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And Zach was the quiet one. He’d watch everything but never say anything.
Now, seeing them together, all grown up and decked out in million-dollar clothes, they all seem replicas of one another. Tall, blond and beautiful and made of the same fabric of cruelty.
Zach’s the only one who’s dark, filled with an innate darkness.
The darkness that I met last night.
Or maybe I met that darkness a long time ago. I just thought it didn’t matter.
I thought that when he called me his prize, he would at least give me the courtesy of putting on some clothes before kicking me out of his room.
Anyway, I know now.
For the next hour, I continue to serve drinks and zig-zag around these people, successfully managing to stay on this side of the line, away from Zach and his grown-up minions. The moment someone calls me over to the other side, I know my time’s up.
I know I’m going to have to face them. They’ll make me face them.
No sooner than I’ve served the drinks to a bunch of old ladies that tsk at my blue hair and lipstick, I hear my name called in Ashley’s very nasally and chirpy voice.
I take a deep breath, clench my fist before letting it all go, and swallow down the bile. It’s okay. I can do this.
I have done this, a million times before. Except it feels like all of that happened in another lifetime.
Turning around, I walk toward them.
Or rather, I walk toward him. He’s the only thing that I can see.
There are no outward signs on him of what happened last night. He looks the same, stunning and mean. Kind of dashing, even, in his suit that hugs his body like a glove or a lover’s hand. My hand.
His midnight hair curls over the collar and sticks up in places, lending him a lazy, sexy look. I can almost see him at future parties like this, wearing suits, sipping champagne and breaking hearts.
With his black eyes, he watches me approach their group.
My body, stupid, stupid body hasn’t caught up at all. It still flashes with heat at his stare. The flashes I’ve been getting all evening, making me think that he knew where I was the entire time, like I did him.
Reaching them, I stand at the edge of their group.
“Hey, Cleo,” Ashley chimes in, wrapping her hand tightly around Zach’s arm.
Like she has something to prove.
I look away from her hand and focus on her face. “Hey.”
“Have you been avoiding us?”
“Something like that.”
“Come on,” she says with a mock frown. “We’re old friends.”
The group chuckles at that. I do, too.
That’s such a blatant lie.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“So aren’t you going to serve us, while we refresh your memory?”
I give her a look but then I step forward, kind of including myself in the group. Then, Ashley starts the introductions like I’ve never met them before.
