Page 106 of House of Bass

“You and I have never known the meaning of that word,” I say, “At least not in the conventional way.”

“Do you want to know what I think?” he asks and I nod. “I know you’re my best friend, I know you’re my heart and my soul and I know that in every single universe, it will always be you and me.”

I can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face, “You sound so certain.”

He gives me a small smile, “I have never been more sure of anything else in my life.”

Hearing him say this has my heart floating on cloud nine and as we dance, it is like we’re the only two here. Despite the fact that I can feel the stares from the room penetrate my skin like bullets, I ignore it. Choosing to enjoy the moment.

Minutes later, I spot a spirited Olivia, whose blonde hair I will never be able to get used to after years of dark brown hair, talking to Nic and my head immediately whips to Arden. “How did your father agree to let her out of that place?”

Sidestepping the question, he kisses the side of my head and tells me, “You look beautiful tonight, Saint.” Leaving me on the dance floor to watch him walk away. That feeling of something being wrong grows again.

A tap on the mic has me looking behind and brings me out of my thoughts. My parents get on the small stage together. They don’t look stiff or unnatural, they present as the perfect couple they have always pretended to be.

“Give it up for our amazing orchestra,” my father bellows and applause follows. “My amazing daughter will be joining them soon to show you all how we Bass do things.” They all laugh like he’s the funniest man alive (he’s not).

“I can’t thank you all enough for being here tonight. This day has always meant a lot to us, decades of tradition being upheld today. My father told me that his father told him that tradition is important. It is what keeps us, us and without it we would just be like everyone else. Ordinary. There is one person I have to credit for upholding it and the beautiful night that lay ahead of us; my fantastic wife.” My mother smiles that perfect smile of hers, not faltering even for a second despite the heavy looks that have plagued the whole night.

A waiter hands me a drink and before I can decline they have already walked away. I have been sober for exactly two weeks, six days and eight hours; and I’m not going to jeopardise any progress I have made. It means a lot to me to do this and it means a lot to Harley that she isn’t dealing with another version of her mum. I don’t want to be that person for her. The prosecco rests in my hands as I focus my attention back on my father.

“Now onto the biggest donation of the night, we have none to thank other than Richard Thorne.”

Arden’s father comes into view and walks up the gold stairs and you can feel his ego ripple with each step. The applause resumes as he gets on stage, which doesn’t help my unease. He looks so much like his son, there is no doubt that he is the father. Except those hard lines on his face that help emphasise his wickedness.

The mic is handed to him. “This has been a wonderful night. I’d like to thank the Bass family for having me, new and old,” he says slyly and I know right there that he is responsible. He is the one who leaked Harley’s birth to the papers and I watch my father come to the same realisation just as I do. But nothing can be done at this moment.

He carries on his speech and it is so significant to note that compared to my father he is such an uncompelling speaker. I could fall asleep listening to him. Finally he wraps up, “I usually wouldn’t do this here but it felt like the right time to mention that my son will be getting married in the coming summer to his betrothed, Madeleine-James Cox.”

People don’t realise that broken heart syndrome is real nor that its official name is cardiomyopathy and often caused by emotional and physical stress. I believe that is what I am experiencing right this second as I feel my soul violently leave my body. I stagger, almost falling against whoever stood behind me.

A spotlight reveals their presence and the two are tightly wound together, stiff, as the people in the room clap and cheer at the announcement. Madeleine and Arden wave to the crowd but they are both looking at me, the latter bores his eyes into me as regret fills them but the former…the gold dress she’s wearing gives the illusion of a huge ballgown and her hair is tied in a thick bun. The hatred in those eyes is deadly. She is never going to forgive me but worst of all she is forever going to be his. He lied to me.

My ears are ringing and my eyes are brimmed with tears. I drink the prosecco in my hands in one go, and run out of there. Far away I can hear the sound of my name being called out but it does nothing to dissuade me from sprinting away as far as I can. There is a valet standing outside and I snatch a key out of his hands for a random car.

But the thing is, the other car, it really did come out of nowhere. One minute I was driving pissed off at everyone and myself, the next, nothing but headlights.

39

HARLEY

Scarlett had been gone for some time and Harley was hoping she could think up a reasonable enough excuse to escape the awkward situation she had found herself stuck in. Devon and her remained the last two in the spot that was previously occupied by their friends. Nicholas and Daniel disappeared to God knows where and Annabel was dancing with Arden. Harley couldn’t help hoping that one of these days two would be able to love themselves out loud. She didn’t get it before why they couldn’t just be together but there was a lot at stake.

Nonetheless, she was now standing side by side with the girl she had been on the receiving end of nothing but standoffish reception.

“I like your dress,” Harley told her. The dress was more pale yellow than gold but it was nice to look at in all its sparkles and there was a decent amount of skin showing too around the cleavage.

“We don’t have to do this. The fake niceties? I’m good,” Devon said, downing her drink at once and walking away.

That’s that, then.

Harley went ahead to find her girlfriend instead of waiting around for something exciting to happen at this dreadfully boring party. What a horrid way to spend a birthday.

The ballroom was severely packed and maneuvering her way past people was such a feat that she had just turned the corner to the toilets when someone clutched her arm from behind, it momentarily scared her. But it was only Arden, who looked more dishevelled than she’d ever seen him. Not physically but internally.

“Harley. I need to talk to you,” he said, his face weaved through multiple waves of emotions at once. A lot of it devastation. He never called her Harley; it was only ever Banjo or Harleen to piss her off. She looked around the room for her sister at once, because that was the only reason he would be in a rush to speak to her in such seriousness.

“Did something happen?” she implored.