nine

                                        

                                              

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
𝐋𝐎𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒, 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀
𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗔
I step into the club, the heavy music vibrating through the walls and pulsing beneath my feet. The air is filled with the scent of alcohol. The flashing lights making a glow over the packed crowd.
It's ironic—I'm late to my own party. Well, technically, Devin's party for me. He insisted on throwing it to celebrate the launch of Mirielles summer collection. It wasn't my first choice of celebration but I wasn't in the mood to argue. 
Adjusting the strap of my dress, I scanned the room, already feeling the weight of eyes on me. I mean, at least I made it.
Bella is the first person I see when I walk in, and just like that, the tension in my shoulders eases. Her dark hair cascading over one shoulder as she leans in to say something to Hailey. When her eyes meet mine, a large smile spreads across her lips as she rushes towards me. 
"Vi, I thought you weren't going to make it to your own party!" Bella practically screeched as she threw her arms around me, making me stumble back a step. Her perfume was strong but it didn't quite mask the sharp scent of vodka on her breath. I considered making a comment but decided against it.
"Sorry. I got stuck in traffic," I lied, the words slipping out too easily. I didn't even know why I bothered. 
Telling Bella—or anyone—that I almost skipped my own party would have sounded ungrateful, maybe even condescending. Devin had gone through all this effort, and I was supposed to be celebrating. So I kept my mouth shut.
Bella pulled back slightly, pouting as she narrowed her eyes at me. Even drunk, she could tell when something was off. Sometimes I appreciated it; sometimes I didn't. Right now, I wasn't sure which it was.
"I knew something was wrong since you didn't come here with Devin," Bella called me out, making me bite the inside of my cheek.
She must have noticed my discomfort because she immediately switched gears. "I'll sober up, and we can talk about it later—only if you want," she added quickly. "But for now, go find loverboy."
I nodded as she placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek, making me grimace. She pulled away, heading toward the bar to grab a bottle of water—probably to sober up.
Making my way through the crowd, I accepted congratulations and engaged in small talk, all while keeping my focus on finding Devin. 
It was obvious that he had been the one to make the invite list—everywhere I looked, it was familiar faces, all connected to him in some way.
I moved toward the back of the bar, where I could only assume Devin and his friends would be. Even though he had rented out this stunning, luxurious club, it was just like him to retreat to the most low-key spot in the room.
"Vi!" A voice called out, making me jump.
I turned around to see Gigi, her face lighting up with a wide smile.
"Gi." I smiled back as she wasted no time pulling me into a tight embrace. It had been almost a month since I last saw her, a stark contrast from the weekends we used to spend together.
"How have you been?" I asked as we pulled apart.
"Me?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Let's talk about you, Miss Best Summer Collection Ever."
I felt my cheeks heat up at her words, but before I could respond, a realization hit me. If Gigi was here, then he must be too.
Snap out of it I try telling myself. It's not the end of the world. I'm the one who said it was okay that he came—even after Laura and Bella told me not to.