Chapter 11: Briar

brIAR

Before I know it, six weeks have passed, and it's early November. The harsh cold of winter is making itself known in Wolves Hollow. My breath is now fogging on my morning runs to school. I enjoy the sting of the cold air in my lungs as I run.

Miraculously, Patrick has left me alone for the most part. He's smacked me around but nothing major.

I've gotten into a routine of hanging out with Ronan and Rory in my free time. We eat lunch and dinner together every school day. I can feel myself getting stronger from eating two good meals most days.

My afternoons are spent with one of the Grimm brothers. I fall a little more under their spell each time. Malachi's overbearing protectiveness, Xander's calm steadiness, and Sebastian's exuberant levity work their way past my walls a little bit at a time. It's almost embarrassing how much I look forward to our one-on-one time. I don't know what I'm going to do next semester when I won't have an excuse to see them as much. That's a problem for future Briar.

"So, you're totes coming to the party tomorrow, right?" Rory's excited question as we sit down at our usual table for lunch breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Um—" I begin, trying to find a way to politely decline. Rory throws parties at her parents' house in town every other week at least. I've gotten out of attending all of them so far. Parties are aggressively not my scene. The people, the noise, and the groping hands all make me want to puke.

Rory interrupts me. "You have to! It's our nineteenth birthday! As my bestest friend, you have to be there!" While Rory's usually the most upbeat person I know, she sounds almost sad about me not being at her birthday.

"I'll think about it," I hedge. Maybe she'll forget.

"Okey dokey. I'm gonna go get food." Rory skips toward the buffet, looking like a bubble gum fairy in her pink dress.

Ronan stays behind. I glance at him, noting his white-blond hair, blue eyes, and sharp features. He's definitely classically handsome, but I feel nothing for him. I certainly don't feel the crackles and pops of electricity that rush through my veins when I see his cousins. Life would be so much easier if I were into Ronan. He's a student and a safe choice, but I view him like a brother.

"It would mean a lot to Rory if you came," Ronan informs me in his deep, melodic voice, cutting my musing short. "You're her only real friend. Please consider it."

What is he talking about? Rory's constantly being approached by other people. She stops to chat with other students so frequently we're sometimes late to class. Rory seems to be friends with everyone she meets.

My confusion must show on my face because Ronan continues. "You're the only person who doesn't want to use Rory for something. Everyone else wants to use us for our money, to connect with our parents, or get access to our cousins. You're the only one here who sees us for us, Briar."

I groan, letting my head droop forward. How can I say no to that? I know what it's like to be surrounded by people and so crushingly alone. Rory and Ronan have shown me what having friends is like. The least I can do is go to a stupid party for them. "Fine. I'll go. You play dirty, Ronan Wynters, hitting me in the feels and all."

At my acquiescence, Ronan breaks out into a grin. It's strange seeing him look anything but serious. "Thank you, Briar. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'd do anything for my sister."

"I'd do the same for mine." There isn't anything I wouldn't do for Ava. I'd kill for her, and I'd die for her.

It's been almost two months since I've seen my sister in person. This is the longest I've ever been away from her, and it hurts every day. I've learned that taking care of someone often means hurting yourself. I will happily pay any price to keep Ava safe, happy, and whole.

"How is Ava?" Ronan asks, resting his elbows on the table. He runs his fingers through his hair, making it stand up at odd angles. I bite back a smile at the porcupine look he's rocking.

"She's doing great. Her school has a top-notch equestrian program, so she's in heaven. Aves is making a ton of friends and is happier than I've seen her in a long time."

Before Ronan can say anything, Rory returns to our table. Her tray is piled higher than usual. With a huff, she sets it on the table. "Since you decided to be a lazy bum, I got you food too, Rone."

Ronan ignores his twin's stink eye and raises his eyebrows at me. Ugh, guess I'm doing this. "I'll come to your birthday party. When does it start?"

Rory lets out a piercing squeal. She rushes over to my chair and hugs me tightly from the side. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's gonna be epic. You won't regret it!"

I awkwardly pat Rory on the hand, hoping she'll let me go before accidentally choking me. I look to Ronan for help, but he just grins at my discomfort, the bastard.

She finally releases me and bounces over to her seat. Rory's too excited to sit still. "So, the party starts at nine, but we totally have to get ready together. How 'bout you come over at five? You can sleep over too! Since you don't have a car, we'll pick you up. Just shoot me your address."

The absolute last thing I want is Ronan and Rory anywhere near Patrick. "I can meet you at WHU if that works." It's safer for everyone if Patrick doesn't know I have friends. The fewer people he can use against me the better.

"Sure can! Oh my God, we're going to have so much fun!" Rory's practically shouting with how thrilled she is. I smile as she tells me every detail about her party.

I bend over and put my hands on my knees, completely out of breath. My black sports bra and tank top are soaked through with sweat, and my gray joggers cling to my ass uncomfortably.

I took too long trying to figure out what to wear to Rory's party. So, I had to sprint to get here on time. Thanks to all the extra food I've been eating, my running stamina and pace has improved a ton.

Checking my phone, I see that I'm about five minutes early. I shrug off my ratty black backpack I packed with stuff to stay the night, and I look for somewhere to catch my breath. Sitting on the curb in front of WHU's main entrance, I will my heart rate to slow down.

It's a few minutes until Ronan and Rory's black Land Cruiser pulls up. "Get in, boo!" Rory yells from the passenger side. Her hair is wild, probably from having her window rolled down on the way here.

My lips curl in a grin at Rory's exuberance. I push myself up from the curb reluctantly, releasing a silent groan. My tired legs don't want to move right now. I open the back door and slide onto the black leather bench seat. Ronan gives me a quick smile in the rearview mirror before smoothly pulling out of WHU.

"Where do you guys live?" We've been friends for a couple months, but I haven't been to their house yet.

Rory twists in her seat to look back at me. "We live near the Wyldhart Mansion."

Wow.

"Cool," I respond, trying not to look too shellshocked. The Wyldhart Mansion and surrounding houses make Patrick's monstrosity look like a peasant shack. Rory wasn't kidding when she said her parents are mega rich.

The Wyldharts founded the town of Wolves Hollow a couple hundred years ago. They still rule the town today with their obscene amount of money, and they provide a ton of funding to WHU, hence Wyldhart Hall.

Valentine Wyldhart, the current patriarch, does business with Patrick. He has a brutal reputation, so I try to steer clear of the whole family. Although, that can be difficult when there aren't any pictures of them, so I have no idea what he looks like. The Wyldharts are paranoid about privacy, so they don't let any photos of them get out. That's especially true with what Patrick's told me about Valentine Wyldhart's depraved tastes in the bedroom.

"Ror! Face forward! You could get seriously hurt like that in a crash," Ronan admonishes his twin. Rory playfully rolls her eyes before turning back to the road.

"What music do you like, honey bunch?" Rory shouts from the front, like we're a whole room apart, instead of me sitting right behind her.

I snort at the increasingly ridiculous nicknames. "I'll listen to anything. I'm not picky."

"T Swift?"

"Sure," I respond with a grin. Ava is huge into Taylor Swift. Listening to her songs always makes me think of Ava.

"Awesome sauce!" Rory cranks up the music, blasting "Wildest Dreams." We both sing along during the short ride to their house. I'm not even a little embarrassed that I know all the lyrics.

Ronan slows to go through towering wrought iron gates. We make our way up the circular drive, past sculpted hedges and dormant fountains.

When I finally get a look at their house, my jaw drops.

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the fucking ox and ass, too.

That's not a house. It's a fucking castle. At least two, if not three, of Patrick's houses would fit in the colossal red brick structure. Unlike Patrick's house, Ronan and Rory's is beautiful, despite the sheer absurdity of its size. Twisting green ivy crawls up the red brick and wraps around the white columns framing the door. The slate roof has multiple turrets, with chimneys dotted across the roofline.

Ronan drives around the back of their house, where I see a large pool and a guesthouse in the distance. He pushes a button, and a hidden garage door opens. We descend into their underground garage, like something out of Batman.

When Ronan parks, Rory turns around to look at me again. She giggles at the stupefied look on my face. "Yeah, our house will do that to ya. You'll get used to it."

I highly doubt that. I'm still not used to Patrick's mansion, and I've lived there for over a decade. While my mom had money, we lived simply before moving to this town. It was nothing like the extravagance most of Wolves Hollow is used to.

Rory hops out of the car and bounces up and down until I get out. "Come on, slow poke! We barely have enough time as it is to get ready!" Not enough time to get ready? How long does it take her? We have like three and a half hours before the party starts.

Grabbing my hand, Rory pulls me inside her house. I briefly glimpse a wine cellar and media room in the basement before heading up a wooden spiral staircase. On the first floor, I see medium-toned herringbone wood floors, a sleek kitchen, and a large family room.

We go up yet another set of stairs, glass and chrome this time. Hooking a left at the top, Rory drags me to one of the doors on the far end of the hall.

She shoves me into her room before slamming the door. My lips twitch upward as I take in her room. It's painted light pink, and she has a dark pink comforter and curtains. Keeping the pink from being overwhelming, Rory's room has accents of cream and gray in the rug and décor. It's a tastefully pink room that suits Rory perfectly.

"So, whatcha wearing tonight? Something sexy?" Rory asks as she flops on her queen-sized bed. She rolls on her stomach and props her head in her hands.

I bark out a laugh. "No, nothing sexy. That's not really my style. I brought a cami and jeans."

"You'll still look capital H hot, girlie. Go change! I need to see what I'm working with tonight." Rory makes a chop-chop motion before shooing me toward the open bathroom door.

I take my entire backpack in with me. Stripping out of my workout clothes, I pull out my strapless bra, navy silk cami top, and black skinny jeans. After swapping out my clothes, I also grab my black ankle boots from my backpack and slip them on.

Once I'm dressed, I look at myself in the mirror. My long black hair and dark top contrast against my pale skin. For once, my wavy hair decided to cooperate when I styled it last night. While my smooth skin, naturally red lips, and slightly rosy cheeks stand out nicely, the dark circles under my eyes also draw attention.

For the millionth time, I wish I were better at makeup. I look like a creepy clown any time I try to apply it. So, I just go natural and hope I don't look like death warmed over.

Shrugging at my reflection, I head for the door to show Rory my outfit. It's the only one I packed, so there's not much to do if she hates it.

As I walk out, Rory looks up from her phone. "Oh. My. God. You look ah-mazing!" she gushes. "Are you styling your hair or leaving it as is? What about makeup?"

"I'm not really the best at hair or makeup, so I was planning to leave it as is." I look down as I speak, embarrassed by my lack of beauty skills.

"I can totally help if you want! Pulling a bit of your hair back out of your face would look fantastic. Your eyes are so pretty! It's a shame to cover them with your hair, as gorgeous as it is. You really don't need makeup, so we'll just leave that."

"Oh, uh, sure, if you don't mind."

Rory pushes me gently toward the vanity sitting on the far side of her room. Once I'm seated, she starts twisting the front tendrils of my hair and pinning them back. Her face scrunches in concentration. It only takes her a few minutes to pin up my hair.

She hands me a mirror to look at the back. I gasp when I see her handiwork. Rory has intricately woven twists of my hair together to create a loose romantic style. The little pearl pins interspersed make it look even more elegant.

"You like it?" Rory asks, seeming uncertain.

"I love it, Rory! It looks stunning! I haven't had someone do my hair in years, so thank you." I turn to look at her, giving her a genuine smile. It's weird having someone do something for me. I'm usually the one that does stuff like this for Ava.

Rory grins back at me before flouncing off to get changed. She goes into her massive walk-in closet. It's easily half the size of my entire bedroom. I sit on her bed and get lost in my thoughts for a few minutes.

Five or so minutes later, she comes out in a short maroon dress. It has a V-neck and a multitiered ruffled skirt. Rory's dress is girly, sophisticated, and sexy all at the same time. It fits her to a T.

We talk for the hour or so it takes Rory to get ready. As much as I dread the party later tonight, hanging out with Rory outside of school has been fun. It's easy to talk to her about almost anything. I feel a twinge of guilt that I'm still hiding so much from her. Best friends should be able to tell each other anything, but I can't.