Chapter 008: Crossed Lines
1608 Words
~SAFFRON~
Out on the balcony with this guy I just met—Elixir, with his thick British accent, I can't stop spilling details about myself to him, talking about my art—how I love drawing, painting... A part of me wants to shut up and keep that quiet, reserved-girl energy, but every time he talks, he says something so perfectly relatable that the words just tumble out again. Like when I mention leaving my tiny town in New Jersey for New York. He gets it. He tells me pieces of his own life too. The important ones being he's a hockey player, he loves art—just looking at it, and he goes to Sterling Heights College. Damn right.
“I can introduce you to my sister and my friends,” Elixir says softly once he empties his glass of wine. He watches me, waiting for a reaction. “If that’s okay with you of course.”
Meeting his twin and his crew? My stomach flips. That sounds terrifying, nerve-racking.
But hell yes, I want to.
My legs are already aching from standing here so long. A little walk sounds perfect.
“Okay.” I say.
He beams at me. “Come with me then” He nudges his head towards the direction that leads to where the party is being held.
I take one last deep breath of the cool night air and then I follow him.
The beat slams into my chest again. Bodies everywhere. Elixir stays just a foot ahead, handing his empty glass to a passing server and glancing back at me every few seconds. Checking if I’m still behind him, or maybe if I have changed my mind and bolted.
We’re weaving closer when a crowd starts chanting a name I know too well.
“Jason! Jason!! Jason!!!”
My steps slow, and I turn towards the noise.
There he is.
My step brother in the center of a loud circle, playing beer bong like it’s an Olympic sport. He’s chugging from a hose, his throat working, the crowd roaring every time he swallows. When he finally stops, a drop dead gorgeous girl pushes through the bodies, grabs his face with both hands, and kisses him.
It’s not a cute kiss. A kiss. The kind that gets your hair messy and steals your breath. His fingers are in her dark strands, pulling her closer as he kisses the f**k out of her.
My throat burns.
“Saffron,”
That's Elixir. His warm hand finds mine, and he tugs me forward until the chanting and the kiss disappear behind a wall of swaying bodies.
I wait for the question—You know that guy?—but it never comes. Instead he leans in, voice low against the music. “You alright?”
I nod fast, forcing a small smile. “Yeah.”
Jason is simply just… having fun. Like he wants me to.
We continue to weave through the crowd until we reach a lounge, approaching a low table where two guys are sitting. One of them smoking grins and raises his glass at us. “Elixir! You stealing the prettiest girl at the party already?” The other one just laughs quietly, his eyes curious as he looks between me and Elixir. A third guy joins them, fresh from talking to a girl in the corner. Elixir introduces me to all three. They’re surprisingly kind and easy to talk to. His sister is nowhere to be found though. One of them says she just stepped out.
“Let’s sit over there and talk some more,” Elixir says, pointing to a secluded corner. I follow him. It's way more comfortable than having a conversation with three boys I just met.
“So, are you looking forward to your first day of college?” he asks the second we sink onto a couch.
“Yes. Absolutely—” I say.
He rests his jaw on his hand, staring at me like he’s mesmerized.
“Maybe you could fill me in on some rules and regulations,” I continue.
“Sure.” He smiles. “Is Sterling your dream college?”
I shake my head. “It was on my list once.” He leans in a little closer, paying full attention. “Until I found out you can’t apply for scholarships this year. The fees are outrageous.”
“Absolutely.” he pauses, “That’s why I deal drugs.”
My eyes widen, lips parting. “What?” He shrugs with a crooked grin. “Tell me you’re joking.” I say.
He laughs then. “Of course, I’m joking.”
The relief hits so hard I start laughing too. For the first time tonight, my shoulders actually loosen, and it feels like I'm forming a genuine connection. Elixir’s eyes are on me, soft, amused, like he could sit here trading stories until the sun comes up. But the laughter dies the second my eyes drift to a figure storming toward us.
Jason.
God, he looks so furious—eyes blazing. Two guys built like an athlete walk behind him. I recognize one of them instantly. Jason's hockey teammate from the rink.
“Time to go,” Jason says quickly. He doesn’t even glance at Elixir. It’s like he doesn’t exist.
“Your step brother?” Elixir asks quietly as he looks at Jason. I nod.
“Now?” I ask Jason, but he just stares at me, waiting. “Can’t we stay a little while?” I try, keeping my voice calm, that kiss of him with the dark-haired girl now replaying in my head. Just when I’m finally starting to have fun.
“No. We’ve got to go now,” he says flatly.
Elixir leans back, arms resting on the couch. “If she wants to stay, then let her stay, mate”
Jason's jaw ticks. “f**k off, Elixir.”
Jason’s hockey teammate steps closer, cracking his knuckles.
My eyes dart between them at the sudden realization. Jason knows who Elixir is. He’s looking at Elixir like he wants to punch him hard in the face. Elixir stays perfectly calm, smiling like this is just another Tuesday.
“Saffron, let’s—”
“Bloody hell, Jason Winchester!” Elixir snaps, voice rising. The way his face switches to being angry in a second scared the s**t out of me. He catches himself, glances at me, then clears his throat and drops back to that smooth British tone. “You can leave. I'll get her home safely, I promise.”
“Oh hell no, you won’t,” Jason growls, stepping closer to Elixir.
Elixir’s three friends appear behind us, forming a loose half circle like they’re ready if things turn ugly. Phones are already out, whispers spreading in the lounge.
Everything is happening too fast. I'm speechless, trying to come to terms with the fact that they know each other. Did Elixir know I was Jason’s stepsister the whole time on that balcony?
“I know what you’re doing,” Jason says, eyes locked on Elixir. “Not. her.”
Elixir rises gracefully, folding his arms across his chest, biceps pressing against his black denim. “I’m doing nothing wrong. It's what you've chosen to believe, mate”
“Saffron, now.” Jason ignores him, holding my wrist firmly. My breath hitches at the sudden heat of his skin against mine—a shiver races up my arm as he pulls me up.
“Jason, you’re only her step brother. Not her father,” Elixir says, gently pulling me back.
“Step brother?” Another voice cuts in. I turn, and I'm surprised to see it's the girl with the auburn hair from the rink. Her face twists in bewilderment as she stares at us.
Jason ignores her and looks straight at me. “I told you to meet new people,” he says, “not talk to some loser.”
That does it. Something inside me cracks open, and I yank my hand free from his.
“Don’t bloody call me that,” Elixir says with a tight expression, stepping nose to nose with Jason. A half smile splays across Jason's face—it’s concerning.
“Stop!” I manage to shove them apart. The entire lounge has gone quiet except for the beat still thumping from the main room. Every pair of eyes is on us.
This is exhausting and I'm done being quiet. Also, I'm old enough to make my own decisions.
“I’m staying,” I tell Jason, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Saff—”
“I’m staying, Jason.” I cut him off, voice firm. “You can… go ahead without me.” I say, my throat tight. “I'll find my way back”
He chuckles low. When I finally look up, his blue eyes have gone ice cold, staring at me like I just slapped him.
“Fine.” Then he walks away, the guys he came with trailing behind him like guard dogs.
Phones lower one by one.
The auburn-haired girl is still frozen in place, staring at me like I’m some living art piece on display.
I don’t move. I just stare at the empty space Jason left behind, my pulse racing, the ghost of his grip burning on my wrist and the taste of his cold stare still sitting heavy in my chest. When I turn, Elixir is watching me calmly, a small amused tilt on his lips. I squeeze my eyes shut, wondering why the hell it feels like I just won and lost at the same time.
- Writer
