She asks me with an extra bit of attitude.

"Bram has asked me to have dinner with him." I tell her. She perks up at the sound of Bram's name.

"Oh, alright dear." She nods and retreats back to her book. "Have fun!"

I leave my bag at the table and go upstairs to change. The phone rings. I answer it quickly. "Hello?"

"Sneaky, I like it." And then He hangs up. I rush around to find the perfect dress. I dress quickly and throw on a jacket. Running down the stairs, I grab a clutch from the table in the hall.

"Bye Gran. I'll be home later." I yell to her.

I close the door behind me and am lifted from the stoop. Someone sets me down, I spin around to face my attacker. He looks me straight in the eyes. "How did you get home?" He asks me. I look to the street, but Bram is nowhere to be found. He looks me up and down, "Where are you going, love?"

"Out." I say. I walk down the steps and to the curb. I look up and down the street for Bram, but do not see him. "What are you doing here?"

His eyebrows draw together in a worried expression. "I was worried about you. You weren't at the school when I got there to pick you up and your friends said you had already left. They had assumed with me." He looks closer at me. "How is it you got here so quickly love?"

"A friend." I tell him. "Who should be back any minute. You should probably go."

"If you say so." He backs away from me with his hands raised in surrender. "Tell William I said hello."

I giggle at his assumption. Of course he thinks I am going out with Liam. "Oh, I will." I nod and wave as he gets in his car and drives off.

A few seconds later Bram pulls into the driveway from the opposite direction. I open the door and buckle up. "Where did you go?"

"I had to run to fetch something for my father. I didn't realize you'd be so fast. I should have waited for you, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I place my hand on his forearm and collect his attention. "It's okay." I nod. "Now let's go have some food. I'm starved."

He smiles. "Me too." He backs out of the driveway and down the street.

He drives past many houses, each one more extravagant than the first, but all vacant. We drive for miles, passing more and more vacant houses. Until we reach one that is set way back on the lawn. The house appears to fit hundreds of people. The Victorian style brick and the beautiful framework, adds to the houses charm.

"Is this where you live?" I try to close my mouth, but then my eyes grow at the sight of the magnificent house before me.

"A good portion of my life." He nods. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." I gush. "It's beautiful."

He smiles as he watches me look up at the house. He parks the car in the driveway amongst other cars at equal or more value. He walks around the car and opens my door. He grabs my hand and helps me out. We walk into a grand room that contains an extravagant staircase. The walls are lined with portraits and paintings from different eras. I look in amazement at all the different pieces. Bram takes my coat and places it in the coat closet down the hall. I wander into a sitting room with a bar in the far corner. I remember this room from the other night. I walk to the counter and trace the circles in the stool where I sat with Him.

"Well, well, well. I don't believe we have had the pleasure of meeting." A deep voice says from behind me. He gives me a half grin, a grin I have seen before on Him. "You must be Gemma." He approaches me and takes my hand in his and brings it to his lips, an action that I saw Bram do just the other day. "The name is Halston." He kisses my hand.

"Its a pleasure." I smile softly.

"I have heard all about you, but my brothers description of you does not do you justice." The half smile returns as a blush creeps up my neck.

"Leave the poor girl alone Halston. She came for dinner, not to be hit on." Emmett says from the opposite side of the room. He nods in my direction. "Miss Gemma, it is always a pleasure."

Bram enters the room and smiles as he approaches me. "I see you've met Halston." He nods to his older brother, earning one in return. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"Good, because I'm so hungry I could eat anything." I gush.

A door slams from down the hall.

"Don't worry everyone, I am home. Safe and sound. Call off the dogs, send the police home. For the king of the castle has returned home with only a slightly bruised ego." I would recognize that cocky attitude anywhere. I cannot control the grin that spreads across my face as He steps into the room and stops mid walk at the sight of me. He looks to me and then to Bram, then to his older brothers, and then back to me. He tilts his head to the side and his award winning smirk finds its place in his face. "You've got to be joking."