Lost in The Devondale House

Chapter 3

I don't know how long we danced like that. Time seems to stop whenever my eyes meet his. Contrast to my green eyes his are a dark stormy grey color. There's also an ever present smile on his lips that I can't help but share.

The beat drops and for a moment and the people dancing around us fade away. He's handsome. I could tell that much despite the darkness and he looks a little older than I was. Early twenties give or take. Maybe he's an older brother of someone?

He's careful not to touch me and I notice the playful smirk on his lips. The way he was looking at me was a look of fascination and surprise. There's an intoxicating feeling in my bones and I laugh.

I must be dancing crazy for him to look that way.

"Addie! There you are!" I turn suddenly and see a worried looking Theo trying to shove people away to get to where I am. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

I open my mouth to reply but stop once I notice that the man I was dancing with was nowhere to be found anymore. Did my drunken state imagine him?

Theo sighs and takes my hand in his. "Let's get you some water. You've been drinking way too much with the wild girls."

He stirs us away from the make shift dance floor. Emma finds us on our way to the pool and her eyes light up. "Finally! Addie-" She freezes stepping close to me and takes a deep breath.

I pull away from her and giggle. "I get it. I smell like the wild girls."

Emma continues to frown and looks around sniffing. Her posture was tense and almost defensive.

"Emma?" I ask worriedly not knowing what's happening.

It takes her a moment and when Emma finally looks back at me, her frown deepens. "Sorry. You just smelled weird."

"Stop inhaling the newest member of the wild girls." Theo teased passing a glass of water in my direction. "Always the life of the party, huh?"

"My mom would be so proud." I tell them taking a seat by the pool where our friends were.

-

My buzz dies down a little with Theo micromanaging my drinks. Without Stacy near, he was being incredibly protective and a little annoying.

"Theo, would you stop intercepting Addie's shots?" Emma all but growls at my boyfriend.

They start to bicker and I tune them out feeling my skin prickle in the way that only the Devondale house could successfully do. My eyes find the woods and I squint. It felt like I was being watched and it wasn't Theo's sharp reprimanding stare.

The party ends all too soon. Emma, Theo and I make our way to the street where we parked. They're busy continuing their argument and I know Emma is defending my honor against Stacy . Still feeling the weird chill on my skin, I look around the street and see a familiar car.

The same car from outside the Devondale Residence.

What a coincidence.

-

I suppose I should thank Theo for controlling my drinks because if he didn't, I would be too hungover to jog.

It's five in the morning and the sun is just about to come up. I stretch outside my house and zip up my jacket over my sports bra. It's getting a little chilly nowadays.

Taking a few deep breaths and placing my AirPods on, I start my jog. Loud music is playing when I pass by the Devondale Residence. The car isn't there anymore. For a moment, I thought I only imagined the car from yesterday but then I notice that the gate was recently opened. The rusty gate left a mark on the ground.

Whoever parked here outside really did own the house.

Feeling the familiar urge to look away, I do and continue my run.

-

"Everyone is talking about that mystery guy you were dancing with!" Emma all but shrieks 

looking beyond excited for me and equally offended the moment I arrive at our lockers. "How could you not tell me?"

"What mystery guy?" Theo asks sounding defensive while he pulled out books from his locker.

Emma rolls her eyes at Theo. "You need to check our group chat more often. Our girl Addie was dancing with a handsome mystery guy last night."

"What?" Theo demands angrily. "She wouldn't."

"She certainly did! While you were busy entertaining Stacy, Addie was out having a good time with a really hot guy." Emma continued scrolling through her phone and reading messages from people while purposely pushing Theo's buttons. She looks up and shoots Theo a pointed look. "Oh, I'm so jealous of Addie. How was your time with the slut, Theo?"

Theo shot us his infamous reprimanding look and I pretend to cough looking away.

"If Theo can enjoy other girls you can too, Addie. He's an older guy right? No one recognized him." Emma gave me a long hug from the back. She didn't mean that. We didn't really 'enjoy' others. I tend to allow Theo to chat up with Stacy because she was his best friend and he'd blow a fuse if I corrected that. I on the other hand had an innocent silly dance with a guy. I've seen Theo dance a little... sensually with Stacy which would make my dance look friendly.

"I was a little out of it. I can hardly remember dancing with him but it was innocent. We didn't even touch we just kind of jumped around." I tell her and Theo honestly. It felt like a dream. A very blurry dream.

"Whoever he is, everyone is saying he's hot. Model hot. Did he happen to give you his number?"

I bury my face in my palm feeling Theo's piercing glares. "We didn't say a word to each other. Sorry, Emma."

She pouts. "Well, if you do meet him again. Ask if he's single and get his number for me."

"What about your wide receiver?" Theo quips smartly guiding us through the halls.

"Old news."

-

True to Emma's words, everyone was talking about the man I danced with. It was weird since I could barely remember our interaction. All I can remember is the loud music and the smile he had playing at his lips.

If I was being even more honest, I don't remember what he looked like. Only that he has grey eyes.

"Was he really that handsome?" Theo asked as he drove us to his place for a random Netflix date. There's a new serial killer documentary we've been dying to watch.

I grin at my boyfriend. "No. You're definitely more handsome."

"Good. For that you get extra wings." I can tell from the tone of Theo's voice that he wants to get angry and pick a fight but he couldn't because of his time with Stacy. If he brings up mine, I might bring up his.

Deciding to stop an impending fight, I force a grin. "Score!"

Cuddled up in thick blankets, Theo and I watch our most awaited serial killer documentary. True to Netflix's promise, it had my skin crawl and my stomach lurch. Theo who I think is part psychopath had his mouth open in awe the entire time. Did I just see him take notes?

"For research." He also didn't flinch once which just isn't right.

Emma was supposed to be my scream buddy but she's busy with her grandmother. For sometime now, they've been traveling into the woods far too many times.

What could possibly be there? Serial killers? Wild animals? Emma didn't seem to mind. She liked being outdoors.

Just when they were showing a particularly gory scene, my phone decides to vibrate and I jump in surprise falling off the couch.

Theo chortles heartily at my reaction and reaches for my phone. "It's just your mom. She wants you home to prepare for that charity event we have this weekend."

"Translation. She wants me to choose a dress that will show off her perfectly obedient daughter."

"I'll save you the time. No dress would ever let you look like that." He teases standing from the couch. "I'll take you home. Let me just get you a sweater. It's getting cold out."

Theo returns a few minutes later with a hoodie from school. I pull it over my white blouse and skirt.

"Start returning my sweaters. I'm running out because you keep taking them all." He says grabbing his keys from the coffee table. I wanted to say half of his sweaters are with Stacy but I keep my mouth shut and turn away. Theo lives in a big mansion with his father and their many maids and gardeners.

A small mischievous smile makes it's way to my lips. "Don't offer your sweater to a girl if you want it back because the moment you let her wear it, it's hers."

"Thief." I stick my tongue out and run out of his beautiful house.

-

"How about this green one?" My mom asks holding up a much too sequined dress.

"No." I say with a shake of my head. As the mayor, mom is always concerned about public image. The both of us -in her opinion- needs to be dressed well at all times. This meant we always discussed what we were going to wear before any important event.

Mom nods looking through a rack of dresses that she brought home to choose from. "Oh! How about this black one?"

"Isn't this a charity event?" I say with a laugh. It was a little revealing.

She sighs dispassionately. "Right. You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, sweetie."

I stand from my seat and join my mom by the rack of dresses. "It's alright, mom. I like looking through dresses with you."

Mom takes a seat and closes her eyes. "You used to enjoy it, Addie. I'm sorry. I know you don't like to talk about this but before your dad died, you were so different. You were lively, a little obnoxious and everything excited you. When he died, you sort of matured a few years."

My heart clenches at the thought of my dad. We were really close and his death took a toll on me. I mostly to kept to myself when he died. I know it's been a long time ago but the sadness never seemed to leave you. "I needed to mature. It's only us now and without dad to depend on, you had to depend on me."

"Which is wrong. I shouldn't be depending on you too much. You should be out having fun making the most out of life. Instead, here you are. Home alone with your old mother."

I laugh picking up on her words. "You're not old. I do have fun. I went out last night."

"You go out once every few months and you do it not because you want to but because that's what people want from you. If you could, you'd lock yourself up in your room."

"I'm just adjusting." I try to explain looking down at my hands.

"When your dad was alive you were out everyday. Driving long hours to the lake with him and whatnot. It's almost been four years, Addie. Your dad would want you to enjoy without him." And he really would. My dad was the type of guy that was the life of the party. He always made everyone laugh and he could make you feel important with just a few words.

"Enjoying seems wrong when he's not here."

-

"She says I don't go out enough-"

"You don't." Emma cuts off my rant through the phone with a bored tsk.

"Emma, you're kinda getting in between my rant here." I groan pacing around the balcony that overlooked the woods with my phone.

"Sorry. I'm not the best listener. I know you and Theo usually do this but he's currently unavailable so I'll be your ear or shoulder or whatever." Theo was having dinner with his overly strict father and could not answer his phone.

I lean on the railings staring out into the setting sun and the beautiful trees. "I still don't have a dress for this event."

"Ah, the rich people event that only rich people get to go to." Emma mutters carelessly.

Taking offense, I suck in a breath. "Hey! It's for charity and I invited you."

"Only joking. I have a couple of dresses you could borrow." Emma teases. I hear a rusting sound. She must be going through her closet. "Something yellow?"

"Yeah. I'd love to see it. I can drive to your place now." I tell her going back inside the house to find my keys that I most likely misplaced.

I hear Emma drop something heavy from her side of the call. "Don't!" She shouts sounding panicked.

"Is everything okay?" I ask surprised by her tone.

"Yeah! Sorry. Today just isn't a good day to visit." It was never a good day to visit in her opinion. I've never been to her house and neither has anyone from school.

Worried that it must be her grandma, I let her weird behavior go. "Is your grandma alright?"

"Absolutely. Hey, I got to go. Call you later?"

I stare at my phone a little confused but mostly worried for Emma. She hasn't always been welcoming to her home which I don't take personally but sometimes I can't help but be concerned.