A couple of hours in,I found myself completely wrapped up in the night. It was me, Victoria, Carol, Jess, and a few of her friends, all caught in the euphoric blur of good music, strong drinks, and even stronger energy from the crowd. I was singing with the band at the top of my lungs. I’d forgotten how much I loved music.
The buzz of the tequila made things feel lighter. For once, I wasn’t the overworked, overstressed mom of two. I was just Jules. Just me. The music vibrated on my chest, and for the first time in so long, I wasn’t overthinking anything.
That was until a random woman leaned into Jess, whispering something in her ear. And my brain snapped back into gear. The carefree haze wavered as I noticed Jess’ expression stiffen. Oh, no. Whatever was said, it wasn’t good. Jess’ voice cut through the music.
“Oh shit!”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, already bracing myself.
Her eyes darted around the room like she was scanning for a threat. She leaned in.
“Chris is here.”
Shit.
Carol immediately caught the tension, her head snapping toward Jess.
“What’s going on?”
Jess didn’t waste time explaining; she raised her voice so we could all hear her over the music.
“Chris. Is. Here.”
Double shit.
I saw Victoria and Carol exchange worried looks. I wasn’t that drunk anymore. The tequila haze was replaced by a pang of anger. It wasn’t sadness or longing. Not this time. Just… rage.
MotherfuckingChris Jones.
I blinked a few times, grounding myself. I was having fun. Too much fun for him to ruin this. But the anger wouldn’t stop bubbling. That motherfucker. That son of a bitch. That egotistical, self-centered—Stop it, Jules. Focus.
Carol must’ve caught the turmoil on my face because she grabbed my arm and asked softly. “Are you okay?”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to steady against the rush of emotions threatening to swallow me whole.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” I lied. My voice was too even, too controlled. I was not fine. I was drunk, I was pissed, and I needed to pull it together before I spiraled. I paused for a beat, then added, “I need to go to the bathroom and wash my face. I’m too drunk for this.”
Carol’s grip on my arm tightened. “I’ll come with you.”
I shook my head quickly, plastering on a small smile to reassure her.
“No. It’s okay. I’ll be right back.”
I pushed my way through the crowd. Fuck. The tight, sweaty press of people was starting to get to me. My head felt heavy. Maybe I should leave.No.
Wash your face. Reset. Be human. Now.
I kept moving, focusing on weaving through the throng of bodies. Then I saw him.
Chris.
My breath caught in my throat, and for a split second, I forgot how to do the most basic thing: breathe. I stopped walking, rooted to the spot as dizziness washed over me. Fuck. Jules,breathe.I forced the air back into my lungs, but it hitched on the way down.
He looked drunk. No—trashed.His movements were all over the place, unsteady and sloppy. Typical. And beside him, Anna. Of course. And…oh, great,some other girl who couldn’t have been a day over twenty-one. The three of them were entangled in a messy, drunken make-out session, limbs and tongues everywhere. I could see their tongues from here.
Ew.
My stomach twisted. How could I still feel this way? I swallowed hard, forcing the ache back down where it belonged. No tears.No.Not here, not now. But then—because of course, it had to happen—his eyes found mine.
