JASPER: Perfect

Waking up to Eminem's blasting music, a dull ache hammers my skull. I slowly open my eyes to find Keon's unconscious form slumped against me, his head resting heavily on my shoulder.

Asael raps along, his words racing as fast as his driving. My heart leaps to my throat as he speeds up, weaving through traffic like a maniac.

Suddenly, he slams on the brakes. "We're here!" he announces, parking amidst other cars surrounding a sprawling water fountain.

"Where...where are we?" I stutter, still disoriented from the spray.

Asael responds coldly, "We're at a party. Try to leave, and I'll let Rhys handle you."

He jumps out of the car, opens the door, and yanks Keon off me. "Hey, wake up!" He slaps Keon's cheek.

Keon's eyes open weakly, widening in horror as he sees Asael. "Get off me!"

He pushes Asael away and makes a break for it, but I'm hot on his heels, clutching his arm. "Wait, don't!"

His panicked eyes snaps to mine.

"Dude, we're okay. Calm down, he just brought us to a party," I say, pointing toward the enormous white mansion in front of us. It's bursting with cheers, screams, and loud music. Keon follows my finger with wide eyes.

"Holy shit, it's Ethan Wayne's mansion," he whispers, awestruck. His jaw drops as he pulls out his phone and snaps a picture. "Damn! I must be dreaming."

"Ethan Wayne?" I ask, dumbfounded. The way Keon says his name reveals his immense popularity, and judging by this grand mansion, he's ridiculously rich.

Keon looks at me, opening his mouth to explain, but Asael appears behind us, draping his arms over our shoulders. "He's my boyfriend. Don't talk about him; I'm very possessive. Now let's go in."

We step inside, and I'm immediately surrounded by drunk, dancing college kids. The dimly lit room pulsates with loud, blasting music, bodies grinding against each other.

Maybe I should throw in the towel and deal with Rhys. He went through the trouble of convincing his unstable cousin to kidnap me, so I'll stay and return the favor by breaking his skull or ribs. Maybe worse.

"Hey," Keon nudges my elbow.

I turn to him, blinded by his bright, excited smile.

"This is thrilling, isn't it?" he asks.

I give him a dull stare. "Nope. Not for me."

"Is it because of Rhys?" Keon asks suddenly.

Just then, a giggling, half-naked girl slides her hand onto my shoulders and winks at me.

A strong knot tightens in my stomach. It's not the girl that bothers me. She has no effect on me. It's Keon mentioning Rhys' name that unsettles me.

"How do you...?"

"Asael said Rhys ordered your kidnapping," Keon explains. "Rhys Volkov, right?"

Oh lord.

I sigh heavily, distaste etched on my face. Asael chuckles, amused.

"What's funny?" A low, irritated grumble escapes my throat.

We stop at the bar, and Asael's smile widens. "Nothing. It's just that you've grown since the last time I saw you. Your pretty hair's grown longer too." He reaches out to ruffle my hair, but I slap his hand away impulsively, glaring at him.

"Do not fucking touch me. Ever. I only let you put your hand on my shoulder because I'm exhausted, but don't ever touch my hair."

He looks shocked, and I roll my eyes, making my way to the bar. I order gin and tequila separately.

Asael leaves, and Keon reluctantly sits close to me. "You seem familiar with Asael," he mutters.

I twitch my lips. "He was my high school senior. Rhys, Asael, and Luciano.. they were all my high school seniors."

But Rhys is the one after my life.

Keon smiles. "Whoa! They're untouchable in college, and yet you had them as your high school seniors. If they keep seeking you out like this, and everyone notices, you'll become popular overnight."

He seems to admire them. I don't care if he admires Luciano and Asael, but if he says one good thing about Rhys, I'm going to lose it.

"Isn't that Rhys Volkov?" Keon suddenly asks.

I follow his gaze to the corner of the bar, where Rhys is making out with a red-haired girl, devouring her mouth while she squirms in pleasure against him.

A pool of rage erupts in my abdomen. Yet, I'm drawn in, mesmerized by the movement of his thick neck, the gentle tangling of his fingers in her red hair, and the subtle working of his strong jaw.

Fuck, he's enjoying kissing her, and he looks like he's about to swallow her whole.

I rip my gaze away from them and down my tequila in one gulp, followed by the gin. Before I know it, I'm ordering more, the voices in my head screaming to grab the displayed bottles and smash them over Rhys' head. But strangely, I want to smash the girl's head first, watch her bleed and scream as she runs from me.

As I keep drinking, I feel an overwhelming urge to vent to Keon. But when I turn to him, he's gone. I glance back at the corner, hoping to catch another glimpse of Rhys, but both he and the girl are also gone.

Suddenly, I don't want to be here anymore. I don't even feel like breathing anymore.

The world spins uncontrollably as I stand up. Honestly, it's been spinning since my first sip of the gin, but I've always had a high tolerance for alcohol, so I'm proud of lasting this long.

I take one step forward, and the world does a dizzying backflip. The cheers, screams, and music screech to a halt, and suddenly everyone in sight quadruples.

Another forceful step, and the floor beneath me lurches. I stumble and fall back into strong arms that holds me hesitantly.

"Huh?" I look up, meeting familiar gray eyes staring down at me with that signature 'you-ruined-my-life' expression. And inexplicably, I burst out laughing.

"It's you," I slur, grinning. "Tired of playing with that poor girl already?"

Those dark eyes darken at my words, and I revel in the effect I have on him. I chuckle, "Perfect," and raise my hand to touch his cheek. But before I make contact, his face blurs and quadruples.

Just as my fingers graze his heated skin, everything dissolves into blackness and.... silence.