ANNA'S POV:

I had convinced myself that I wasn't going to be attending Gia and Jared's party, but, after receiving Jared's texts, my mind filled with thoughts of him. I realised how much I missed him, despite the fact that we didn't know each other well.

I wanted to see him again, and I didn't want to disappoint him by not showing up.

Maybe a party would actually be fun. It could be a good distraction from everything.

I wondered if it was unprofessional to be socialising with my students' caregivers in such a way, but I was hoping nobody would find out. What I did in my personal life was none of their concern, and I was certain that Gia or Jared wouldn't say anything to anyone about it.

Luckily, it wasn't raining, so I had been able to walk to the address Jared sent me without my hair and outfit getting ruined.

I was unsure what attire to go for, but I settled on a cropped brown top and cargos, not wanting to appear over dressed and too eager. I couldn't help but wonder if Jared would be impressed with the way I looked, and I scolded myself for thinking so.

We had had some good conversations, but I was getting ahead of myself. He was very good looking, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out he had multiple women on the go, despite the fact he mentioned he was single.

I had stopped off at the store on the way, grabbing a few bags of chips so I didn't arrive empty handed. I didn't want people to think I was rude, and every party needed chips. People got hungry when they were drunk.

Breathing heavily, I stared up at the large house in front of me, my eyes widening at the sheer size of it. It was massive and very modern looking, taking me off guard.

Was this Jared's house? It put my tiny little broken apartment to shame, and I made a mental note to try and not act too surprised when I stepped inside. I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable with my shock.

They were all in the same circle, so probably all had lovely houses like this.

Puffing my chest out, I walked through the open gate, making my way up the ramp and ringing the door bell, chewing on my bottom lip with anxiety.

I was sure I was most likely the last one to arrive, giving myself a couple of hours to wash my hair and do my makeup.

My shower only spewed out cold water though, so it took me longer than anticipated to melt away the shampoo from my curls, deciding to let my scalp breath, going with a half up and half down hair style once it had dried.

A musky scent filled my nostrils, and I instantly recognised it as Jared's cologne. He seemed to always wear it, the smell following him around like thick mist, leaving a trail wherever he went. I loved it, and I wanted to ask which one he wore.

I imagined it was an expensive one to have that much longevity and projection.

I smiled as the door was pulled open, and a tall handsome brunette man stood in front of me, cocking his brow at me, looking a little confused.

Did I have the wrong house?

"Um, hi," I stuttered, gulping. "Is this where the party is?"

"Yeah, are you a friend of Clara?" He spoke, and I shook my head, furrowing my brows.

"Jared and Gia invited me," I responded, clutching the bags of my chips closer to my chest, my heart hammering against my ribcage so hard I was worried the man in front of me could hear it.

"Oh, well come on in," He said, stepping aside as I stepped into the house, nodding at him as a quick 'thank you'.

"I'm Ethan," he introduced himself, holding his hand out for me to shake, and I took it tentatively.

"Hi, I'm Anna."

The loud booming of music reached my ears, followed my multiple people chattering and laughing, and I gulped at the thought of how many people would be around the corner, most likely all of them ready to stare at me as I entered.

I shouldn't have waited and arrived so late. I was going to draw much more attention to myself than I wanted for being a late-comer.

I rounded the corner along with Ethan, using his large frame to block me from the view of some of the people who gathered in the kitchen, however, it didn't seem to work, the majority of them turning to look at me.

They plastered smiles onto their face, and I forced a small anxious smile onto mine, my gaze settling on Jared in the corner of the room, who flashed me a toothy grin.

Wheeling himself over to me, he took the bags of chips from my hands, placing them onto the kitchen counter, thanking me for being considerate and bringing snacks for everyone.

"You look amazing," he complimented me, and I began to feel redness cover my cheeks, my skin feeling hot and blotchy.

"Thank you," I told him, smiling, practically forgetting about everyone in the room, Jared stealing my full attention.

All of my anxiety seemed to dissipate at the sight of him, and all I could focus on was his presence.

It was as if nobody else existed.

"Sorry I'm a little late," I told him, and he waved away my concern, chuckling.

"Anna! I'm glad you're here!" Called Gia as she weaved in and out of a few groups of people, coming up to Jared and I and engulfing me in a hug, taking me off guard.

I quickly patted her back, laughing into her shoulder before she pulled away, and I could tell by her eyes that she had already had quite a bit to drink. She seemed to look through me, and was rather giddy and joyous, indicating she had had more than a few.

"Would you like a drink?" Jared offered me, and I clicked my tongue, debating it.

I wasn't a huge drinker, and never had been, but I did enjoy the odd glass of wine now and then.
However, this didn't seem like the type of party that would be providing that type of alcohol, my eyes scanning the table full of bottles for something I would like, all of it looking sickly and strong.

"I've never really tried any of that stuff," I said, fiddling with my fingers, grinding my teeth together. I didn't want to seem rude for declining their offer, but there were a lot of people here, and I didn't want to get drunk and end up embarrassing myself.

"Well maybe this is more up your alley," Gia said to me, holding up her index finger and rummaging her way through the cupboards, pulling out a sparkling bottle of crystal coloured champagne, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I widened my eyes, taking a look at the bottle and nodding, smiling as Gia began to pour me a large glass of it. Bringing the liquid to my lips, I gulped at it, the fizziness of it causing my tongue to tingle, the slight hint of red berries dancing amongst my tongue.

It was delicious.

Thanking Gia, I turned my attention back to Jared as she disappeared within the crowd, trying to forget about the sheer amount of people here, but luckily, they had all lost interest in my arrival and were all chatting amongst themselves.

"I'm sorry," Jared said, clearly noticing my apprehensiveness, and I shook my head, taking another sip of my drink.

"It's okay, I think I just wasn't expecting this many people."

"Believe it or not, this is considered a small party for Gia," Jared laughed, and I joined in, nodding.

I knew a few people like that back at my old school, one of them being one of my old friends. But, I hadn't spoken to her since I packed up everything and left. I couldn't risk being found, and it was best that nobody knew my location.

I worried for my friends' safety, knowing that they could be used for information, so I decided I had to leave my old life behind.

It was for the best, and would keep everyone else safe. My Father was persistent and aggressive at times, and after a few drinks, I was worried about what he would do if he didn't get his way.

I wasn't a stranger to being physically assaulted for not adhering to his rules.

"Anna, are you okay?" Jared asked me, and I blinked a few times, realising I had been daydreaming.

"Oh, yeah sorry."

"Did you want to go somewhere a little more quiet to talk?" Jared asked, and I practically melted in relief, nodding, following him out of the kitchen, apologising to a few people as I squeezed past them.

Jared led us into another room, and I gazed up at the high ceiling, the long oak dining table the centrepiece of the room, it's elegantly vanished coating mesmerising and expensive looking.

Jared had to be pretty well off to have a house like this.

He definitely didn't struggle to get his shower to produce hot water.

"So you live here?" I questioned, my voice quiet, although it echoed in the exquisite dining hall, my voice bouncing off the beautifully decorated walls.

"Just renting it at the moment," Jared said, and I nodded, taking another large gulp of my drink, enjoying the way the alcohol calmed my nerves.

"Are you looking for a house then?"

"Um, yeah," Jared said, dropping eye contact, wheeling himself further into the room and admiring a large painting that was hung on the wall, the brush strokes delicate and definitive. I wondered if it was one of a kind or just a print, the artwork looking incredibly rare and highly sought after.

It was evident that Jared didn't enjoy speaking about the topic of conversation, and I felt guilty for bringing it up, realising I must have hit a nerve.

Maybe he was in the process of moving out? It was stressful to do so.

"So where did you used to live?" Jared asked me, and I turned away from him, panicking, pretending to be infatuated with the drapes hanging from the large windows, tracing my fingers over the silky fabric.

As much as I felt a strange trust for Jared, I couldn't tell him. Nobody could know where I was from, especially since receiving a call from my Father about how he was looking for me, the thought making me feel sick.

"Um, Wisconsin," I lied, my voice cracking slightly at the end, causing Jared to furrow his brows at me, a part of me worried that he knew that I was being dishonest. I didn't want him to think I was hiding anything from him, although I was.

"Really? You don't have the accent," Jared chuckled and I shrugged, forcing a bubbly laugh out of my mouth.

"I moved around a lot," I told him, which again, was a blatant lie, but thankfully, Jared dropped the subject, leaving me sighing quietly in relief. "What about you? Have you lived around here your whole life?"

"I have," Jared told me, and I nodded, debating on asking about his family, knowing that his sister clearly lived nearby, but, I hadn't met her yet, and I wondered if he saw his parents often.

Jared said she was coming today, and I wondered which one out of everyone she was. Nobody here really held a resemblance to Jared.

"Who's looking after Sophia tonight then?" I questioned him, and Jared smiled at the mention of his little niece, rolling his eyes.

"Dylan is at home with her and Sonny."

I nodded, opening up my mouth to say something else, but, a blonde haired girl stumbled into the room, beaming at us, clearly having had a lot to drink already.

"Guys! Come on! We're going to play spin the bottle!"

I gulped at her words.

Oh God.

This was why I didn't like parties.

•••

Oh no.

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