Chapter 32
" Hallelujah my ass."
Rochelle Quinn's POV:
- Warning: Mention and brief description of self harming behaviour -
The one thing I despise about New Year's Eve is the rush to get ready and being aware of how bad the hangover's going to be the day after.
I glanced in the mirror, eyeing my hair and makeup. Layton had insisted on making me look 'perfect' for the NYE Ball at school.
Her argument was, and I quote, "Seen as your basically related to the Kardashian's now, you need to look the part." And to my question as of how the brothers are like the Kardashians, she replied with. "Are you joking? The Jensen's are rich, have more family drama than the Lohans and all their names start with a 'K.'"
To be fair, she did have a point.
Apart from the fact I'm not one of them, and I never will be.
Grabbing Kenzie's suit, my eyes skimmed over it in a last minute check for any stains or creases.
"I'm not ready yet," The boy complained as I burst into his room, his suit in my hand.
"Tough luck bitch...What?" I stumbled backwards, confused at the sight before me. He was lay on his bed, clutching a red towel across his surprisingly toned stomach. Dark grey sweatpants hung low on his hips, his hair still a mess; He didn't even look ready for the party, despite it being just an hour away.
Something was wrong.
"Kenzie?" My head tilted slightly as my eyebrows furrowed. "What's up with you?"
"I'm not dressed and I'm not ready yet, get out!" He said, obviously agitated. He shifted his body up so he was leaning up slightly, attempting to hide a wince of pain as he did so. He made a clear move to hide his arms under the towel, only furthering my suspicion.
I moved closer to him, placing his clothes on the end of his bed. I took his arms in mine and turned them so that I could see his wrists. The white, faded scars were more noticeable to me now that I was closer, but they were joined by a recent ensemble of red. I swallowed and gently moved the red towel so that his stomach was on display. Like his arms, red and white danced together across his abdomen. The conflicting colors shining against his tanned skin. The boy froze and stared at me as I stared at him.
"Cutting?" My voice was raspy, yet I wasn't surprised. The red lines were obvious but the scarring wasn't. I felt terrible for not putting the dots together sooner, especially because all the signs were there.
"It's a great way to break the stereotype." He chuckled darkly, his smile not matching his eyes in the slightest bit.
"Why?" I whispered the dreaded question almost fearfully, my nimble fingers running along the pale scars and purposely avoiding the recent red tracks.
"Everyone's addicted to something. Some addictions are just stronger than others." He swallowed, tensing his arms at my touch.
I shook my head, removing my fingers from his skin. "You are worth a lot more than this Kenzie Jensen."
-&-&-
I took a deep breath, straightening out my dress. The words that an old friend once said to me echoed through my head as I stared at my reflection.
Look like heaven, give 'em hell.
Kenzie had rushed me out of his room as quick as I would allow. The image of his scarred body still reflected hauntingly in my mind's eye. Years worth of cuts littered his body like violent parasites, feeding into his addiction further and further.
Everyone's addicted to something. Some addictions are just stronger than others.
Isn't it ironic? That the things we do to feel alive are the things that most often kill us.
Alcohol. Drugs. Cigarettes. Cutting.
He was trying to kill something in him that didn't belong.
I just didn't know what yet.
"You ready yet?" Keegan's voice screamed from downstairs. I signed, grabbing my bag and going to meet the brothers.
"Hallelujah, she's actually ready." Kane muttered under his breath, hearing my footsteps hit the stairs.
Hallelujah my ass.
My eyes widened once I saw the brothers stood there in their smart-looking suits.
"Oh Keegan darling, you look dashing." I spoke in the most snobby British accent I could manage, kissing one of his cheeks as he blushed deeply.
"And Kade, my dear boy. You look smashing." I smiled at him, repeating my actions with Keegan by kissing his cheek.
I embraced Kane in a warm hug, and this time he kissed my cheek, "Kane, ravishing as per usual."
He took my hand in his, planting another soft kiss on it. "Why thank you, my lady." He said in a failed accent.
I turned to Kace, and despite his smart attire, I still had the overwhelming urge to punch him. Instead, he pulled me into an unexpected hug. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. New year, new start, right?"
I wrapped my arms around him hesitantly, "Right."
I'm certain my social worker would be proud of me right now.
I could write a book: Anger Management 101.
"Well, Mr Jensen." I smirked at Kace, pulling away from the hug. "You definitely look very charming tonight."
He smirked back at me, "Well I am the best looking twin."
Kane looked at his brother as though he'd lost his mind. "We're identical jerk! And for the record, I've always been the better looking out of both of us."
I chuckled as they bickered between themselves, wondering where the last brother was.
I swallowed once I felt a warm hand embrace the small of my back, sparks erupted instantly at the point of contact. "You look beautiful."Â The husky voice whispered into my ear.
I bit my lip, embarrassment taking over my senses. Turning around, I locked eyes with the figure.
Kenzie.
My breathing hitched as I looked at him properly. His hair was styled back in a way that looked elegant but casual. The pure black suit looked incredible on him, it seemed hard to comprehend that the man before me was the same boy who had looked so broken earlier today.
I guess he is really good at faking his emotions.
He looked beautiful.
He moved my hair away from my shoulder, lowering his face to a part of my neck near to my ear. "Don't I get a little sentence like my brothers did?" His breath tickled my neck in a way that made fireworks lit up in my stomach.
"Why, Kenzie Jensen." I stared off, an authentic smile on my face as we stared into each other's eyes. "You look incredible."
--&--
The Black Diamond's first rule is 'Confidence is power'
Confidence has power. The power to make an entire room stare at one single person in either envy or jealousy.
Strolling into the school's doors, with my arm laced with Kenzie Jensen's, seemed to have a similar effect on people. Some of the stare's appeared jealous, whereas others appeared envious.
I guess it was always easier to make people fear you than love you.
"We're late." Kenzie whispered into my ear, twirling me as soon as we hit the dancefloor.
I chuckled slightly, "Where're all this confidence come from, Mr Jensen?"
He shrugged, pulling me along as he danced to the music. "I just feel like burning today."
My eyebrows furrowed, "How d'you mean?"
Another twirl, I spun around once more and Kenzie slid his hands onto my waist and my hands onto his shoulders. "You don't remember?"
"Obviously not." I muttered, a sarcastic smirk tattooing itself onto my face without permission.
"I'll explain one day, Miss Quinn."
"I'll be waiting." The song switched to a more upbeat and happy tune. A lazy smile lit up his face as I backed away slightly, grabbing another person's hand to dance with.
"Sky." I mumbled quietly, holding his shoulders loosely as we moved our bodies. "Ivi, how is he?"
The boy's eyes darkened at the mention of his brother's name, "Depressive episode. He's not moved since we took him home."
I nodded my head at his words. "I expected it to be honest. I'll come and see him as soon as I recover from my hangover."
"What hangover?" Sky's eyebrows raised at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him playfully, "The one I know I'm gonna have after this night's over."
He shook his head at me but didn't comment.
"Why are you here then? I don't see Alec anywhere." I asked curiously, my eyes skimmed over the crowd for a last minute search.
"I have another brother, Rock." He rolled his eyes at me, "He's called Kade, about yay high, 15 years old with brown hair and eyes."
"Okay, okay." I responded with an equal amount of sarcasm in my tone, "So why're you here for Kade?"
"Ivan tried to kill him." He deadpanned, looking at me as though I was stupid. "He's shaken up, he's not used to this life and he doesn't want it. It's different for us; We're used to it."
"I never wanted this life either, Sky, I didn't want the gang, or the drugs, or the hell that came with that group home. I never wanted to be the sort of person I am." My grip tightened on his shoulders. The song changed once again, slower and quieter than before. We moved our bodies closer to each other on instinct, lowering our voices.
"What and you think I did?" He kissed his teeth, scoffing slightly. "Rocky, I'd do anything to be normal. I got through Juvie but I hated every second, and now I'll never get that title off my back. I'll always be the youngest Diamond who got put inside for his brothers crimes."
"Yeah and I'm the only Diamond who got put inside for murder." I said instantly, ensuring nobody else could hear me. I couldn't risk the Jensen's finding out any more things about me. "Your brothers shouldn't have got you involved in that shit, I'm sorry, Skylar."
"I don't blame him, you know? Alec." He paused, "I want to, I want to hit him and shout until I can't any longer. But I don't think it was his fault, or Bodhi's. They did what they needed to do to survive, and to protect us."
"What's the ninth rule, Sky?" I questioned, already knowing the answer as though it was displayed right before me.
His eyes flashed with confidence and pride as he spoke, "Family over all, forever and evermore. We protect or we die."
"Kade's a part of that now, by blood. Forever and evermore. Never forget that." I planted a small kiss onto his forehead, holding his neck soothingly.
2 minutes until Midnight.
I needed to find Kenzie.
"Kace." I shouted loudly over the music, he was sat with an unfamiliar girl on his lap. Pausing, he looked over to me and waited for me to speak. "Where's Kenzie?"
"Mia tried with him again. He went outside and she ran out after him." He spoke between kisses, I wanted to vomit at the girls desperate attempt to move closer to him as she eyed me.
"Calm down, sweetie, he's my foster brother." I rolled my eyes at her pathetic behaviour before making my way outside.
I froze as a wave of anger hit me. Mia had pulled Kenzie to a wall and was now trying to kiss him and judging by the direction of her hand, she wanted something else as well.
But I couldn't ignore the fact his eyes were clenched shut and hands shaking slightly. He wasn't responding to anything she was doing.
If she puts her hands on you ever again, cut them off.
If I hadn't have been paying attention, I wouldn't have noticed the way his nails clawed at his sleeve, attempting to find a way beneath them to scratch the cuts.
A sharp pain erupted in my heart at the idea of him purposely hurting himself.
1 minute until Midnight.
"Fuck this." I muttered furiously, surging forward and grabbing a handful of the girl's hair.
"Hey, bitch." I said before using my grip on her hair to pull her halfway down to meet the welcoming hit of my knee, "Has anybody ever told you that no fucking means no?"
She coughed as I threw her body onto the ground near my feet. "No?" I bent down slightly, gazing directly into her cold eyes. "Well, I just fucking did. Touch him again and I'll cut your fucking hands off."
"Rocky." The boy pulled me upwards so we were facing each other. "10 seconds."
His gaze diverted between my eyes and my lips.
"9."
His breath hit my cheek as he spoke calmly.
"8."
I gulped as his finger's skimmed down my arm, until his hands finally settled on my waist.
"7."
I grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it off until it lay on the floor. Leaving him stood in his black shirt.
"6."
His voice was a little uneven now. I took his arm in mine, planting a gentle kiss onto one of the cuts.
"5."
I released his arm, wrapping mine around his shoulders instead.
"4."
Our head's moved closer together.
"3."
"Are you sure Kenzie?" I spoke quietly, wanting to make sure he was certain before anything happened.
"2."
He nodded his head, finally closing the gap between us.
"1."
He kissed me.
*************
QOTC: What do you all think of the ending??
All my Love,
Laska xx