Aria Graice - 6. Chapter 6

They travelled in silence, with Aria staring out the window and Drew trying to find something to say. The journey wasn’t long, to Drew’s great relief, and Aria opened the door before the limo had quite come to a halt. Drew scrambled after him.

Drew found himself standing at the bottom of a set of shallow steps leading up to a massive mansion, lit up like a Christmas tree. Glancing around, Drew noted a circular drive, around a central fountain, that disappeared into darkness. There was a sense of space suggesting open fields or gardens.

Aria forged ahead, tripping up the steps in his ridiculously high heels. Drew hurried after him, and caught him before he reached the top. “Don’t ever get out of a car without me again.”

Aria gawped at him.

“I’m serious. What if there was someone waiting in the bushes, or a sniper, or another car waiting to drive up and drag you in? With you on this side of the car and me on the other, there’s not much I could do to help you until it’s too late. This is how it goes. We stop. I get out. I tell you when it’s safe to get out, okay?”

Aria nodded wordlessly, his mouth still open. Drew smiled then nodded toward the door. “Shall we?”

A butler answered the door, of course, and admitted Aria immediately. Drew followed, and the butler gave him a curt nod.

“Please follow me,” the butler said and crossed the massive, echoing hall to a door on the left-hand side. He then stepped aside to allow them to enter.

The room was massive, with panelled walls and elegant chandeliers. Ballroom was the word that came to Drew as they stepped onto the parquet floor. Although there were many people, the room was big enough to absorb them and Drew was easily able to see long tables stretched along one side, groaning under the weight of food, and a bar on the other. Aria headed for the bar. Drew glanced longingly at the food, then followed.

People hailed Aria as he wove between them, but he appeared single-minded, and although he acknowledged the greetings, he didn’t pause until he got to the bar. Hopping up onto a bar stool he put in an order for Jack Daniels, neat on the rocks, which surprised Drew. He hadn’t had Aria pegged for a hard liquor kind of person and if he’d been expecting alcohol, which he hadn’t been, he would have thought more of a liqueur or cocktail.

“I thought you didn’t drink.”

Aria started as if he’d forgotten Drew was there. “Not often, but I’m not entirely tee total.”

“You are aware you’re too young, right?”

Aria turned and stared at Drew with exactly the same expression he’d had on the front steps. “What? Are you actually serious?”

“You’re seventeen. Too young to drink.”

“I’ve been drinking champagne and wine since I was five.”

“Champagne and wine are not Jack Daniels, and I’m assuming that when you drank champagne at five you were with your family.”

Aria sighed and rolled his eyes. “Are you for real? Really? Everyone our age drinks.”

“Well, I don’t really care what everyone does, only what you do.”

“You sound like my fucking father.”

Drew was taken aback. It was the first time he’d heard Aria swear. “I’m not your father, Aria.”

“No, you’re not. You’re not anyone. I don’t have to listen to anything you say.”

“Nope. No, you don’t. Not about this, anyway.”

Aria chewed on his lip, glancing at Drew out of the corner of his eye now and again. Drew ordered water over ice and sipped with pleasure, welcoming both he hydration and the cooling ice. Aria fished an ice cube out of his glass, but he didn’t touch any more of the whiskey. After a while, he ordered champagne and sipped almost aggressively, which made Drew smile to himself.

About half an hour later, a door opened, and a small group of people breezed in. Aria tensed, and Drew didn’t have to see Amara to know he was there. A man who seemed vaguely familiar wove through the crowd and embraced Amara.

“Darling. So wonderful to see you.”

“You too,” Amara said, obviously distracted. “Where’s my brother?”

He scanned the crowd and oriented on Aria. Ignoring everyone else, he strode across the room and threw his arms around Aria, dragging him off the stool. Drew stood, ready to recover Aria if he seemed in distress. Aria, however, returned his hug and they rested their heads on each other’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I’m a complete bastard. I deserve to be slapped and I’ll let you if you like.”

“I don’t want to hit you. I just don’t understand.”

“I was being an idiot. I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.”

“No, you shouldn’t, but it’s okay. I knew you didn’t mean it.”

From his position, Aria wouldn’t have seen Amara wince, or the expression on his face, but Drew did. He’d meant it alright.

The two boys moved apart as if one and gazed into each other’s eyes. Drew had to look away, embarrassed by intruding on the intensely intimate moment. They didn’t kiss but they might as well have. Eventually, they both nodded and stepped back. Amara nudged Drew out of the way to stand beside his brother at the bar. Drew moved back instantly. He wasn’t about to do anything that might be interpreted as getting between the twins. That was the last thing he wanted and the last thing he wanted Amara to think.

Ben sidled into the seat on the other side of Drew. He looked like the cat who got the cream. “Convinced yet?”

“Sorry?”

Ben nodded to Aria and Amara who were leaning against each other, talking softly.

“I still don’t get you,” Drew said flatly, although he was well aware what Ben was getting at.

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t think they’re shagging like bunnies.”

“You have such a refined vocabulary,” Drew drawled as he pushed off from the bar and headed across to the food tables. Ben followed.

“Oh, come on. It’s obvious. They even sleep in the same bed half the time.”

“I think you should be careful about the rumours you spread,” Drew said. “They’re twins don’t forget.”

“What difference is that supposed to make?”

“Twins are closer than ordinary brothers. There were two guys in my unit. They could practically read each other’s minds. They slept together, ate together, even died together.”

“Died?”

“One got caught in an explosion and the other ran into the fire and never came out.”

“Shit.”

Ben fell silent and eventually wandered away. Drew breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well hello, handsome.”

Drew jumped when a small, cool hand slipped through his arm and another ran over his biceps. For a moment, he thought it might be Aria, but a quick glance revealed a petite woman with glossy black hair and cherry-red lips. She licked her lips. “Would you like to get me a drink?”

“I’m sorry,” Dale said as he carefully peeled her hands off his arm. “I don’t drink when I’m on duty.”

“I wasn’t asking you to have one,” she purred, batting her false eyelashes at him.

“I’m flattered, but I’m sorry, don’t ever mix business with pleasure, and I’m on duty.”

“Y-you’re turning me down?” She froze and gaped at him as if he’d told her something that couldn’t possibly be true. In her head, he probably had.

“I’m sorry, but yes, I am.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“I can’t say I do, but the answer would be the same if I did.”

The woman huffed and stormed away. It didn’t take long for Drew to start catching the hostile stares. Apparently, most of the people in the hall knew who she was.

Drew had already scanned the room a number of times, but this time he did so with interest in the people. They were all immaculately dressed and coiffed. Most of them looked as if they’d stepped off the pages of a magazine and they had the same, vapid look as the models. He tried hard but was unable to suppress a sense of disgust. They were all exactly what he’d thought Amara and Aria would be – except the ones who stood out like sore thumbs, and were probably security. He wondered if he were that obvious. Of course he was.

Something nagged at the back of his brain. There was something wrong with the whole set up. Most of the people here were older than the boys, and far more refined than he would have expected at an after-party. In fact, there was nothing about this party he would have expected, not that he’d been to many. Surely, there should have been more young people, musicians, friends, even fans. Where was the colour? Where was the energy? And where was Alexei?

Drew hovered near the table munching his way through various dishes and keeping his eye on Aria. The twins seemed to find nothing unusual in the set-up. They were quite relaxed, chatting to each other. It was odd that no one approached them or made any attempt to speak to them, especially as it was supposed to have been Amara’s party, but that suited Drew just fine.

Eventually, Aria and Amara wandered over, arm in arm, in search of food. Aria lit up when he noticed Drew.

“Where did you go? I missed you.”

“I’ve been right here. I’ll never be far. That’s my job, remember?”

“I know, but Ben goes away when we’re safe.”

“Maybe I’m more suspicious. As far as I’m concerned, unless you’re in my line of sight you’re never safe.”

Aria glanced around nervously. “Do you think I’m not safe now?”

“Let me put it a different way. As long as you’re in my line of sight I can guarantee you’re safe.”

Amara snorted. “You can’t guarantee that. Aria almost died last year. Where was his security then?”

“He was right there, Mara,” Aria said so quietly he was almost inaudible. “He saved me.”

Amara snorted, his eyes blazing with anger. “Yeah, when someone was within a foot of you with a knife in his hands.”

Drew took a step closer. “I think you should stop, Amara.”

“What the fuck has it got to do with you?”

“Not me.” Drew said pointedly, even as Aria turned to his brother and begged. “Don’t. Please don’t.”

Amara must have noticed what Drew had because he immediately threw his arms around Aria. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring that up. I know it upsets you, but it makes me angry how close he was to hurting you. I’m glad he’s dead.”

“Don’t say that. It’s horrible. It was horrible.”

“I know, baby. I’m sorry.”

Aria clung to Amara for a moment, then let him go. “Anyway,” he said, tossing his head. “Drew wouldn’t let that happen. He’s my friend.”

“He’s not your friend,” Amara snapped. “Stop thinking everyone is your friend.”

“But he is.”

Amara sighed in frustration. “This is why you keep getting hurt. He’s not your friend. He’s an employee, that’s all. Employees can’t be trusted. They’ll screw you over if you let them.”

“Not Drew,” Aria insisted.

Amara huffed. “Whatever you say.” He turned to the table. “Let’s eat.”

Drew noticed that Amara piled his plate, while Aria picked a few things and moved them around rather than eating any of them.

“Darlings.” The woman who had come on to Drew appeared, and embraced first Aria then Amara, kissing their cheeks. She very deliberately turned her back on Drew and completely ignored him. She then drew the boys into a group of “plastic people” as Drew had come to call the picture-perfect men and women, dressed in high fashion and privileged attitude.

Drew made no move to follow. He knew full well what he was in for if he did. As long as Aria was within sight, he was happy.

The group enclosed Aria and Amara in excited speech and insincere compliments. They moved slowly but inexorably toward a door in the middle of the room. Drew watched people coming and going through the door and moved in that direction.

He waited until the boys’ group had moved through the door, then he followed and lingered nearby. This room was far more informal and relaxed, with groups of sofas and chairs grouped around low tables. The boys’ group sprawled on one set, and almost instantly the papers came out and spliffs were rolled. From where Drew stood it seemed as if Aria’s was the first hand out for the joint. Drew fought to stop himself pursing his lips, especially when Aria glanced up at him, as if needing approval. That was something Drew wasn’t prepared to give, and Aria seemed first disappointed and then defiant.

After the spliffs came bottles of some green liqueur and lines of cocaine, which thankfully neither Aria nor Amara touched. Nevertheless, Drew was uneasy. He wondered where the hell Ben was, and whether he knew what was going on in here. Oh, who was he fooling? Of course he did.

Pleased that Aria and Amara were not snorting coke, he almost missed the little packet of pills that were opened and passed around. Again, neither Aria nor Amara took one, even though the others tried to goad them into it. They seemed very insistent and Drew almost stepped in when it became clear how uncomfortable Aria was. To Amara, it seemed to be water off a duck’s back. Of course, Amara only ever did what he wanted. Aria, on the other hand, didn’t seem to know what he wanted. Thankfully, Amara eventually noticed Aria’s distress and ordered the others to back off, which obviously they did.

Watching the group get high on drink and drugs wasn’t the most pleasant way to spend an evening and Drew grew steadily more and more stressed, and angry with Ben and the world.

Time slowed to a crawl and Drew’s frustration increased with every minute that passed. He jumped when a woman materialized at his elbow.

“I think it might be a good idea if you went to get some food, or a drink at the bar.”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Let me put this a bit more clearly. You’re not wanted in here, please leave.”

“As long as Aria is in here, so am I. I’m just doing my job.”

“How good of you, but Aria’s safe with us and you’re killing the mood.”

Drew set his jaw. His mother had drummed good manners into him and he was loath to snap at her, but he had no intention of leaving Aria.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t work for you, I work for Aria. I’m staying.”

Huffing and clearly angry, the woman strode across the floor to the little knot of people and bent to speak to Aria and Amara. Amara got to his feet, but Aria pulled him down and got up himself. He wandered over to Drew looking a little unsteady.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m safe. I promise I’m safe. You’re not having fun. Go play.”

“I’m not here to have fun.”

“But you’re so pretty, you should go find someone to be nice to you.” His expression made it quite clear what he meant by “be nice to you”.

Despite himself, Drew smiled. “Thank you, but I’m fine.”

“Please, Drew. Everyone’s cross with you and I don’t want that. I tried to tell them you’re my friend, but no one will believe me. Please go.”

Drew wavered. Part of him was angry and proud. That part insisted he stick it to the assholes and hold his ground. Another part was soft and hesitant. That part whispered he wasn’t good enough to be here.

“Alright. If that’s what you want.”

Aria nodded, but seemed a little uncertain, and his smile was vague. Drew had to wonder if he was high after all.

Drew had to fight a strong temptation to touch Aria, to tuck his hair behind his ears, or straighten the headband that had his second pair of ears askew. He didn’t though. “I won’t be far away. Right outside the door. If you feel unsafe or uneasy about anything just let me know and I’ll be glued to your side, okay?”

Aria nodded again and smiled. He hugged Drew, then wandered back to the others and collapsed onto Amara’s lap. Amara glanced at Drew then bent his head to nuzzle Aria, who slung his arms around Amara’s neck.