บท 5: Mistakes

Renée was seriously bored out of her mind as she stared at the smiling faces and the dancing bodies as music pumped loudly in the background.

She supposed that she should be excited and getting involved in all the fun. It was her sweet 16th birthday party after all. But as the day progressed, she'd felt more and more out of it.

Something was missing. Or someone.

Perhaps she felt so down because her father had been summoned away on one of his business trips. All she'd received from him was a new Louis Vuitton bag, which she'd greatly appreciated, but what she wanted was her dad to be here on her birthday. Others would call her crazy for preferring her father's presence over a new handbag but she already had so many that it didn't make a difference to her.

It had been so long since she'd last seen him. The least that he could've done was to be here.

Realizing that Renée was in a sour mood, Anara approached her with a frown on her face when her eyes landed on Renée who was sipping from a glass of champagne but was making no effort to communicate with any of her so-called guests. Half of the people here had been invited whilst the other half had just turned up with the promise of a good time.

Mum and the guards had tried their best to make the uninvited guests leave but they had gotten the message loud and clear after a few attempts. In all honesty, Renée didn't care. She normally would have but she was so tired of keeping up this stupid facade of being a stuck up rich girl that she just watched as her house was falling apart.

" Aren't you going to join in all the fun?" Anara

asked, pulling down her dress slightly and smoothing out the creases, " You only get one sweet 16 after all, " She added.

"I'm just not feeling the fun, I guess." She said honestly, downing the rest of her drink quickly.

Anara scoffed at her slightly and watched as Renée began to pour herself another drink. Before she could even bring the glass to her lips, it was ripped from her grasp and she watched Ava drink all the champagne herself.

"You've had more than enough of that. " She justified whilst Renée rolled her eyes and tutted. There were plenty more bottles where that came from anyway but Anara wasn't to know.

Anara then narrowed her eyes at Renée, awaiting her reaction. Normally, Renée would have pulled Anara's hair out for taking her drink like that. It had happened multiple times before but Anara still insisted on annoying her in any way possible.

" Why are you still here anyway? Aren't you a little old to be hanging around with a bunch of drunk & horny 16-year-olds?" Renée questioned.

It was a little out of the ordinary. Anara had just turned 21 and yet here she was at her sweet 16 party.

Something was going on and she was sure that she would find out soon enough.

" If you must know, Mum ordered me to stay here to keep an extra eye on what's going on." She replied smugly, taking another sip of Renée's drink and she had to fight the urge to not laugh aloud.

Since when did Anara listen to anything Mum said?

Renée was startled when she felt a strong yet familiar grip on her hips and before she knew it, she felt something hard on her butt through the thin material of her dress.

"What the hell?" She said angrily, pushing herself away from the person. Her cheeks were slightly flushed but her anger soon subsided when her eyes met her boyfriend's, Rocky. He smiled lazily at her and she felt annoyance creep up on her. "Don't ever do that again." She said firmly.

He just smiled again and then lurched forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly. If it wasn't for her sour mood, she would have appreciated the gesture but instead, she pushed him off of her to make space between them.

His brown eyes looked hurt as she pushed him away but she really couldn't care less. He reeked of alcohol and sweat anyway.

He had the knack of getting himself wasted to the point that he couldn't even walk in a straight line, leaving Renée to clean up his mess after.

Not this time.

"I love you." He dimpled, caressing her cheek softly.

She stepped out of his embrace and simply said, " You're drunk."

Renée's attention was then drawn to Rocky's older brother, Mario, who was flirting outrageously with Anara who tossed her curls back and giggled at everything he said. Renée rolled her eyes at the scene.

Keep an eye on the house, my ass.

Sighing, Renée grabbed Rocky's hand and led him into the guest bedroom where he immediately sank into the covers, falling asleep in seconds.

She gently tugged his shirt off of him but left his jeans because she wasn't even going to bother pulling those off of him. She watched him sleep for a while, feeling like a creep for doing so but she couldn't help it.

His wild blonde locks had fallen forward, covering his eyelids a little. He looked peaceful and she placed a delicate kiss on his cheek before getting up. He mumbled her name a few times in his sleep which made her freeze a few times in an effort not to wake him.

She shut the door gently behind her, exhaling softly. She was exhausted and suppressed a yawn before she began to slip her heels off.

Mum had gone out of her way to make sure that Renée looked like a princess on her special day. She'd admired the blue halter-neck with a side split revealing her toned brown legs.

Perhaps it was a little too much. But according to Renée's father, there was no such thing as "too much".

They were overflowing in cash, everything in her house screamed it from the marble flooring to the pieces of art in the hallways, right down to the multiple bathrooms and bedrooms and the cars stored in the garage.

Her father had always worked hard to provide for his family's happiness but was this lifestyle really what Renée wanted? Wasn't her happiness important too?

She enjoyed the attention that she received at school and anywhere else she went. Everyone in this small town knew who she was. Her name alone stood for something. Yes, she enjoyed the fancy cars and new clothes and getting things whenever she wanted them.

However, her relationship with Rocky was plaguing her. Was she happy?

He could give her anything that she wanted. He came from a rich family, just like she did. He got on well with her parents and the whole family loved his company whenever she brought him over for family dinners and Christmases. Why couldn't she love him too?

He always told her that he loved her and she knew that he meant it. She could see it when he looked into her eyes but she had never had the guts to say it back.

He was handsome with his perfectly styled hair and deep brown eyes that you could get lost in. Not to mention his killer smile that made girls lose their control and his muscled physique that he prided himself on. He was kind-hearted, generous, and loving. He often made her laugh and he knew her more than most. He was a good guy, even if he partied way too much for her liking. And he was incredibly loyal. He'd always stayed by her side, no matter what odds were thrown at them to keep them apart.

He was all that a girl could ask for.

Yet, Renée was unsatisfied because she knew that she didn't deserve his love. Nowadays, their relationship felt forced on her side because she was trying to keep up appearances but it was getting more and more tedious as time went on.

The only thing that was stopping her from ending their relationship was fear.

She knew what her father had been planning for her all along. He wanted an alliance between the two families. With Renée's compliance, he'd be able to take London for himself and beyond. He didn't call himself the king of this city for nothing.

Mark Rivers was already one of the most feared yet most respected men in London but he wanted more. He wanted it all and Renée was the key to his ambition.

Mark Rivers didn't take no for an answer. He always got what he wanted; she knew that much. She wasn't directly involved in his business but she knew that it was far from legal but Mark Rivers was so powerful that even the police bowed down to him. He even increased their wages from time to time so that they would keep his secrets.

There was no stopping him.

Why couldn't she just have been born into a normal family? She sure wouldn't be in this mess right now. Her dad didn't care whether she was in love with Rocky or not. He would only be satisfied once one of his daughters took the Salvatore name.

Anara most certainly wasn't going to marry Mario. She was too invested in her fashion and had always been unserious when it came to men. She was a terrible flirt and had a little crush on Mario but her father knew that Anara didn't do relationships so all the pressure was put on Renée to deliver.

He'd always favored Anara over Renée anyway. That was made clear to Renée ever since she had been 5 years old. It was only when she began to grow up that she realized that her father did not treat his children the way that fathers should. She'd gotten used to being second best that it hadn't bothered her growing up. She had her place and Anara had hers.

Defeated, she quietly made her way into the store cupboard and dug through the drawers before looking for the champagne that she loved so much. She easily popped the cork off and cursed silently as some champagne spilled on the front of her dress. She tipped her head back and downed the drink, the bubbles tickling her throat, deciding that she didn't care about the stain on the front of her dress. Mum would freak out as it had cost her a fortune but it could easily be replaced.

She wasn't being spoilt. It was simply the truth.

The bottle was soon empty and she tossed it into the waste bin easily. She then continued drinking until all the champagne bottles were empty and then moved onto Mum's beloved white wines. She'd probably get grounded or have her credit card taken off her when her parents realized that she'd finished nearly all of the alcohol in a few hours. She rolled her eyes again as the thought came into her head. She already had enough on her case right now but she just wanted to forget everything for a bit.

It wasn't easy wearing a mask to the rest of the world, pretending that your life was perfect when in reality it was far from perfect.

She felt a wave of sadness rush over her and a few tears slid down her cheeks before she allowed the half-empty wine bottle to slip from her hands, smashing into pieces.

He was so quiet that she hadn't even realized that he had entered the room. Her gaze landed on her bodyguard, Dante. His face was etched with concern as he stared at her curled up figure on the floor with bottles littered around her. She couldn't even imagine how messy she looked right now.

She felt disgusted with herself but he crouched down and sat beside her, staring at her pityingly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, actually curious to hear his answer.

"I could ask you the same, " He responded, pushing his hair out from his eyes.

That small action made her heart squeeze momentarily and she had to fight the urge to put her hands in his hair to sort it out. It was always so messy but she loved it. He didn't try to look presentable or smart. He was just him and she loved that about him.

Before she could stop herself, she reached out and allowed her hands to run through his locks. She felt him stiffen at her action but he relaxed after a few moments.

They'd known each other for so long that each was comforted by the other's presence.

After a few moments, she removed her hand from his hair, blushing slightly. That was weird. She didn't know why she had done that.

He looked up at her with questions in his eyes. He huffed and put her hand back in his hair causing her to giggle. He was enjoying this too much.

"Are you okay?" He asked genuinely.

" No." She replied, " I'm just so tired of pretending to be someone that I'm not. I just want to be me. I want to be happy and I'm not. Everyone thinks it's easy being me but I don't even want to be me anymore. It's so draining having the spotlight on you all the time. I just want some normality and control over my life. I'm 16 now yet my father controls my life even away from home. I hate it." She explained, dropping her hand from his hair. She suddenly wasn't in the mood anymore.

" It's normal enough to want freedom and control. It's what we all want." He said, " I can only tell you to do whatever makes you happy. Focus on yourself. People won't accept you for who you truly are but it's better to be yourself instead of someone else. Your father would probably kill me for saying these words but you need to make your own rules and to break them when necessary. That's how you'll regain control."

She stared at him speechless. It wasn't his words that had thrown her off but it was his piercing green eyes that were so striking compared to pale ones that caught her attention. It was like she'd only really seen him for who he was at that moment. He'd been there for her from the beginning. Since the day that he'd been chosen by Amelia's father to protect her life at any cost, she'd known that he was special.

Why had it taken her so long to realize it?

"You're staring at me," Dante said when she realized that she had been caught staring at him. "What are you thinking about?" He asked.

She bit her lip nervously at his question.

You. I want you.

"What did you say?" He was looking at her incredulously and she caught on that she must have said it out loud.

"You heard right." She said confidently.

Before she knew it, she had climbed onto him kissing his lips with intense want and passion. He must have been surprised by her actions because he didn't respond for a few seconds but he kissed her back, taking full control of the kiss, grabbing the sides of her face.

This kiss was so strange yet it felt right. It was like kissing your brother but maybe she felt like that because she had known him for so long but she wanted him at this moment and he wanted her too.

She'd always been drawn to the bad boy persona that Rocky lacked but hadn't been able to bring herself to admit to herself.

She ground her hips against his which received a grunt from Dante. This was pure ecstasy and her hands were tangled in his hair and snaking around his neck. Her brain was screaming at her to stop this before it went too far but for once, she ignored her instincts.

She wanted him because she couldn't have him. This was breaking every rule in her father's book but Dante's kisses that had been planted on her neck were far too good to ignore. He easily scooped her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the familiar realms of her bedroom.

She sank into the covers and he resumed to kissing her. She was left panting by his kisses and touch by the time that they had both undressed each other. She'd never experienced anything like this before. Rocky had never left her this breathless the few times that they had slept together. The good part wasn't even here yet and she felt nervous just thinking about it.

Dante pulled away, causing her to pout a little and he just stared at her for a few moments, taking her in. She felt like she was under scrutiny as he looked her up and down.

" Are you sure you want to do this?" He said with a sense of urgency in his eyes.

They were taking a massive risk doing this. If anyone found out then Dante would lose his job and she'd break Rocky's heart. She looked into those green eyes once more and decided that he was worth the repercussions. She just needed one night with him. This would never happen again, she promised herself that.

It couldn't happen again so she would enjoy it while it lasted.

She kissed him hard and rested her head against his saying, " I've never been so sure about anything in my life."