Baby, Do You Love Me?

Emma

Emma inhaled a deep breath, as she and her two companions arrived at the address Shawn had forwarded to her. The music was loud enough to hear outside of the house, figures silhouetted in the curtains, voices piercing the night. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah," Mara said. The three of them walked up to the steps, Emma pushing open the door.

Her senses were immediately overloaded as the music blared in her ears, bodies surrounding her on every side, dancing, drinking, chatting and eating. As she pushed into the crowd, she could see other activities happening on the couches, against the wallpapered room. Sophie and Mara wandered in behind her, soaking it all in.

"Hey! I know that kid over there!" Sohpie shouted over the noise. "I'll be right back!" the other two nodded in acknowledgement as Sophie wound through the crowd towards someone Emma recognized as Amos.

"You go find Sean, thank him for inviting us" Mara said, "I'm going to go sample the appetizers." She smirked, a corner of her purple painted lips tilting upwards as she saw someone she knew.

Emma found herself being bounced along through the crowded area, and despite the rising heat, and the fact she could barely hear anything, she smiled. Someone smiled and waved from across the way. Alli. Right. The girl who had helped her adjust in the French class they had together.

A moment later, she made her way over, two cups in her hands. "Didn't expect to see you here!" She placed a cup in Emma's hand. "This is my favorite kind of pick me up! Give it a whirl."

Emma watched the amber liquid swirl around in the cup. The sweet smell wafted up to her. She'd seen something similar to it. When the gang made a good bust or had another reason to celebrate, someone broke out the expensive pick me ups as Alli called them. Emma had never touched alcohol before, but a little wouldn't hurt. So she grinned. "Cheers." She and Alli tapped the cups against each other, before they tipped them back.

She knew it would burn from watching Gisa's first time. She had choked and sputtered, everyone there laughing as she coughed. But as the liquid entered her mouth, coating her tongue, scouring her throat… she didn't cough, she didn't sputter… the mellow taste that followed the burn was sweet, soothing. She looked up at Alli again with a smirk.

"Yeah see!" Alli whooped. "I figured I would get you a glass of the good stuff before it was gone." She winked. "Oh by the way," she went to take a step and almost tripped giggling, "Sorry, I've already had a couple glasses, this is probably my limit. Anyway, Sean. He was looking for you."

Emma's heart leapt. "Where can I find him then?" She asked cooly, trying to mask her excitement.

"Last I saw, he was in the kitchen. He and Michael were heated about something." Alli said, "See you around Em!"

Emma made her way through the house, taking another sip of the drink. The burn was better when she expected it. What was Michael doing here? He was always under the scrutiny of the press, and his royal parents… if he was caught at a wild party with a crowd of college and high school students… She couldn't see what was going on, but the gleeful screams indicated that it probably wasn't good. She flashed back to the Pitts. Same kind of screams, different kind of entertainment. She could hear the roaring crowd when Gisa won her first fight in the Pitts, the shocked ringmaster holding her arm up, her other fist shaken at the sky as she screamed in victory along with the crowds. Screamed against the opponent who had teased her, called her a weak little girl. These screams were the same… but over something totally different.

Emma wove through the crowds, the kitchen coming into view, Sean indeed still conversing with Michael who had Annabelle draped across his arm chatting with a few others nearby.

Sean found her eyes in the crowd. His face broke into a grin as he waved her over. She met Michael's wide eyes, and found it in herself to send a wink his way. One that Sean couldn't see of course. Michael blinked twice. Most likely wondering if he had seen it correctly. But Emma was already on her way over to see Sean.

"Hey! I'm glad you showed up. I wasn't sure you'd make it!" He said, "You're looking absolutely stunning by the way."

Emma didn't have to pretend to fawn as she fiddled with a stray ringlet. "Aw, you think so?" She knew so. She had finally calmed herself down enough to think straight when her friends arrived. She chose a strapless white top sprinkled with flowers. That brought her slight freckles to the forefront. A short jean skirt, tall boots. She had brushed and curled her hair to perfection. Then she hadn't only done her makeup, but also her friends', Mara and Sophie gushing over her skill. Emma had made sure her cheekbones were prominent. Emma used her pale skin to make her lips pop out with a new lip gloss gifted to her by Sophie a week earlier.

"Your earrings are beautiful," he reached over, fingering the beads. "Annabelle, aren't her earrings simply exquisite?"

Michael bristled at Sean's attempt to rile Annabelle up. "I guess so. They aren't hideous." She turned around with a shrug, going back to her conversation with the others.

"Look at that Michael, I think she's a little threatened." Sean said. Emma raised a perfect eyebrow. She'd seen fights like this. On the island they usually ended up physical, but the two princes faced each other with an air of grace, neither prepared to take a swing at the other.

"Quit it Sean." Michael ground out. Dark circles stood out under his eyes. "You're just jealous she rejected you three years ago."

Emma took a step back. She wasn't unnerved, no, she was curious.

"Yeah, no. I'm still not pining over her. I realized she's a selfish little brat who won't settle for anything but the best." Michael's brow furrowed as Sean continued. "Hate to break it to you Prince, nobody really likes the sweet caring personality you have going on. That girl is after the crown. Not you. I wouldn't be surprised if she was messing around with ten guys on the side."

Michael swallowed hard, the plastic cup in his hand empty, and crushed. "You can poke fun all that you want. You're not the one dealing with the immense strain it takes to be Crown Prince. You won't ever truly have to deal with this strange topic called responsibility."

"The victim card isn't working Michael." Sean said. Neither boy was smiling anymore. "You've played it one too many times. I have no sympathy, and neither should anyone else." Sean looked to Emma who had stopped to watch the fight, along with a few others. She met his gaze from lowered lashes, pretending that the fight disturbed her. "Michael, could you look at Emma? Could you honestly meet her gaze and play that card? We all saw the bruises her companions bore. We all noticed she wore clothing from her neck to her toes." her face turned pink, but she listened to Sean, turning to look at Michael. "Can you look her in the eyes and tell her that your life is hard? And that nobody understands?" Everyone was paying attention now. "You are not the victim prince." he spat out the title, "You're nothing but a selfish little boy who thinks he's perfect."

He turned on his heel, offering his hand to Emma. She took it, casting a look back at Michael. His eyes were downcast, the curled sneer on his features had dissolved into a frown. He kissed Annabell, whispering something into her ear, before leaving the room.

Sean pulled her onto the couch next to him. Emma took a larger swig from her cup, nearly draining it. Sean chuckled, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean for it to get that heated…" he ran a hand through his blonde waves. "Mind if I have a sip?"

Emma handed it to him wordlessly as the liquid made its way down her throat, tingling from where it had rested in her mouth. Sean drained the rest of it, setting the cup down on the ground.

Emma laid her head down on the back of the couch as Sean gathered her hands into his, caressing the back of them with his thumbs. She shivered involuntarily despite the heat. "You alright Emma?"

She angled her eyes towards him. "You saw me throw back the drink…" she said with a half-hearted giggle. She wasn't so tired… but it was the act that counted.

He chuckled. "Tell you what, let me go grab us some more. You stay put."

Emma watched him disappear through the throng of people swapping words with a few people as he walked by. She laid her head back on the couch, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling. She closed her eyes, listening to the endless noise of the party. The thumping bass from the current song, the voices shouting over the guitar that blared from the speakers. Screaming and laughing came from another corner where she'd seen some people playing games earlier. Emma applied another layer of lip gloss, winking at someone who locked eyes with her. Seemed the island boys weren't the only ones who fell hard for her.

Sean sat down beside her. "Don't tell me you're ready to quit already," he asked when he noticed her head layed back on the pillowy cushions of the couch.

She sat up. "Not at all," She took the cup from his hands, "What is this one?"

"Some kind of cheap wine one of the boys picked up. We take anything we can get our hands on, right?" he lifted the cup towards her. His smirk, the playful glint in his eyes, the way he tilted his cup to the side. Everything seemed to melt away as they tapped their cups against each other. She smiled back at him, making sure to return the look.

She took a sip from the wine, the bitter flavor filling her mouth, but there was something about it that she liked. "What do you think?" she asked as quietly as she could to still be heard above the cacophony.

"Company is better." he said back, quietly enough that she had to read his lips to understand what he said. Emma figured it was on purpose, not that she minded. "Finish up, I want to dance." he said, louder.

Emma didn't argue, throwing back her drink, Sean doing the same. As the two stood up, making their way into the floor full of bodies moving in ways that Emma had seen in the island's clubs, a rush of excitement filled her, flooding her cheeks with warmth, her stomach tingling.

She put her hands up with the others, some people whooping. The rush was amazing. Sean danced beside her, Emma mimicking the motions he made as best she could. They were mostly familiar. At least some things didn't change. She bumped into too many people to count, but it didn't matter, not as she began to learn the chorus, singing the lyrics at the top of her lungs with the others. Her heart pounded as she twisted and waved her arms along with the crowd.

Sean grabbed her waist, making her notice that people were slowly pairing off for this dance at least. The dance wasn't slow in the least. Certainly not something she'd read in her many books… but she couldn't say she hated it. Not with Sean behind her, his hands making her breath come in uneven spurts. Sean most definitely noticed. She could feel his smile behind her. She could feel all of him behind her.

She raised a gentle hand, behind her head, finding his cheek right behind her. She cupped it tenderly, rubbing her thumb over that flawless jawline of his. The feel of him as they slowly swayed back and forth was enough to drive her crazy. She tried to keep her breathing forward, tried not to look at the hands snaking around her abdomen slowly, the feel of his breath as he began to twist her to face him.

Without a word, he brought one hand to her face, his bright eyes boring into her. He inhaled a sharp breath, before his lips collided with hers. Her body reacted for her. Emma didn't have to think about the way her arms wrapped around his shoulder. The way she rose to her toes as if she couldn't get enough of him.

She let her fingers caress the muscles of his back, one of his hands undoing the clip in her hair, the other pressing into the small of her back. She pulled back for a second with something almost like a laugh. He smirked, leaning in to kiss her again.

Emma's core warmed a little. He pulled her back in. So it wasn't just her then… The kiss deepened. She could have stayed there for a while longer, But Sean jumped back from her like lightning.

"Sean!" Emma winced, even though Sophie's voice wasn't yelling at her. "Sean you can't go kissing people like that! You aren't even dating her!" Sophie shouted, Mara was right behind her, grabbing for Emma's hand.

"I don't know, Emma seemed to be enjoying it," Sean said coolly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "You can't say anything either. If mom and dad knew where we were you know what would happen. It's just you and me. Those aren't good odds for you."

"Emma was there too!" She shouted back. "You're alright Emma, right?" Emma tried to respond, but Sophie cut her off, "My brother is a jerk and doesn't seem to care what other people think. Gosh Sean! You can't do that."

Emma shook her head, "No it wasn't your brother's fault I—"

Mara grabbed Emma's sleeve, "Let's talk outside!"

Sophie and Mara led Emma away. She turned back to Sean who rolled his eyes and mimed a knife through his heart. She almost chuckled.

Outside, Emma shivered, the chilly evening air driving away any warmth from the inside of the party. She brushed her hair, now undone, from her face.

"Are you alright?" Mara asked immediately. "We found each other and went to look for you, then we saw her brother kissing you, and Sophie just reacted… I can't blame her though."

Sophie shook her head, her face redder than she'd have thought possible, "I hate him. He thinks because he's so smart and athletic and owns businesses and programs that he can go around doing whatever it is he pleases." She sighed, "Do you want to head home? You must be overwhelmed."

Emma wasn't ready to quit by any means. Her head was spinning from more than just the past events but… "No! I want to experience the night with you three! Let's go play a game or something!"

Mara shrugged, but she smiled anyway, "If you're sure."

"Yeah, I won't let Sean ruin the night!" Sophie said louder than necessary.

They walked back into the party, the music greeting her ears making her smile. She actually knew this song… She started to hum along, her friends noticing and starting to sing it with her. Before they joined the games… What was a dance?

They jumped along with everyone else, the energy of the song filling her bones and her heart. Her skin electrified. Mara whooped, making the two of them giggle. Everyone was making a fool out of themselves, but nobody cared.

They edged closer to a few people playing some game she couldn't see over the people milling in between. "Pull up a couple chairs!" someone shouted. "It's called Baby, do you love me!" another chimed in.

Emma smiled. This was a game she knew. They found a few folding chairs, expanding the already large circle. Emma sat down as they started a new game. They chose someone she'd seen but never met before to be it. Emma looked up, realizing Jamison had made it over to the party, sitting to her right a few chairs over. He smirked at her before the girl who was "it" sat in his lap.

"Baby, if you love me… give me a smile." She said as high and whiny as she could. Emma giggled, watching Jamsion try to mask his smile.

"I love you baby but I—" he paused, wiping his face. Emma almost hoped he'd smile, but he straightened his face, "but I just can't smile."

Someone else laughed at the face the girl made, bouncing off of his lap. The game went around, a few people failing to suppress their smiles and taking their turns asking people to smile, sitting on others laps.

The night swung by in a blur of music, dancing, drinks and laughter. The party didn't even end when the red and blue lights turned on, even then... then it still raged.