Sydney beamed, clapping her hands again. "Perfect. Limo's already outside. Let's move, people!"
The limo was black, sleek, stupidly long, parked right at the curb like it owned the street. We piled in, me sandwiched between Zariah and the window, trying not to feel out of place among the leather seats and mini-bar stocked with bottles that probably cost more than my rent.
Sydney somehow ending up pressed against Cal on the opposite bench, her body angled toward him. Holland and Jake took the middle seats, sprawling out comfortably, while Kei sat across from me, legs stretched.
The second the doors shut and the engine purred to life, Sydney started talking, her voice cutting through the hum like she was hosting a show.
"Remember that summer we all snuck into the old quarry?" she said, voice loud over the engine hum, her hand gesturing animatedly. "Holland tried to cannonball and hit the shallow end. Thought he broke his ass for sure. We had to drag him out, and he whined the whole way home."
Holland laughed, deep and genuine. "Still hurts when it rains. Scar tissue or some shit. You remember how we iced it with stolen popsicles from the corner store?"
"And Jake…God, Jake tried to impress that girl from the next block by jumping off the high ledge. Missed the water completely. Face-planted in mud like a cartoon character."
Jake smirked, shaking his head. "Worth it. She kissed me later that night. Mud and all. What was her name? Sarah? No, Sammy."
Sydney kept going, her laugh ringing out. "Cal was the only one smart enough to stay on the rocks. Always the careful one, watching us idiots like a lifeguard."
Cal didn't react. Just stared out the tinted window, his jaw tight, fingers drumming on his knee.
She touched his knee then. Casual. Familiar. Like it was her right. "You were always looking out for us. Remember? You pulled me out when I slipped on the moss. My hero."
He shifted his leg away. Barely noticeable, but I caught it. She didn't seem to.
Zariah leaned into me, her voice a whisper under the chatter. "She's laying it on thick. Like she's marking territory or something."
I nodded once, whispering back. "Yeah. It's... a lot."
The stories kept coming...elementary school pranks where they TP'd the principal's house, high school parties in abandoned lots, the time they all got matching tattoos in someone's basement with a sketchy kit.
Every memory felt like a wall I wasn't invited behind, each one laced with "we" and "us" that didn't include anyone new. Sydney told them like she was the keeper of their history, her voice rising and falling dramatically, pulling laughs from the guys even when Cal stayed silent.
Chapter 5
Hadley
We pulled up to Eclipse, the club's neon sign pulsing blue and purple against the night sky. Bouncers waved us through a side door without a word, leading us up a private staircase to the VIP lounge…plush black couches arranged in a semi-circle, low purple lights casting shadows, a private bar gleaming with crystal glasses. Music thumped through the floor from downstairs, vibrating up my legs.
We ordered whiskey neat for the boys, vodka sodas for Sydney and Zariah. I asked for a gin and tonic. Light. Safe. Something to sip slow.
Sydney slid onto the couch next to Cal, her thigh pressed right up against his, like personal space wasn't a thing. "You killed it tonight. That last note? Chills. Literal chills. You always know how to end on a high."
He grunted, noncommittal, and took a long pull from his glass, his eyes distant.
She kept talking anyway, her hand resting on his arm now, fingers tracing lazy circles. Laughing too loud at nothing in particular, leaning in close to whisper something I couldn't hear. He didn't pull away, but he didn't engage either, just nodded once, twice, his focus on the drink in his hand.
Holland stood up suddenly, offering Zariah his hand with a grin. "Dance floor? I need to move after that show."
She grinned back, taking his hand. "Thought you'd never ask. Let's see if you still got those moves."
They disappeared down the stairs, laughing as they went. Through the glass railing overlooking the main floor, I could see them, bodies close, moving like they'd done it a thousand times before. His hands on her waist, guiding her through the crowd. Her head thrown back laughing at something he said. History. Clear as day, the kind that made me wonder just how deep their "childhood friends" story went.
Kei sat next to me on the couch, filling the space Zariah had left. Quiet at first, just sipping his drink. Then, "You okay? You look a little lost in the noise."
I looked at him. Really looked. Dark eyes that seemed to see more than most, a calm face with no hidden motives, just genuine curiosity.
"Yeah. Just... loud. All of it. The club, the people."
He nodded; like he got it completely. "It gets overwhelming. Especially after a show. The adrenaline crashes, and suddenly everything's too much."
