Page 103 of Beautiful Chaos

She thinks about arguing but decides against it, just nodding with a shrug. “Do I need to change?” She’s wearing ripped up black jeans and a loose crop top. Should be fine. We’re all dressed casually as well.

“You’re looking perfect, Ladybug.”

She gestures to the door. “All right, lead the way.”

Her easy compliance is amusing. She’s been acting like she’s happy to be left out of the loop, but I know she’s been dying to find out what we’ve been up to. She has more willpower than I expected. It’s hard to believe she hasn’t asked even once.

I grab the keys off the hook by the door and lead the way to the car. A different type of tension fills the car as we drive down a few streets. Not being too far was one of our requirements, but we did want it to be a bit further into the hills. More isolated. Not off a street that anyone could drive down.

Scar taps her fingers against the window as she watches all of us, showing her curiosity openly now. As we start to get close, Noah says, “Alright, baby girl. Blindfold time.” I glance at the rearview mirror and see the mischievous smile she gives him as he holds the long piece of black fabric in front of her.

“Oh, I like where this is going,” she teases.

She yelps as Noah scolds, “Behave.” He must have pinched her. It’s the only time she ever makes that sound.

“Not my forte,” she grumbles, but when I look back her eyes are covered with the fabric. Nerves build in my stomach and my fingers dance over the wheel. Luca catches it and gives me a look, silently asking if I’m good. I shrug, and I can see he understands. We know Scar better than anyone, and we all agreed she would love this. We thought about her every step of the way. Every decision made with our new motto, ‘What would Scar do?’ Might as well get WWSD tattooed across our foreheads at this point. Sheshouldlove this. But… it’s a lot. Even I can admit it’s a lot.

What if it’s too much?

I pull out onto the private street and begin the climb up. Guess it’s too late now. No going back. I swallow thickly, catching the same nerves in Luca’s eyes. It unsettles me more. Ah fuck. I’ve never been this nervous before.

Large hands land on my shoulder and squeeze. Declan’s calm eyes shine back at me in the mirror. They help steady me and remind me how excited we’ve all been for this day. All the work that led up to it. Everything is going to work out. She’s going to love it.

The gate swings open as soon as it comes into sight. I wave to Adam in the guard booth, but don’t stop. Scar would definitely recognize his voice and he already knows he’s welcome to come up to the party after securing the gate behind us. We have enough security without the guards posted at the front, but if we’re no longer hiding, if Roe is going to be known as ours, we aren’t taking any risks. This place will be locked down tighter than any fortress.

Parking at the center of the circle driveway on the farside of the fountain gives the best view of the entire house for Scar to get her first look. House doesn’t feel like quite the right word. Coming from nothing, the extravagance almost makes me uncomfortable. But this is what Scar deserves.

Alright, let’s do it.

Taking a deep breath, I turn the car off and throw my door open. Noah and Ryder help Scar out of the car, keeping her blindfold in place. They situate her next to the car, just off to the side of the fountain so she can take it all in. We surround her and I can't take my eyes off her face if my life depended on it.

We all hesitate, holding our breath but when Luca nods, Ryder takes the blindfold off. My chest aches and my stomach is filled with bees in anticipation. Her eyes widen as they scan over the large property.

The house is surrounded by lush, green trees, making it feel even more private than it already is. From every window in the house, all you can see is greenery and city lights in the background at night. Far enough to feel like a secluded getaway while being close enough to keep our commutes easy, no matter what businesses we have on the agenda for the day.

The rich greens seem all the more vibrant against the modern design of the massive mansion. We wanted to tone down the excessive opulence and mimic some of the elements of Luca’s house. It’s black with white trim but the accents of over-grouted stone and sawn wood siding on the garages keeps the structure from being too overwhelming or dark. The contrast reminds me of Scar herself. Intimidating, dark, but still warm. The perfect place to call home.

The stone driveway is empty except for us, just as we instructed everyone. The driveway curves around the farside of the house and leads to an underground parking garage.

“Surprise,” Ryder whispers, breaking the silence.

Scar turns wide eyes to us, her mouth parting open in shock. I wait for her to say something, anything, my stomach flipping as she closes her mouth only to open it again. Nothing comes out.

Declan clears his throat, and Scar shakes her head slowly before turning and walking away. My nerves intensify, that doesn’t seem good. I’m not the only one doubting this plan based on all the fidgeting among us.

We all trade looks before we follow after her. At least she isn’t climbing back into the car? It has to be a good sign she’s walking to the front door. Right? Fuck, I hope so.

Scar stops at the front door, her fingers tracing over the plaque we have on the stone pillar of the entry.

“Everhart Estate,” she whispers softly.

Noah grips the back of his neck. “Is this a bad time to mention this wasn’t the only surprise we have planned?”

A surprised chuckle spills from her. “You guys are insane,” she says. Relief washes over me like a storm pouring down on drought-ravished lands. More potent than almost anything else I’ve experienced when I see the smile playing on her lips and hear the affection in her voice.

“More than you know,” jokes Ryder, and fuck if he isn’t right.

“Is this real?” she asks.

---