“Thanks.” I take a sip, the liquor biting sharp enough to make my eyes sting.
He starts talking—something about work, I think—and I lie easily. Say I’m in marketing. Something vague enough not to invite questions.
Then it’s travel. Something about a trip to Spain, or maybe Portugal? I nod. Smile. Laugh when he does.
But I’m not really here. My gaze keeps flicking to the corners, waiting for him to appear like he always does, but I can’t seem to focus. Everything in front of me is starting to blur. Dana and the girls are still dancing, but now there’s two of them. Or maybe four?
My head thumps.
“Shit,” I whisper, pinching my temples.
The room warps. The guy on my right seems to glitch, his figure stretching, then snapping back in front of me.
“I…I need to go.” I push to my feet too fast.
The ground lurches. My drink sloshes. My stomach flips.
“Whoa.” His hand catches my elbow. “Hey, you okay?”
I try to speak, but my tongue’s thick. “I…I think I should g-go home. Can you…can you call a car?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I blink rapidly, trying to find Dana through the crowd. She was here. I swear she was just here. Where is she?
Oh God. I’m going to be sick.
I stumble. His grip tightens.
“I need air.”
“Okay, come on. We’ll wait outside. The car will be here in two minutes.”
I nod, but it feels like my head’s made of lead. Everything feels wrong. And all I can think is, why does it feel like the floor’s falling out from under me and why the hell did I drink this much?
I’m going to regret this tomorrow.
His arm slips around my waist, and my mind goes straight to Aleksei. How furious he’d be if he saw someone else touching me like this.
If I’m supposed to be his wife, I’m guessing sleeping around isn’t part of the arrangement.
But…does that meanhecan?
The thought crashes through my haze like a sledgehammer.
I can’t ask him. That would make it seem like I care.
But what if it’s not about caring? What if it’s about setting boundaries? About demanding respect? That doesn’t mean he matters to me. Everyone deserves respect.
Am I even making any sense right now?
Cool air hits my face, and I realize I’m outside. The man is still holding me. Still steering me. My God, this is humiliating. I never get like this.
“I-i-is the-the cab here?” I slur.
“Shit, I think we missed him.”
Oh no. I can’t wait all night.
