“H…hi… I’m…I’m Peter… you know… um… I’ve sat behind you… this… entire year…in…in Trig… and I was just… wondering…sh…fck. Lame. Peter. That’s so lame. God. Can’t you talk like a human fcking being? Instead I’m here… in my room… talking to myself in a mirror practicing how I’m going to ask this girl out who has no idea I exist… why… why am I even trying… and I’m still… just talking to myself… great… yeah… perfect…”
That was a snippet. A tiny snippet of what felt like every single fcking day of Peter’s life. It was hard living up to the “Parker” legacy. You know… the “confidence” legacy. The smarts - Peter had. Ask him to build a piezoelectric transducer - give him a day. Week max. Ask him to talk normally to human being… well… give him a century. No really. It’s not that he was shy. He wasn’t. He was just… socially awkward. And nobody really… understood. Like… just look at his family - seriously.
His dad… might not be the greatest guy in the world, but at least he had the guts to say what was on his mind. Peter couldn’t even do that… His mom, on the other hand, was an actress the entire world adored. So if someone knew how to play the room, it was her. And honestly, with how his dad acted, he needed someone as charming as his mom. Then you had his older sister, who definitely took after their parents. And even his little sisters knew how to command the room and they were 9… yep… they were 9 and they scared the hell out of him sometimes.
And it wasn’t even just them. Even his extended family was like that. Confident. Socially graceful. Jezebel, for example. She tried to make him feel better at one point saying she used to be a people pleaser but come on Aunt Jez, she literally heads an entire company of assholes and does it with ease. Practice makes Perfect OKAY JEZ HE’S ALREADY 18 AND HE CAN BARELY TALK TO THE FEMALE SPECIES WITHOUT TRIPPING OVER HIS WORDS. And don’t even get him started on the Pierce family. Or worse, the DeLoughrey’s.
So there you had it. Peter was the oddball out.
“Dude. Duuuuuuude. DUDE.”
Peter felt something hit his head and snapped out his eternal mind fck. Blinking a few times to get a sense of what was going on, he found himself sitting in the back of a black range rover - two of his friends laughing in the front seats staring back at him. Right - Senior Trip. Peter Parker and his five closest friends had decided (and by decided, Peter means 4 of them decided and forced Peter to come with) that this was the best way to spend their last months of freedom before college started. This. This being skiing. Did you know what Peter never really learned? How to ski. So yeah… yeah… that was how today was going.
“Are you still thinking about Sarah. Dude droopppp it. It’s fine. Guess what. You’re a new person for the next two months. Forget Peter Parker who can’t even say a word to Sarah Miller before the last bell rings. For the next two months you are… Chad…”
“Chad Beckham. Tell people your David Beckham’s nephew or something. Forget Peter. And go fck around.”
“sigh really guys? Why wouldn’t I just say I was Daniel and Valerie Parker’s son if I wanted to be related to famous people.”
“Yeah you tried that for the past 4 years and where did it get you.”
“Ignore him. It’s okay Petey, we’ll get you laid in the next two months. Just be Chad. Be someone else. This trip is a chance for you to forget Peter and figure out who the new you is before you run off to MIT with all the other nerds.”
Peter didn’t even have a chance to defend himself before Arnie cut him off.
“Nope, stop arguing. Come on. Derek and Tris already left like 5 minutes ago to check us in while you spaced out. Come on we gotta get this shit to our room.”
Yep. This was great.
This is exactly what Peter wanted to be doing. Okay fine not really but… he’ll get over it. And it’s not like his friends were going to let him not come on this trip so yeah… he’ll figure it out. He always does… or rather… he tries. After all, that’s exactly what Peter was doing right now, lugging his suitcase and duffle towards the check in while mentally… “dealing” with it. Peter had spent 4 years at Cerulean High… accomplishing nothing with his social life… and maybe his friends were right. Maybe he needed to snap out of this haze he was in. Maybe he needed to be someone else while he was here. Maybe…
What was he thinking?
Peter was definitely thinking something but that… fell out of his mind the moment his eyes landed on this… girl.
Yes. It’s fcking cliche… and no… his heart did not skip a beat. He did not just fall in love with a stranger. This was not a romantic comedy. She was just… probably the prettiest girl Peter had ever seen in his life. She was just pretty. You know… so pretty that Peter found his legs moving to get a better view of this girl…
…and of course… he wasn’t exactly watching where he was going…
And of course again… Peter walked right into a luggage cart, trampling over it causing both… himself and about 8 pieces of luggage to drop to the floor. Yep… this was the cumulation of his life wasn’t it? Him staring at the ceiling - embarrassed as all fck… not even trying anymore to look in the direction of that girl because she was PROBABLY laughing just like his friends were as they helped him up.
How fcking perfectly perfect it is to be Peter Parker.
At the very least, an hour later, he found a small mental break in the shower. His friends had decided to go check out the slopes, annnnd Peter… stayed back. Again - he doesn’t know how to ski. But sooner or later… his friends will drag him up there. But now… isn’t that moment.
Turning the water off, Peter tried to grab a towel. Tried being the operative word. Tried because instead of finding a towel where he left his towel, he found a note from Derek that said “THIS IS FOR BEING A JERK AND NOT COMING WITH US”.
Great.
Great.
Yep.
They had taken all the towels.
Of course they had.
Trying to just… remove all the water he could from his body (yes he did a little shaking dance), Peter carefully made his way to the bedroom where… of course… his luggage was missing.
He just…adored his friends. Mmhmm. He definitely wasn’t going to murder them in their sleep. Not at all… not… at… all.
With a sigh, Peter opened the bedroom door to go to the shared lounge area of the room they were all sharing. Yes they were in a very expensive… very fancy… resort room. They layout of their room had 3 bedrooms, with 2 of them sharing with twin beds and Derek who snored like a trucker getting his own room because no one was going to deal that. And then, there was also a shared living room with a tv and couch and a small kitchen area and bar. Anyways, Peter knew his luggage had to be in one of the other’s bedrooms… or at the very least, he could snag a towel from one of their rooms.
That was the plan at least.
Yes he was… completely wet and naked walking out of his bedroom with his… you know… swinging side to side…but…no one was there.
It would be fine.
Well…
It wasn’t fine.
And why wasn’t it fine? You might be asking. Well…
The moment Peter was about half way across the lounge, right next to the couch, in his route towards Derek’s room - the front door opened.
And no.
No it wasn’t one of those idiots. Which would have been fine. Not ideal, but fine.
Nope.
It was a girl.
Not just a girl. Nope… with his luck, why would it be? Nope…
It was the girl he saw before.
And so, there Peter Parker was, standing completely naked… in front of the prettiest girl he had ever seen before. And that’s when the panic set in.
Shit.
@novella - The prettiest girl he’s ever seen @astxrism - “Deloughrey’s” generally mentioned @Littlefeets - Jez mentioned @CerealKiller - Val mentioned and all Val and Dan’s kids
Note: Okay not my best work but I’m trying to get back into writing so forgive me ella
“My God, does he not understand how lucky he got with you? I can’t believe you even gave him the time of day, that boy was punching, he is so pathetic.”
Most people would be punching if they were to date Sophia Gabrielle Hawthorne. There had been eyes on her since the day Delilah had shocked the town, if not the world, with her pregnancy. And she was made for it. She was Hawthorne blood, after all. Eighteen years later and Sophia had truly maintained the attention she had captured. The Hawthorne name continued to become a household one as Sophie and Delilah conquered the Upper East Side together. It had always just been them, and it was all they needed.
One thing they were currently conquering was Zack Lawrence. Sophia’s first serious and long-term boyfriend that had been going perfectly since sophomore year, until days after graduation when he was caught by one of her friends cheating on her. The perks of being a friendly face to everyone: having eyes everywhere. Though it came with its downsides, the fallout of this event becoming known by all, including a photo of their argument being posted for everyone to see and voice their opinions on.
It was that post that the Hawthorne girls had open as they sat in Delilah’s Bentley, the roof down to let the sunshine in, Delilah zooming in on Zack’s face as she gave those words of disapproval. “‘Amber Harley’ didn’t seem to think so,” Sophie responded, the mystery culprit involved in this scandal. It was a name she had never heard before, a person she had never met, yet a girl that was able to have such a colossal impact on her life. That was when Delilah’s insulting approach turned to a more sympathetic one. “I know, baby, I’m sorry you’re hurting,” She told her, brushing Sophia’s hair behind her ear. “But on the bright side, you get to start college free from this dead weight,” Delilah continued, “You’re going to have so many amazing experiences,” She enthused, exiting the Instagram post and putting her phone away. “Probably all the better now without him.”
Well, those experiences would be starting now. The graduation celebration ski trip Sophia had planned with her best friends now had second purpose: break-up bounce back vacation. “We’re outside, girl!” Alison exclaimed on the phone, to which Sophia gathered her things together and jumped in the car filled with music and excited squeals.
“So I hear there’s a party going on tonight literally right down the road to this place,” Hannah enlightened the trio as they headed to the reception of the chalet they were staying in. “Ah, which means we arrived at the perfect time,” Sophia remarked, handing her bags to one of the attendants, and heading for the check-in desk. “What we’re saying is après-ski minus the skiing?” Alison questioned as Hannah began talking to the receptionist gathering room information. “Isn’t that what we came here for?”
Interrupting their light laughter was the echoing sound of a crash bouncing on the walls. Sophia’s attention switched to a group of guys who had been checking in alongside them. More specifically, the one who had caused the commotion. Though he was hard to spot at first, considering the way he was inconspicuously looking around in attempt to deflect blame - but his laughing friends weren’t letting him get away with it. “I hope he didn’t break anything, our wine was in there,” Hannah whispered with concern as her eyes remained glued on one of the many bags that fell victim to the crash. “Waitt those guys are kind of cute,” Alison noted, in a volume less considerate than Hannah’s had been. “Say it a little louder, Ali,” Sophia told her sarcastically as a few of their heads had turned in their direction. Not the luggage-cart aggressor, no, he had stayed hidden after his performance.
Once they had been checked in and handed their keys, “Let’s go and scope out the place,” Alison suggested, neglecting the keys on the desk. “You guys go ahead. I need to use the bathroom, that was a looong journey,” Sophia told them, taking the keys and heading towards their newly-assigned room. “Okay fine, but that does not mean you get first pick of beds,” Hannah warned, her voice raising more as Sophia was purposely unresponsive to that instruction. “Remember who it was that found this place!!!”
Unfortunately, Sophia hadn’t been listening to the receptionist giving the details about their room, which became obvious when she found herself stuck on which number room was theirs. So for a while, she had to trial-and-error, testing their key on each of the doors, before eventually a door opened and a sigh of relief escaped her.
Though Sophia’s plans to have her own tour of their room, and a… potential bed-claim sorry Hannah, were abruptly interrupted by a person standing front and centre as she walked in. Quite hard to miss. Also hard to miss was the fact that he was naked. “Wow. What a view,” She commented, an unbothered tone concealing her initial surprise at the scene. She let the comment sit in silence for a moment, before tilting her head past him, “From the window, relax. So is this naked service a part of the deluxe package or was this just a little complimentary thing?” Sophia asked him, looking away to give him a chance to conceal himself and keep ahold of some dignity. “Sorry, ‘little’ was rude. That wasn’t—” She stopped as his speed-changing came to a conclusion and she was able to turn back to him, “This isn’t a good day for you is it?” Sophia asked, in reference to his luggage-cart attack prior.
A fcking naked mole rat. Mmhm. There was nothing else that could really describe him better than that.
Let’s just say, this… this whole situation… wasn’t on his bingo card this year. Hell, it wasn’t on any of his bingo cards for the next… lifetime. Nope. Great. At this current moment he was just… attempting to cover as much of him as was possible. Which, hate to break it to everyone - with only two hands… he couldn’t really do much. Oh, except blush. His entire face, without a doubt, was red. Was this a prank? Did one of his friends plan this? No… they couldn’t have. They couldn’t have predicted when he’d come out of the bathroom… or… yeah… fck. Just… just… is this a nightmare? Can this be a nightmare? It would mean he’d wake up. No? Right… right…
Just.
Fck.
And she was… staring… at him…
The prettiest girl he had ever seen was staring at him… and he was there… not even able to get half a word out.
“Wow. What a view.”
Right… Right… talk Peter. Was she talking about him? Why was she… never mind that. Clearly she wasn’t talking about him… or… no… it doesn’t matter. Peter, make a joke… say… something. GOD SAY ANYTHING. Nope… he just stood there like a deer in headlights. Instead he was just turning redder by the second.
“From the window, relax. So is this naked service a part of the deluxe package or was this just a little complimentary thing?””
Right… of course… the window. That’s what she meant. Yep… that makes sense. Right…
He still hadn’t said anything had he? Though after a second, he found her looking away, and in an instant - he reached for something. Honestly, Peter hadn’t even realized what he grabbed until he was trying to figure out how to put it on. He had ended up grabbing the throw that was on the couch. You know… one of those… aesthetic throws… that was woven… and had holes… and… nope it’s fine because if he folds it… and then wraps it around his waist… he’s… uh… canceled enough. At the very least… trying to… quickly… put something on distracted him enough that he wasn’t nervous about talking. Or… or he was still nervous and he was just trying to convince himself he wasn’t.
“From the window, relax. So is this naked service a part of the deluxe package or was this just a little complimentary thing?””
"Deluxe? Not…uh… that I was…um…told… sorry… "
“Sorry, ‘little’ was rude. That wasn’t—This isn’t a good day for you is it?”
Peter now was standing behind the couch - using the slight distance as security… in case… you know… this weaved throw wasn’t doing as good a job as Peter hoped it was. Though the “security” didn’t exactly stop his heart from beating a milllion miles a minute. Perhaps it was the fact that he had just been walked in on by… right he didn’t know her name. A beautiful girl . He had been walked in on by a beautiful girl. Let’s just… leave it at that. And he was continuing to make a fool of himself in front of this girl.
"How… could you guess? " Peter asked, the nervousness making his voice quiver slightly - and Peter attempted to cover it with a cough.
“Sorry…sor… I don’t usually just walk around naked after my shower… or trip over luggage carts… I’m not one of those… guys… I mean I am… a… a klutz I mean… so yes to the luggage cart… falling… thing… that type of stuff I’ve… done before, but what I mean is I’m not… the type to walk around naked in a hotel room… um… in case you were wondering… this is definitely a one…off… ha… My friends… took my towel and clothes to mess with me and so I was trying to find them… and you walked in… and… yeah… yeah um… sorry… why… why did you walk in?”
Was he oversharing? Maybe… okay yes. Yes he was definitely talking too much. But Peter couldn’t help it because when he’s nervous the word vomit… just comes out and it doesn’t exactly help that this girl is staring at him with these big doe eyes.
You know what sucks? Not being able to tell her brother she’s from like 30 years in the future. Or anyone. Like literally, here she is with ALL this future knowledge at her disposal - and she’s bored out of her mind. You know what she should do? Go win the lottery… okay that would be useful if she actually ever paid attention to the lottery and remembered the numbers. Alas, she does not.
Oh well.
Learning new skills it is instead. But… cooking’s out of the running. Honestly… if she tries anything else in the kitchen, her brother might actually kill her. Either him or their maid…or both… oh god… she’s going to die in this life time isn’t she? Sigh.
It’s all so rude. Doesn’t Justin know she’s trying to avoid Leo… and avoid thinking about Leo… and avoid thinking about anything to do with her ex. Was Leo an ex? Could she even call him an ex in this life? no… not really…
Nevertheless, she could go on and on about Leo and how her mind keeps thinking about him…
Clearly avoiding that has been proving to be very hard.
Even now, she agreed to drive around town with Justin so that maybe… just maybe she could distract herself from thinking about him… Leonardo who’s probably… sleeping with that girl from 2 nights earlier… maybe he’s dating her now? Right? Who knows. If anyone knows - Addie knows he’s open to… dating long term… right now… so… good… for… no you know what…
Fck him…
No… that’s a little too harsh. She did this to herself. She shouldn’t be blaming him… even mentally…
Sigh. You see her issue right now? She can’t even distract herself with hanging out with Justin.
“You’re driving”
Ohhhhhh…kay did she hear her brother correctly? He’s crazy right? Absolutely bonkers. She was perfectly happy being the passenger princess all day as they went from his school to the school library to the mall… to the furniture store (to buy kitchen appliances Addie had broken)… so yep, they had been at soooo many places today. AND SHE HAD NEVER DRIVEN ONCE.
“Nope, you’re psychotic.”
“Either you’re driving or we’re not leaving the parking lot.”
“Do you want to bloody die today? Because that’s what’s going to happen if I drive us home.”
“Come on Addie, weren’t you the one going on and on and on about learning new skills. Well guess what, you’re 17 and it’s time to learn how to drive. Here - if you drive home, I’ll get us chocolate ice cream.”
YEAH JUSTIN? WELL SHE CAN’T ENJOY THAT ICE CREAM IF SHE’S DEAD SO, NO.
So Addie argued… for a loooonnnng time. She did. She tried SO hard to convince this idiot that she will NOT be driving. But… clearly… clearly it wasn’t bloody hard enough seeing as Addie was currently sitting in the driver’s seat driving a brisk… 15 miles per hour on a 40.
Yes, she was getting honked at.
Yes, she was scared out of her bloody mind.
BUT SHE WAS NOT DRIVING FASTER THAN THIS, FCK OFF JUSTIN.
Her full attention was on NOT KILLING THEM.
And you know what Justin was doing? He was laughing.
LAUGHING AT HER. LAUGHING LIKE LEO DID THAT ONE TIME.
WELL.
DID THEY LAUGH WHEN SHE WAS IN A HOSPITAL BED? NO.
SO SHUT UP.
What was he even laughing at? Nothing.
Okay fine maybe her speed… or her asking every 2 seconds where they were going and his answer being straight every time.
BUT SHE WAS NERVOUS.
SHE HADN’T DRIVEN IN YEARS. For good reason too.
“Anytime the next 15 years, turn left at the light.”
“I hate you. Have I said I hate you? I hate you. And… did you say left? Left? Or right? Or…”
“Left Addie… but you might want to stop, the light just turned red.”
YEAH JUSTIN SHE SEE’S THAT.
Taking a deep breath, Addie put her foot on the break.
Or she thought it was the break.
Guess what?
It wasn’t the break. Instead of stopping, Addie found the car revving forward, and in an instant, with a rush of speed, Addie slammed Justin’s car into a… extremely nice… extremely expensive looking black car. Fck. Was that an Aston Martin? Yep… they were fcked. That looked expensive. Well, particularly it. looked like one of Leo’s old cars that was limited edition. So, yeah, it looked expensive.
Fck.
Her heart was racing.
Fck.
Adelaide Parker didn’t know what was going on. Her mind was spinning - and Justin was saying something but she didn’t comprehend anything anymore. No. Instead, Adelaide’s kept blinking… kept remembering… a certain moment… a certain event… when she couldn’t’ breathe.
Was she breathing right now?
She was, right?
Was Justin even in the car anymore?
Turning to her right, Adelaide saw his seat empty.
Nope.
Justin wasn’t in the car anymore.
Closing her eyes once again, Addie tired to ground herself to the current moment again. She could hear yelling from outside. Someone screaming. Who? She didn’t know. But, probably the owner of the expensive car in front of them. All she knew was her heart was racing and her mind kept replaying the memory of glass breaking all around her. But… someone was definitely yelling, right?
Well.
She didn’t know until she looked back ahead of her once again - finally registering the scene. And for a second - a mere second, she felt like she could breathe again. Leo. Wait. That was Leo.
Leo was in front of her. Her husb… no… not her husband in this world… not her anything in this world. Fck. That car wasn’t like the Aston Martin Leo had, it WAS the Aston Martin Leo had. Great.
Great.
Of course.
Despite the mental break down she was having, the one thing she could say was Leo’s presence had brought her out of her panic attack.
So to recap: Justin was outside. And Leo… was outside… and Leo was… yelling at Justin… who was… trying to diffuse the situation.
The situation? What situation.
Oh.
Addie had… yeah… yep… of course… Adelaide Parker had crashed into Leo’s car. Of course she had crashed into Leo’s car. In the past week, she had seen Leonardo Azure 3 times. Why wouldn’t she see him more. Obviously, out of the hundreds of thousands of people who lived in this bloody city, she had to crash into Leo’s car.
You had to be fcking kidding her.
He was mad.
Of course Leo was mad, Addie had just crashed into his… yep… his new car. Because in this year…he had just gotten this car. Great.
Breathe, Addie… breathe. Leo couldn’t see her and Justin was dealing with it. Right?
Nope.
Nope because Leo was pssed.
And he was pssed enough to be asking Who the fck was driving - looking right at her. Well… right at her but this car had tinted windows so she knew he couldn’t see her. But… she knew Leo… and she knew that he was pssed, he was going to get what he wanted.
And now, here Leonardo was… knocking on the drivers window… looking at her but not at her… screaming “Get out. Accept some damn responsibility”
She didn’t want to. Nope. If Addie had a choice… she’d rather not talk to Leo right now. Even if a part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him because she was still shaken up with… everything that had just happened. But realistically, Adelaide knew Leo wasn’t going to let up.
With a deep breath, Addie turned off the car - grabbing the car keys and opening the door - not… looking up at Leo just… yet. Getting out of the car, Addie went straight past him and handed Justin the key - looking at him with… SO much frustration as she hit him on the shoulder. A well deserved hit, by the way. “I bloody told you… that I didn’t want to drive.”
And with that… another deep breath left her lips, looking at her brother with a hint of anxiety… but pushed that feeling down before turning to Leo. “I… I’m sorry. Clearly I’m not the best driver - trust me, I will not be doing it again. I’ll pay for the damages… so what do you need from me to get this figured out? Since, as you said, I should accept some damn responsibility. I personally don’t have my checkbook on me right now and I don’t think my brother does either, but I can mail you whatever amount to the Palace Hotel.”
There.
She sad what she needed to.
With that, Addie let her eyes go to Leo’s - expecting a response of some kind. You know. A “fine” or “sounds like a plan”. Something simple. However, Leo looked confused.
Why was he conf… oh…fck… she said… right. right… Adelaide Parker does not know where Leo lives.
Sht.
“If I don’t pay up, you know where I live so are we good here? I imag…”
“How do you know where I live?”
Fck.
Addie was keeping her features steady… bored almost. As if the question didn’t faze her but… yes… yes it did. Because her mind was trying to figure out what the hell to say. Hi Leo, I’m from the future and I know where you live because we fcked in your apartment multiple times and I basically lived there for more than a year doesn’t seem like the right response so… so… she had to… come up with something else.
She couldn’t look him in the eyes. She knew if she did - he’d see her thinking… her mind racing…trying to grasp for an answer. However, the thought left her mind when she saw a blackened bruise behind his jacket.
Wait.
Did she hurt him?
Did his chest hit the steering wheel when she crashed into his car?
Oh god.
It was instinct, the worry that coursed through her veins. Her hand immediately went to his chest - as she looked towards him with worry whispering “You’re hurt? Did I… Oh god darling, did hurt you?”
Gently moving his jacket to see the damage, Addie let her fingers trace the mark from his chest to… his neck. Correction it wasn’t… one bruise. It was… multiple. And… it clearly wasn’t something that just happened.
Addie knew she had no right to be hurt.
But why did she feel like someone had just stabbed her in the chest?
“Right… right… never mind… Clearly you’re not… hurt…”
The minute she realized the fact that those marks were hickeys, Addie let go. His skin… burned hers… and it hurt…so bloody much. She couldn’t look at him. Addie knew she was torturing herself… she couldn’t blame Leo for this. He was… single. He had every right. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.
She couldn’t look at him in the eyes - but from his movements, she could see him covering himself up.
“Again, how do you know where I live?”
Right.
This.
God…just shut up Leo.
Fcking.
Urgh…
She was annoyed… and angry… and… a in a TEENAGER’S BODY so don’t blame her for the words that came out next.
“Maybe pay less attention to what I know and go back to paying attention to all the girls you’re clearly fcking. Clearly you’re not hurt by the fcking accident so can we just get on with it?”
Okay.
Okay maybe she shouldn’t have burst that out like that.
After a second, she sighed - an idea popping in her mind as she looked back in his eyes.
“I guessed okay? I saw the car you’re driving - you give rich, preppy, girl’s hit on me all the time - but I really couldn’t be bothered unless it benefits me - business savvy - probably going to take over your dad’s company -… annoying “I live in a condo” kind of vibe. And your car has a hotel parking pass with a fancy “P” logo on it- I can literally see it from here - and the only Condos near here that probably lives up to your standards are The Palace Hotel. So - call it an educated guess. Does it really matter? Just… look… give me your room number and I’ll send over a check in the mail. I’m guessing two thousand will cover the inconvenience and the cost to fix it? Great. Let’s get on with our day.”
"Maybe if you put as much effort as you put into making assumptions about someone into your driving, we wouldn’t be having this conversation”
Really Leo? Come on - they both know she was right on everything she said. AND DID SHE NOT JUST SAY SHE DOESN’T WANT TO DRIVE AGAIN. You want a fight, Leo? Fine. Fine. YOU’RE PISSING ADDIE OFF. Here you go. Call her petty, whatever. But she was annoyed.
"I don’t make assumptions - I make educated guesses and from how annoyed you are with me, darling, I’m guessing I was right?”
With a defiant gaze she stared at him - ready for the fight that was going to start, her hand up towards her brother to make sure Justin didn’t step in. But… after a second it hit her: what the hell was she doing? She didn’t need this fight. She didn’t want this fight.
All she wanted was to let Leo live his life. Leo doesn’t owe her anything… and honestly… in this world, she doesn’t… deserve anything from him either.
"Look… I’m sorry… I’m sorry about the car, okay? I do want to make it right so can we just figure this out… You’re right - I need to take some responsibility for it and I’m trying. Is sending a check to you okay?”
Perhaps it was the shift in her tone… or something else… but she felt him ease into the conversation as well. He was no longer on attack mode. Thankfully.
“Fine, what if it get’s lost in the mail?”” "Again you know where I live” “I don’t have time for all this back and forth stuff.”” "But you have time for me to deliver it?” “I have time now - who says I’ll have time in the future?”” " “I’ll have someone deliver it for me, to make sure you get it at a time that’s convenient for you.” “In what world is that you taking responsibility?”
Cheeky arse.
"You just won’t bloody let up will you? Fine - If you have time right now, come over to my place and I’ll do it right now” “Deal.” "Addie - I have to go to school to grab something right now so we can’t”
School? Didn’t Justin just drag Addie to his school like 2 hours ago to go ge… oh… he was trying to give her an out. Right. Right. Aw… her brother looked concerned.
Cute.
What a good younger brother.
But honestly, Justin was right… maybe this was getting too…
“You have your house key right? I’ll drive you and your brother can go to school.”
Yeah Justin looked annoyed.
Addie was going to say something but she found Justin finally stepping in front of her, pulling out his wallet and grabbing a stack of hundreds. “My sister’s not going anywhere with a stranger. Here. This is more than it’ll take to fix your car. We’re sorry for the inconvenience. And my sister will pay me back, so I promise it’s her taking responsibility. So if you don’t mind.”
With that, Justin pulled Addie towards the passenger side, opening the door and ushering her in before joining her a second later. Leo, on the other hand, stood there for a few seconds - looking towards her and then looking at something on the ground for a few seconds before heading back to his car.
This was good.
At the very least, Justin stepping in meant… distance.
And hopefully this was the last time she’d see Leo again.
The sound of frantic movement broke out the instant Sophia looked away. From the brief glance she had when initially walking in, it seemed there was little options for him to turn to. Sophia still managed to appear unfazed by the situation, which abruptly contrasted the man’s undeniable distress. She hid a small smile at the absurdity of this situation, not wanting to laugh right in front of him. Though she noted that there hadn’t been any explanation for what was going on. Nor had there been much words from him in general.
When it seemed the sound of rustling had stopped, she assumed it was safe to look back. With his choice of protection, Sophia had to avert her gaze to the ceiling as it seemed she had presumed wrong. “Interesting choice,” She remarked at the practically transparent blanket he had chosen to cover up, before he began some poor attempts at stringing a few words together for some form of explanation.
As he finally stood behind the couch, acting as some suitable protection, Sophia deemed it suitable to look back as he continued to ramble about how this happened. Though as he was talking, Sophia’s attention turned to the sound of motion from the other side of the door. She waited for a moment to bring that observation into the conversation as she turned back to him. “Ah. It all makes sense now,” Sophia commented, although clearly unconvinced considering the lack of a cohesive answer from him. “But don’t worry about it, it’s not like I haven’t seen worse,” She told him, with a detectable playful tone, trying to brush the situation off for his benefit.
“I walked in… to my room,” Sophia informed him, holding up the key she had used to get in. “It seems it’s already been settled into. Soo…” She trailed off, looking around. “It seems the receptionist was out to get you,” She told him in a lighthearted tone.
Then Sophia turned to the door, “But I think they tried to make up for it,” She continued as outside the door revealed the luggage bags that had been dropped off, which was basically his saving grace at the moment. “Maybe you’re luck is finally turning around?” Sophia enthused as she slid one of the bags across the room to the general area of the sofa he had been stuck behind.
Leo wiped the condensation off of the mirror. This was a waste of his time. Not that he had anything better to do. He didn’t want to be getting ready for this event, but he had no choice. His father made that abundantly clear. After all, with just a slight turn he could see his back in the mirror, showing the few remaining stitches that were a resultant of the last time he was on his father’s bad side.
The event was his responsibility now, after what happened with the event planner. Fine, maybe he was a bit irritable, but it was her loss for quitting. Someone had to think of a solution, because what is someone supposed to do when the event planner quits right before a big event? Anyone else would have to start from square one picking up the pieces, so why not look to the event planner’s own assistant? The only problem, she was Addie’s best friend, Miranda.
There wasn’t much other choice, so Leo vouched for her with his parents. She may not have much experience, having only done smaller affairs on her own, like church bake sales, or Leo’s own birthday party, but he had seen enough to know she was capable of more. Plus, most of the event was in place, it was just the final touches left and to make sure all the pieces fell into place. Leo just didn’t intend on his parents deciding that because he thought Miranda was so capable, and the previous, well established, event planner quit because of him, he could handle making sure it went well himself. So with that, there was no option of skipping whether he wanted to or not. His attendance was mandatory.
Some time into the evening, after Leo had done all that was required of him, he found himself speaking with the girl who made sure the entire event went on without a hitch, Miranda herself.
“You did a great job with tonight.”
“Most of it was already done. I didn’t do anything special, you didn’t really need me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. I think a lot of people couldn’t have pulled this all together last minute nearly as well as you did. You did that, not someone else.” Leo then took two glasses of champagne from the passing server, offering one to her before adding, “You should celebrate.”
“I… I don’t know. What if…”
“There’s nothing else you need to do at this point. There shouldn’t be anything that will fall apart without your attention. So now you should congratulate yourself on a job well done.”
“I guess you’re right, I checked everything, more than twice, and…” she paused, looking up at him, as if taking a moment to consider his words further then deciding that he knew more than her. “You’re right.” She added, taking the glass he offered.
Leo had already had more than a drink or two before approaching Miranda, but by the time the event was winding down, he’d had more than his fair share, and certainly more than Miranda who was already beginning to sway. Event guests had already begun to leave, so it wasn’t much effort to guide Miranda out as well. Just because the event was over, doesn’t mean their little celebration had to end.
He led her into the elevator, and the moment the doors closed, he stepped closer to Miranda, bringing his hand to her cheek. When she looked up at him, it only reinforced his decision. He closed the distance between them and brought his lips to hers. If she wanted to back away, she still had the chance, but he knew they were both too intoxicated to stop.
Leo knew he shouldn’t take advantage of the situation. He knew Miranda had a crush on him, and that when she was drunk it was harder for her to pretend she didn’t. He knew she wanted him, even if a sober version of herself would refuse to let herself. He saw it in the way she looked at him. An unrequited crush that could never be. But this Miranda, the Miranda who’s breath smelled of champagne, who had too many drinks to be scared of stepping out of her comfort zone, the Miranda who wanted her every desire fulfilled. This Miranda wanted more, and there he was to provide it all.
But Miranda was also Addie’s best friend. That was the worst part. Leo knew how important Miranda was to Addie, and the other way around. He knew what he was doing, regardless of the alcohol, but part of him could just think about how then Addie might at least begin to understand how he felt. She married his best friend, so wouldn’t it be fair if he f^^ked her best friend?
Harry could’ve said no to being with Addie. Just like Miranda could’ve stopped and said it was wrong and they shouldn’t. Harry didn’t. Miranda didn’t. So in a way wasn’t it the same? He was hurting, so couldn’t she hurt too? Part of him didn’t want Addie to hurt, it hurt him to even think of her feeling even part of what he felt, but the other side of him needed to know he wasn’t the only one in pain, that she knew exactly how he was hurting.
It was too easy with the way Miranda melted into his arms when he kissed her. Too hard to stop when she let him lower her down onto the mattress.
She could’ve said no with each click of the zipper of her dress coming undone, but she didn’t. She could have said stop with each kiss he laid upon her skin. With each touch, every taste of her, she could’ve told him, no more, and he would have listened.
One word and he would’ve stopped. He knew she was too intoxicated, not just from the alcohol, but drunk on his touch. He should’ve stopped regardless, but he couldn’t. For a moment, he felt alive. There was more than just his anger and pain. For just a moment. He could drown himself in the taste of her, in the smell of her hair, the sound of her moan.
But it wasn’t right. It wasn’t what he really wanted. It wasn’t Addie. She wasn’t Addie. He didn’t want it. He should’ve stopped it. She could’ve asked him to stop before they went too far, before they couldn’t take it back. She should’ve said stop. Maybe part of him wanted her to say it. But she didn’t.
There was no turning back now. It might’ve been a mistake, but there was nothing that could be done to change it. Miranda was a nice girl. She deserved better than to be used like that. Leo knew that. He used her as a way to get back at Addie, to make her feel what he felt. It was a mistake that didn’t make him feel any better. The only thing that would make any difference, he couldn’t have. He couldn’t have Addie, but all he wanted was to have her in his arms, telling him that she loved him. But she didn’t. She wasn’t there. She didn’t want him. She married his best f^^^ing friend, and it destroyed him.
Peter’s face dropped instantly at her comment, eyes widening like a deer caught in headlights. Worse? She’s seen worse? He blinked, utterly dumbfounded. “Worse?” he managed, his voice almost squeaking. “Like… uh… what do you mean… worse?” He realized too late that he’d probably sounded naive—or worse, desperate—and tried to correct it with a small, nervous cough.
As she lifted the room key with a casual smirk, she clarified, “I walked in… to my room.” She delivered the line so effortlessly, and his brain was spinning trying to figure out what the actual hell was happening. Things are CONFUSING when you’re naked in front of a stranger okay. Especially when the stranger is… her.
“Oh… right.” Peter’s gaze flickered to the key, his face caught between horror and confusion. “Maybe… you’re right… the receptionist saw my epic… fail in the lobby and decided, ‘Hey, this guy hasn’t been tortured enough in this lifetime.’” He managed a shaky laugh, eyes glued to the floor as his cheeks turned even redder.
But then, like an angel of mercy, she slid one of his bags across the floor in his direction. He scrambled for it like a lifeline, immediately grabbing the first thing he could reach… and… well… he was dressed. Dressed well? Um.
Have you ever seen those ironically ugly Christmas sweaters that no sane person would wear on a day to day basis? Well… WELL… that was the first thing he grabbed… a bright red sweater… that said “my eyes are up here” pointing up. Great. Well, he didn’t have time to exactly think while he was throwing whatever he found on. And paired with the fuzzy… warm sweater was a pair of cargo shorts. Sooooooo it wasn’t the best outfit, but at least he was clothed. Right? He glanced down at his bizarrely thrown-together outfit and let out a tiny sigh of resignation. At this point, looking decent was off the table.
Finally feeling a fraction less exposed, he cleared his throat, running a hand awkwardly through his damp hair. “You can, um… turn around now,” he mumbled, shifting his gaze to her and trying to seem casual. He had no idea if he succeeded.
And now came the introductions… official… introductions that is “I’m… Peter P…,” he started, extending his hand, though the motion felt foreign and strange. He took a step toward her, intent on offering a solid handshake—but, of course, his foot snagged on the edge of the couch. He stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself on the wall next to her, his hand just inches from her shoulder. He stood there, wincing and mortified, way closer to her than he intended, his voice reduced to a hoarse, “Uh… Peter Parker… and you are?”
He only waited a few seconds before continuing, “So, uh… maybe we should go figure this whole… room situation out?” he stammered, gesturing weakly down the hallway, silently begging for any way to exit this mess.
As they started down the hall, Peter searched his mind for anything to say, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “So, uh… you… come here often?” His brain froze as soon as the words left his mouth. Oh god. Oh no. Really? His inner monologue kicked in at full force. Of all the questions, Peter, really? That’s the one? He could feel his face burning as he fought to keep himself from outright groaning.
@novella - forgive me. I’m trying to get back into a writing headspace so this isn’t the best
Ricky nearly snorted, rolling his eyes as her “insecure” jab hit him, not quite as deep as she’d probably hoped. He leaned in, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Insecure? Nah. Bored. Very. And you, Miss Annie Williams, just happened to scare away my entertainment for the night. So blame yourself for that one,” he fired back, tossing his hands up in mock surrender. Without missing a beat, he took a swig from his bottle, the burn reminding him of exactly how loose he felt right now.
As she did her exaggerated imitation of him, Ricky only sighed, amused but not about to let her get the last laugh. “Oh, please, hold on a second,” he shot back, straightening up and switching to his best Annie voice, chin tilted just so. “‘Look at me, I’m Annie freakin’ Williams." he slurred, waving his hands in the air for effect, almost like he was conducting some invisible orchestra. “My mom’s on world tour, my dad’s…I don’t know, getting his heart broken in tabloids or something” he half-muttered, almost like he was making it up on the spot. “And I’m soooo… damaged,” he paused, blinking at her as if just realizing what he was saying. “But hey, don’t worry—‘damaged’ only goes so far, right? Still too good to talk to the one and only Enrique Montoya, right?”
He stumbled through the last part with a mockingly grand gesture, almost knocking over his cup before he caught himself, a laugh bubbling out that was a little too loud. Taking another shot, he felt his mind buzz with a careless energy, his gaze fixed back on her, almost challenging.
“Oh man, you’re funny, I’ll give you that,” he said, his grin turning a bit lopsided. “But for real—are you always this defensive? Or is this just for me?” He leaned in, taking another sip, feeling bolder by the second. “Come on, Annie, lighten up! You’re at a party. Take a shot or two, relax a little. Or hey, if you’d rather, take a shot at me. I’ll survive,” he added with a shrug, taking another swig himself. “Either way, I’m not even gonna remember this whole thing tomorrow.” He finished with a lazy grin, looking her up and down, trying to read her expression but also too buzzed to focus entirely. @novella
Shorts Series: Alternate Universe - Kai’s What If - 2037/2038
A few hours had passed, and Jessica found herself pacing in her living room, mind replaying the day’s earlier events with Kai. He had barely touched the food she’d set out, but she’d managed to coax a few bites out of him. Enough to keep him grounded, though the act of eating itself seemed almost foreign to him, his mind elsewhere, darker.
Kai had been different. The haunted expression in his eyes, the quiet heaviness in his movements—all of it left Jessica unsettled. This was not the man she remembered, and yet, as she looked at him, she still saw glimpses of the old Kai beneath it all. A Kai she wanted to forget… one that broke her as broken he seemed himself. There was a fragility there now, something that made her feel a pang of protectiveness mixed with a need to understand what he’d been through.
Jessica’s mind flickered back to a few hours earlier, another conversation… convincing him to take another sleeping pill. Look… she knew it wasn’t an end all be all. It wasn’t the an easy fix - but it was one that Kai clearly needed. He looked tired… despite sleeping the entire day before… he just looked… so tired.
“Look, Kai… please. Just one more. It’s not much, but it’ll take the edge off,” she’d had urged him, watching as he hesitated, his gaze flickering between her and the small white pill in her hand.
It was a long moment before he finally relented. Fighting sleep and food for the most part. He took his time - going back to his daughter… watching her… and then finally he took another pill.
Now, hours later, Jessica sat alone in the dim light of the living room, her laptop screen illuminating her face as she combed through more articles. Every headline, every snippet of information she found only added to the tangled mess of questions forming in her mind. She was piecing together the puzzle bit by bit, but there was something here—something unsettling.
One news article, in particular, had captured her attention, a publication from a smaller, local outlet. It was technically obituary with slightly more information about her than the previous article had provided - discussing safety measures. Her name was Skye, and honestly, there was something oddly haunting about the photo. A familiarity to her… but Jess couldn’t place it. Maybe it was her eyes? Her smile? The crinkle in her nose?
Jessica’s mind reeled, an eerie sense of realization settling over her. Scarlet. Could she…? The details fit too well: Scarlet’s age, Kai’s sudden appearance, the secrecy surrounding the child’s identity, the fact that the mother of this kid was nowhere to be found. And Kai’s quiet grief as he spoke of Scarlet’s mother—it was all starting to fall into place.
Hours had slipped by, and Jess found herself debating whether to go back to Kai’s room. It had been six, nearly seven hours since they’d last talked. The baby had woken briefly for a feeding but now slept soundly once more. And she couldn’t ignore the nagging urge to discuss what she’d found…
Finally, she made up her mind. She carried a tray with something simple—fruit, oatmeal, and water—and quietly slipped into Kai’s room. He was there, lying on his side, eyes closed.
Part of her didn’t want to wake him… but the other part knew he needed to eat anyways. Walking towards the bed, Jess hesitated for a second before finally sitting down on the edge of the empty side of the bed; before placing her hand on his shoulder.
“Kai…Hey,” she said quietly, setting the tray on the table beside him. “Thought you might be hungry.”
She waited until his eyes opened - looking at her… and, choosing her words carefully, wondering how much to say.
“Kai,” she began gently, her voice a low murmur in the quiet room, “I’ve been looking into… well, more of the news. “There was an article… about a maid. A young woman, with a child. She… she was pregnant when she… when she died. Hit-and-run.”
Kai’s eyes darkened, his gaze slipping away as if he couldn’t bear to meet hers. But she pressed on, her tone soft but steady. “Am I wrong in thinking that this maid is… was Scarlet’s mother?”
The air buzzed with anticipation as Addie, Justin, and Natalia arrived at the mansion’s grand entryway, the light spilling out from the massive windows and music booming from inside. This wasn’t just any party—whoever was hosting had gone all out. The Party of the Summer or as one would likely call it very soon. As JJ parked, he turned to Addie with a raised eyebrow.
“So…” he said, giving her a look that said don’t play him. “Behave yourself tonight, or you’ll be my problem andddddd I also kind of want to enjoy myself without dragging out my drunk older sister from a party”
Addie scoffed, already rolling her eyes. “Relax, Justin. I’m perfectly capable of being on my best behavior.”
“Uh-huh… tell that to our messed up kitchen,” JJ replied, giving her an amused look. “I give you twenty minutes before you end up in some kind of trouble.”
Addie feigned offense, clutching her chest. “How dare you doubt me? I am the picture of innocence, brother.”
JJ laughed, shaking his head as they stepped inside. “If that’s what you want to call it…”
It took all of two minutes for the party to get its hooks into her… and honestly, she needed this. The crowd, the beat, the flashing lights—Addie headed straight for the bar, ignoring JJ’s watchful glance as she grabbed a drink. Maybe a few. Who was counting? It wasn’t like she had anything else to lose tonight, right? And, well… there were things—no, people—she needed to forget tonight, and honestly, she couldn’t care less if she overdid it.
With a pleasant buzz already going, she found herself by the edge of the pool, watching the other partygoers laugh and flirt. That’s when the host—an overly eager junior she’d only met once at the entrance—slid up beside her with a broad smile.
“Hey, Adelaide, right?” His grin was as ambitious as his party-planning skills, and he looked her up and down with open… admiration. (if that’s what you could call him checking her out) “Care to make your night even better by, I don’t know, joining me for a private tour?”
Addie raised an eyebrow, biting back a laugh. This was honestly… fun? Being able to be drunk enough to flirt with another man and not think about… a certain… blonde man. “A private tour, huh? Look, if you’re trying to hit on me, how about meeting me on the dance floor first? Maybe you’ll win me over there.”
This man was easy. Correction - men in general were easy. Wear a sexy dress, flutter some eyelashes, and they were goners. Maybe this is exactly what addie needed - a night to forget. A night to get as many fcking hickies as Leo had. Would it make her feel better? Probably not but what did it matter: after all, she was here to forget about this whole… existence she was stuck in. “I like when the woman takes charge, gorgeous. Dance floor it is. Don’t go anywhere—I’ll be right there.”
As he drifted away, Addie moved to the dance floor, already letting herself sink into the music. It felt like she’d lost herself in the crowd—exactly what she wanted. She closed her eyes, let the music pull her in, and let every thought about Leo, about this time-twisting mess, fade away. Here, there was nothing but the rhythm and the lights flickering through her eyelids. So there she was: leaning into the beat, hoping it would drown out her thoughts. She just wanted to feel something else… even if it was just for the moment.
She barely noticed the hands slipping around her waist, steadying her, pulling her closer. She leaned back into the man’s touch, moving with him, feeling a warmth at her back that was grounding and strangely comforting. Addie knew she was a bit too drunk to care who it was, which was just fine with her. That kid that was flirting with her earlier? Probably. Who cared? She wanted to forget herself tonight. She wanted someone—anyone—to distract her, even if it was only for a moment.
The minutes blurred as she lost herself in the beat and the heat of the crowd, swaying closer to him. She turned, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, “Let’s get out of here.” She opened her eyes, half-expecting to see some vaguely familiar face.
Instead, she found herself staring into Leo’s eyes.
Of course it was him. She cursed inwardly, cursing him, cursing the universe, and cursed herself for even wanting it to be anyone but him. She pulled back, breath hitching, and without even a second though, she walked off towards the beach not even offering him another look. Was she running? Probably - but she needed to be away from the chaos of the party, where the waves and stars stretched out infinitely before her.
Under her breath, she muttered, “Why is this happening? Every fcking place I go… you have to be kidding me. Is this my punishment?” she questioned; looking up at the sky at whatever god, devil, demon was likely watching her and laughing.
Footsteps crunched on the sand behind her. Leo, refusing to let her walk away, spoke up, his tone somewhere between frustration and genuine confusion. “What is your problem with me, Addie? Because clearly, you’re not ‘engaged’ and clearly, you were having fun out there. So what is it?”
Addie stilled, watching the waves for a moment, then turned around, her gaze softened and almost… defeated. “Let’s be friends,” she said, the words surprising even herself. “Just… friends. Because clearly, we can’t avoid each other. The fcking bloody universe won’t allow it, so let’s just be friends.”
Was she making sense? Probably not… no… definitely not. However, she just… she needed him to say yes. She needed him to agree to this and put a brick wall between them.
Leo’s brows knit together, and he took a step closer, his voice low. “Who said I wanted to be friends with you, Addie? Because I don’t.”
She swallowed, trying to make sense of his words, but all she could think about was him, standing there in the moonlight, looking at her like this. And before she could think twice, she closed the distance between them and whispered, “Fck it.” . Her heart nearly stopped, the buzz of alcohol suddenly fading as a very different kind of heat overtook her. But before she could process what was happening or what it meant, her instincts kicked in. Forget caution. Forget everything.
Her lips met his, and soon her hands were in his hair, her body pressing against his as if every part of her had missed this. They ended up on the sand, with Addie kissing every piece of him she could find, trying to drown out every doubt and everything that was so deeply familiar.
Her mind went blank. It was just him, his hands sliding down her back, the taste of his lips, the way he felt familiar and electric all at once. She didn’t care about the time, about the party only a few feet away—nothing else existed. Minutes slipped by, hours, maybe, she couldn’t tell. They were lost in each other, and she was too far gone to stop herself from drinking in every second of it.
Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew this would end. It always did. But here, on the sand with his arms around her, she let herself pretend.
“Addieeeee! Where the hell are youuuu? ADELAIDE PARKER!”
When she finally pulled back, breathless, heart racing, her hand resting on his chest, she took a second to catch her bearings, to realize where she was and what she’d just done. She looked at Leo, at the smudges of her lipstick on his face, his neck, all over his chest, even his collar, and a pang of regret and fondness mingled in her chest.
She glanced down, almost defeated, shaking her head as she muttered, “So… friends, yeah?”
Leo’s eyes were a mixture of confusion and disbelief as he opened his mouth to reply, but just then, JJ’s voice echoed louder as he approached, breaking the spell.
Leo’s gaze turned hard, clearly irritated by the interruption, but Addie let out a small laugh. The absurdity of the situation hit her. Here she was, lipstick smeared on him, her heart pounding from a kiss she’d already regretted, and now her brother was yelling at her like she was sixteen again. Which… granted… she basically was. But she wasn’t… oh no… she wasn’t. Adelaide Parker knew too much… which is exactly why none of this should have happened… Fck.
She closed her eyes for a beat, muttering, “Great timing, JJ…” With a sigh, she gave Leo one last look… her state of drunkeness wavering down to a slight buzz…
All she could think was I… really messed this up, didn’t I?. But… she couldn’t sit around and wait… wait… and give him a chance to say anything to stop her. So instead; Addie quickly stood up, leaving Leo in the sand as she wrapped her arm around her brother and dragged him back towards the party
JJ was waiting with an exasperated look, groaning, “Seriously? The guy you crashed into?”
But as she walked back toward the house, Leo wasn’t far behind. She barely made it back to the deck before he caught up to her, his hand wrapping around her arm, firm but careful. She turned, meeting his gaze… a sigh leaving her lips as she looked back at her brother.
“Give me ten, JJ,” she said with a weary smile. “I’ll meet you at the car.”
Leo’s gaze held hers, intense and unreadable. “I thought I made it pretty clear already how I feel about being ‘just friends.’”
Addie folded her arms, watching her brother’s silhouette fade before turning back to Leo. “And I think what I said before made it pretty clear where I see us in the future, Leo.”
He scoffed, a mixture of frustration and something more vulnerable in his voice. “Then what the f^^k was that back there? That didn’t seem like ‘just friends’ to me.”
Addie rolled her eyes, exasperated but more at herself than him. “Come on, Leo. Have you seriously never gone to a party and kissed someone for fun? That’s all it was. Drunken, stupid fun—for me and for you. That doesn’t mean I want it to go anywhere.”
His expression darkened. “You’re the one who said, ‘Let’s be friends.’ That was you, Addie.”
She let out a frustrated laugh. “And what’s wrong with being friends? God, Leo, I came here tonight to forget about you. To kiss someone random and do something stupid. You… showing up… that just wrecked everything.”
Her voice softened as her thoughts spilled out, her words tumbling over each other. “You don’t get it. All week, all I’ve wanted is to stop thinking about how I hurt you… how I’ve ruined this over and over. And I just… I can’t do that again. Can’t you just leave me alone or be my frien—”
She stopped short as a familiar voice interrupted them. The party host, obviously several drinks deep, stumbled up to them, barely able to focus on her face as he broke into a sloppy smile. “Heyyyy, didn’t see you on the dance floorr…where’d you go?”
He turned his bleary gaze to Leo, swaying slightly. “And who the hell are you?” He squinted, then called over his shoulder, “Security! This guy’s not invited!”
Addie seized her chance to slip away, leaving Leo to deal with the host as she turned and disappeared into the crowd… it just… hurt too much… and honestly… she wasn’t drunk enough for this.
The headache had hit her hard in the early morning—remnants of the previous night’s party, of Leo, and of every dream about him that had left her feeling more hollow than anything else. She’d tried to shake it, tried to laugh it off, but no amount of half-hearted distractions did the trick. Her chest ached with the weight of memories she couldn’t even talk about here, not in this time. Not to her brother… not to her husband who had yet to know her in this world… not to the love of her life.
So she did the one thing that kept her head quiet. She grabbed a bottle. And then another one after that… and another one after that.
Two hours later, she found herself spilling into the cab, vaguely directing the driver through the streets as her mind half-registered where she was going. After all, she had to deliver that money for Leo’s car. But by the time she was stumbling up to the doors of his penthouse at 3:37 a.m., the exact reason why she needed to see Leo was hazy at best. All she knew was the fact that she missed him.
The doorman gave her a skeptical look as she approached, her heels clacking a little too loudly in the quiet of the night. “L…Leonardo Azure please” Addie stated – a look of determination on her features as she looked at the man. He stepped in front of her, eyebrow raised. “Miss, you… don’t have an appointment with Mr. Azure at this hour, do you?”
Great. Okay. Let’s play ball.
Addie’s eyes widened, her tipsy confidence spilling over. “Appointment?” she slurred, blinking at him with what she hoped was an innocent expression. “I don’t think I need one, darling, I’m here to… surprise him. I’m one of his… special friends, you know? He’ll be very happy to see me.”
The doorman looked at her dubiously, his hand hesitating over the phone - likely to call Leo for confirmation. Addie saw her chance and swayed closer, leaning in with a smile.
“Why bother him, hm? Just let me up, love. Leo’s expecting me.” She opened her purse, managing to pull out a few bills—her sense of the amount as fuzzy as her head—and handed it to him with a little wink.
After a beat, he took the money with a sigh, gesturing her through. “Just… don’t cause any trouble, miss. And make sure you leave the key if he gave you one,” he muttered, looking away as she swept past him with a half-laugh.
The elevator felt unsteady, her balance tipping as she held onto the side, watching the lights move one by one. When she finally arrived at his door, she steadied herself, checkbook barely peeking out of her purse, her head still spinning with questions she didn’t have answers for as she reached his door. Why wasn’t she inside already? Why did she have to knock?
She knocked once, then again, her voice slurring as she called, “Ooopeeeen the bloody door, damn it!” Leaning her forehead against the cool surface, she waited, trying to listen for any sign of life inside.
Nothing.
Groaning, she started knocking again, louder this time. “Pleasseeeeeee darlinggggg, open uppppp!”
No answer. Her mind, still dulled by the alcohol, tried to conjure an idea. Right—she knew he kept a spare key above the door. Problem was, Leo’s door was tall, and Addie, at 5’2’’, was definitely not.
So there she was—a drunken mess, knocking and jumping, struggling to reach the key, her voice likely echoing down the hall. She knew she must have looked pitiful, but she didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was getting inside. And the only thing on her mind, besides the pounding music of her own heartbeat, was the one person she shouldn’t be running to in the first place.
The door clicked open, and there he was, groggy and surprised, but none of that mattered because the second she saw him, everything else fell away. Addie barely gave him time to react before she was on him—her lips on his, arms wrapping around his neck, legs pulling him close. It was so damn familiar, like slipping back into the one place she’d been aching for. She pressed herself closer, her kisses hungry, her body instinctively remembering every line of him. And he—he was steady beneath her, his hands gripping her shoulders as he tried to balance them both, a flicker of recognition in his touch.
If only they could just stay like this, she thought, everything would be alright. She could feel the warmth, the feeling of him, the comfort of his familiar scent. Her mind, clouded and unfocused, seemed to reach through time and memories, pulling her back to everything they’d shared.
“Addie…” he murmured, his voice low and hesitant as he shifted back. “Addie, wait…”
She let out a frustrated sigh, the familiar feeling of his voice piercing through the haze. Greatttt. Of course, he has a conscience. But even that wasn’t enough to stop her now. She wanted him, needed him to drown out everything. With a tiny pout, her expression a mix of disappointment and defiance, she slipped past him into the kitchen, leaving his stunned form by the door.
She knew her way around, after all. Every inch of his place was seared into her mind. Without a second thought, she reached for his special stash—a hidden cabinet she knew contained the “good stuff.” Her fingers found the bottle of Cognac, and she twisted off the cap, tilting it back for a long, burning gulp. The warmth hit her, spreading through her as she set the bottle on the counter and looked back at him, her vision a little hazy, her thoughts even hazier.
“You know,” she slurred, the words half-whispered, [color= “he would have kissed me back.” She met his gaze with a mixture of hurt and stubbornness, her eyes trailing down as she nodded in the direction of his boxers. A pang hit her heart, the realization that this Leo didn’t look at her the same way… didn’t know her like he used to. Like he should. But her mind didn’t let that thought linger too long, only enough to feel the ache sharpen before she pushed it back down.
“Me… youuuu… that,” she gestured with a faint smile, her hand trailing down to point at his waist, her voice dropping to a murmur. “Now… I want to fck you. Please. Thank you.”
With a renewed determination, she crossed the space between them, her hands reaching up to tug him down to her. There was an urgency in her touch, a need that even she couldn’t fully explain. Before he could react, she pushed him down onto the couch, climbing onto him, her legs straddling him as she let her lips wander over his neck, each kiss deepening, her touch warm and insistent. She wanted him…. More than she could ever bloody explain…. And he… well… KEPT PUSHING HER AWAY.
She felt him move her lips off him staring at her with something that was truly unreadable to Addie with her current state of mind. “You barely know me, Addie,” he murmured, hands gently holding her back. “You’re drunk, and last time I saw you, you couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
At that, she stilled, her breath hitching as she looked into his eyes. The sadness behind her gaze nearly broke him. She let out a quiet sigh, her eyes widening, her hand coming up to touch his cheek in a gesture that felt too tender for the chaos of the moment.
“I know you, Leo,” she whispered, her voice soft and heavy with emotion. “I know everything I need to know.”
Without waiting, she leaned forward again, brushing her lips against his, soft and slow, her fingers weaving into his hair, clinging to him like he was the only thing holding her steady. She felt his lips soften, his tension easing as he kissed her back, his hands sliding down her back, sending a warm ache through her. It was so easy to forget everything like this, every rational reason she had to stay away from him. And for a moment, she could almost believe it was like before. Just them, the two of them, wrapped up in each other.
Each kiss sent another spark through her, each touch like a little promise, and time… well, time slipped away like she had when she knocked on his door. There was no “later,” no “next time”—just Leo. He felt familiar, safe, and she was a little too far gone to care that this was entirely unfair to him. Her hands drifted down, seeking him out, needing to close the distance in every way she could as her fingers slipped past the waistband of his boxers.
But he was holding her hands in place, his voice catching in his throat. “Addie, we can’t. I’m not doing this right now.”
It was like a cold slap to the face. A harsh reminder that he wasn’t her Leo—the one who couldn’t go a day without holding her. Her eyes flashed with irritation, and she grabbed the bottle she’d left on the table, taking another long swig, feeling the burn. She lowered it, her gaze cutting back to him, lips curling into a humorless smile.
“Oh, so you can sleep with someone else,” she sneered, “but you can’t sleep with me?”
He rubbed a hand over his face, looking like he was both amused and exhausted with her. “Not when you only want to because you’re drunk.”
Addie rolled her eyes, reaching out, letting her hand drift across his chest as she murmured, “Leoooo, darling, I want to. The alcohol—it’s… it’s… what’s the word… it’s just a crutch so I can do what I actually want to do. And what I want…” Her hand slid lower, brushing just above the waistband of his boxers. “…is you. Maybe I won’t admit it when I’m sober, but I really, really do.”
He seemed to soften, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. She was nearly sure she had him, nearly sure he was close to giving in. “If, by morning, you still want to, that’s a different story,” he whispered. “But not right now.”
A sigh slipped from her lips, the sadness in her gaze growing deeper. “No, no… because when I’m not drunk, then… then I think. And I think too much. And I think about how I’m going to hurt you, and I don’t want to hurt you, Leo. I never wanted to hurt you the first time, and I don’t want to do it this time.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But right now… right now, I just miss you.”
She could see him hesitate, watching her with that softness she’d missed so much. She wanted him to understand, but of course he couldn’t. He couldn’t know what she knew.
“Addie, you wouldn’t hurt me,” he murmured. “I’m not that easy to hurt. And I’m not whoever hurt you before.”
She let out a shaky laugh, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “You don’t… you don’t get it, Leo,” she muttered, grabbing the bottle for another drink, but his hand closed around hers, taking it from her before she could take another sip.
Fine. She didn’t care anymore. She slipped past him, heading down the hall, leaving him standing there, his eyes burning into her back as she tugged off her shirt without looking back. It felt… freeing, she supposed, to throw away the rules she’d set up in her head. To ignore the knowledge that this wasn’t her Leo, to just pretend, for once, that maybe he was.
In his bedroom, she stripped down to nothing, pulling open his closet and rifling through it until she found one of his shirts. Soft, familiar… close enough, she thought. She pulled it on, the fabric brushing against her skin, filling her with the faintest hint of peace.
When she turned around, she saw him standing in the doorway, his eyes glued firmly to the doorframe, looking anywhere but at her. Perfect. He couldn’t even look at her…
“Can’t even look at me?” she muttered, rolling her eyes as she crossed the room, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the bed with an insistent pout. “Fine. Don’t look, then. Just lie down.”
He hesitated, tugging his hand back. “I’ll take the couch, Addie. You can have the bed.”
She met his eyes, feeling the irritation flare up in her chest. She squared her shoulders, giving him a hard look, her voice low and threatening. “Then I’ll find someone else. Someone who’s not afraid to sleep next to me. Or better yet, with me.” Her gaze was dark, her tone unwavering, daring him to refuse her.
For a moment, he looked at her with something like defeat, his resistance draining as he sighed and pulled on a pair of joggers, finally giving in and lying beside her, keeping as much distance as possible.
She rolled her eyes at his attempt to keep a buffer, her expression softening as she moved closer, her hand drifting to his waist as she pressed her face against his chest. She liked this… just… this. Her in his arms. And maybe… no… it was 100% the alcohol but the words just slipped out “Just… don’t date anyone else, Leo,” she murmured, feeling even more stupid and small and a little too fragile to say anything else.
To her surprise, he chuckled softly, the sound rumbling against her cheek. “I don’t have a girlfriend, Addie.”
A faint smile tugged at her lips, her heart softening in a way that made her chest ache. “Then we’re good,” she whispered, her words thick and sleepy, tinged with exhaustion and something else she didn’t want to name. “So, come on, Leo… we can at least make out, can’t we? It’s not like I was that drunk yesterday.”
Not waiting for an answer, she let her lips brush over his chest, then up to his neck, tasting the familiar warmth of his skin, her hands wandering down his chest and lower, her fingers skimming the edge of his waistband. This time, he didn’t stop her, and a rush of satisfaction filled her, her lips pressing firmer against his neck as she let her hands trail further, her touch slow and deliberate.
Morning
The first thing Addie registered as she woke up was the pounding headache splitting through her skull. She groaned, the weight of her own thoughts feeling like jagged glass scraping against her brain. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, trying to delay the inevitable realization of where she was, what she’d done, and why she felt like she’d been hit by a truck.
The second thing she registered was that she wasn’t alone.
Peeking one eye open, she scanned the bed, her breath catching as she saw Leo sleeping beside her, his face half-buried in his pillow, his breaths slow and steady. And then—oh, fck—she realized she was completely, entirely naked. She could vaguely recall putting on his shirt last night, but at some point, that shirt had vanished. What exactly had happened? Her mind strained to replay the hazy details, but they were slipping away like water through her fingers.
A quick glance at him told her he was still fully dressed from the waist down—joggers intact. So they hadn’t done anything, then? Right? Thank god. But still, she was very much lying next to him, completely bare, with last night’s memories dancing just out of reach.
She swallowed, holding her breath, the fog in her mind slowly clearing enough for one coherent thought to surface: she needed to get out of here.
Moving as slowly as possible, she eased out from under the sheets, her head pounding at every shift. As she climbed off the bed, she scanned the floor, spotting his shirt - the one she was wearing before - crumpled by the foot of the bed. She grabbed it, pulling it on and buttoning it hastily as she continued her escape plan.
Then, as her eyes darted around the room, she spotted a pair of his shorts folded on a nearby chair. Better than nothing. She slipped them on, tightening the drawstring as much as she could.
Now dressed—if you could call it that—she tiptoed out to the living room, hoping she wouldn’t accidentally knock something over. Every step was a small victory in her blurry escape, her ears pricked for any sound that might indicate he was waking up. Thankfully, it was silent.
Her purse was by the couch, thankfully where she’d left it. She opened it, fumbling around until her fingers closed around her checkbook. In her drunken state, she must’ve thought paying him for the car would be a great idea… at… 3 in the fcking morning, she remembered vaguely, a small smirk pulling at her lips. Hell, she could still leave him the payment—what better way to keep her distance, right?
She flipped it open, pen ready as she filled out the first check. “Car expenses - $5,000.”
Then her eyes moved to the Cognac bottle by the couch, and she sighed, mentally calculating the cost. Might as well add it to the tab. “Cognac - $15,000.”
Her pen hesitated on the last check, the memory of last night flickering through her mind. She remembered her drunken words, her desperation, the way she’d thrown herself at him. A faint blush crept up her neck as she scrawled the last line. “Dealing with my shit + Fooling around - $10,000.”
She almost laughed. There was no way he’d take it well, but maybe this would make him rethink letting her back into his life—or at least keep him from questioning whatever tangled mess of feelings she had. She set the checks neatly on his coffee table, grabbing a slip of paper from her purse and scrawling a quick “Thanks for the night, Addie”, then tucked it under the checks.
With a final glance around, she slipped toward the door, tugging his shirt tighter around her as she let herself out. She was gone before he’d even have the chance to see her—hopefully before he’d even remember last night.
Okay maybe he was just a little jealous… part 2?..
We’ve all seen it. That thing that happens when two characters in a show or movie are shipped together. The endless TikToks and Reels, set to those painfully sappy soundtracks that get everyone in their feelings, analyzing every single look, touch, and accidental shoulder brush exchanged between the actors. Then, when they’re out doing promo tours, all it takes is one laugh, or one shared glance, and suddenly the entire internet is fcking clamoring for these two people to “end up together in real life.”
Cute if you’re just a fan, right? Soooo fun to ship two total strangers together. Because obviously, they belong together. The chemistry? Palpable. Impossible to fake, clearly.
But what if you’re…the actual partner of one of those people?
Yeah. Imagine that feeling. And imagine if that partner is Daniel fcking Parker.
Daniel had told himself he was too busy to worry about Valerie’s latest on-screen romance. He was happy for her. She was his fiancée, after all, and she was playing the coveted role of Benedict Bridgerton’s love interest. But that was before he’d logged onto TikTok out of curiosity—just to “see what people were saying about the show.” Three hours later, Daniel Parker was officially in the TikTok rabbit hole.
Oh, and a rabbit hole it was.
So here he was, sitting in his dimly lit office at 3 a.m., eyes squinting at his phone screen, feeling like he’d run a marathon of absolute nonsense and rage. The TikTok videos were relentless, each caption more cringe-inducing than the last:
“Valerie and Luke’s chemistry is off the charts Can we talk about that final scene?! URGH can Netflix drop the next four episodes already?”
“Ugh, no. NO we can fcking not. It’s NOT off the charts. It’s WELL within the charts,” he muttered, rolling his eyes, clicking on the next one.
TikTok Video 1: A slow-motion scene from the 4th episode where Valerie’s character leans in to whisper something to Luke’s character, their faces just inches apart. The editor had paired it with a moody track about “love against all odds.” Cue the swooning comments, because every single FCKING one of them was exactly that.
@AbbieNicole: “It’s official. Val & Luke need to date IRL! I mean LOOK AT THIS ”
@onedaygirly: “I don’t care that she’s engaged. That man looks at her like she hung the stars. AND HE’S SINGLE IN RL.”
@Lincoln123: “It’s true… they’re soulmates. Sorry, Mr. fiancé or whatever his name is, but this is fate. Just waiting for the breakup announcement so she can run into Luke’s arms.”
Daniel scoffed, his fingers twitching with the urge to respond. And before he knew it, his hands had already taken over. This was Daniel Parker we’re talking about, after all. But he’d learned a few things over the years, okay? He wasn’t about to use his real account and tie it back to Valerie. No, sir. He had a genius-level spam account, @Mr.GeniusPants.
Yes, Mr.GeniusPants. Don’t judge. He’s a genius. It’s fitting.
@Mr.GeniusPants: “I don’t know… her and her fiancé look pretty great together. Just saying. Did you SEE his proposal to her? Crazyyyyyy. And I heard her man is, like, a trillionaire.”
It didn’t take long for the replies to start rolling in.
@FanGirl1998: “@Mr.GeniusPants Idk… that doesn’t compare to the look she gave Luke on set. Watch the video again, pleaseeee. Money doesn’t matter. This is love.”
Daniel rolled his eyes so hard they practically went into his skull.
@Mr.GeniusPants: “Love? LOL rewatch the video yourself. That’s SUCH a joke. They’re just good actors.”
@FanGirl1998: “They can be good actors, but they can’t fake that kind of chemistry. I’ll die on that hill. I’d bet my next paycheck Valerie’s gonna be single in a few months and then her and Luke will be an ITEM.”
@FutureMrsBridgerton: “@Mr.GeniusPants "Never seen someone be more wrong lol.” @dancintillidrop: “@Mr.GeniusPants “Dude did you SEE the video? THE EYES?”
He could feel his irritation building, scrolling through comment after comment that all somehow came to the same, ridiculous conclusion: Valerie Parker was in love with Luke Thompson.
His thumbs worked fast.
@Mr.GeniusPants: “Seriously, though, you people are delusional. Luke’s cool or whatever, but this is ACTING. They are ACTORS. Look it up a definition idiots.”
@DramaLover34: “@Mr.GeniusPants LOL who hurt you? You’re just mad because their chemistry is REAL and it’s making her rl relationship look boring. She’s probably just with that other dude for the money anyways.”
@Mr.GeniusPants: “Boring? Her fiancé is a literal genius and TRILLIONaire. Do you know how much that is? Hey, that phone you’re messaging on? HE CREATED IT. That laptop you’re watching these videos on? He made that. She’s not about to trade that for some…pretend barn romance.”
He huffed, mentally counting to ten - like the therapist Jess, Jez, and Val forced him to go to told him to do. Annnnndd as he swiped up to watch a new video, he realized that, okay, maybe he was being a little ridiculous.
Just a little, he thought.
He clicked away, telling himself it was time to close out and calm down. Progress, right? If it was old Daniel, he’d have taken a deep dive into the accounts of each one of those people and sent them…something unpleasant. Maybe a bag of flaming dog crap. But it wasn’t worth it. He just needed to breathe.
But just as he was about to pull away, his thumb accidentally clicked on a new YouTube thumbnail: “Valerie Parker & Luke Thompson Gush Over Each Other in Exclusive Interview!”
Oh, here we go.
YouTube Video: Valerie and Luke, seated side by side, laughing together in the way that drives fans wild. Aka - TOO FCKING CLOSE TO EACH OTHER.
Luke, chuckling: “I think it was the steamy scenes that really, uh…broke the ice.”
Valerie laughs, swatting his shoulder. “Oh, you know, just another day at work, right?”
Luke grinned, leaning closer. “No but honestly, I’m not even kidding. One of our first scenes we did was actually the one where we’re in the barn together. We really had to jump in and get comfortable. But who couldn’t with such a lovely co-star? It was easy, static almost… especially because Val did actually electrocute me by accident when we fell into that water trough.”
The two of them laugh together, and Daniel can already hear the fan theories forming in the comment section.
@TopComment: “THEY’RE SO CUTE TOGETHER! Can you believe they aren’t dating??” LIKE HER TOUCHING HIS SOULDER. GAH. Swooning
@SecondTopComment: “Can you imagine them in real life? I don’t care that she’s engaged; she deserves to be happy and Luke makes her smile soooo much. She’s full-on giggling and kicking her feet.”
Daniel felt a groan rising in his throat. Really? How could people just act like he didn’t exist? AND SHE IS NOT GIGGLING. THIS IS NOT GIGGLING. HE knew what Valerie’s real uh, giggle looked like, and that was not it. Not that… Val really giggled but she did to that one thing when he went down on her and- okay he’s getting off topic.
He scrolled to a particularly irritating comment.
@ValerieStan4life: “They’re so cute it’s almost unreal. I wish I had that kind of love”
Daniel’s hands practically moved on their own as he typed a reply.
@Mr.GeniusPants: “Suppppper cute and whatever, but she’s got a fiancé, just FYI.”
@ValerieStan4life: “@Mr.GeniusPants Maybe so, but doesn’t mean he’s the one for her, you know?”
@Mr.GeniusPants: “I think he is. They’re like superrrrrr cute together. Have you seen them at the premiere?”
@DramaLover34: “@Mr.GeniusPants How would you even know? I saw the premiere photos and you know what photos were cute? Her with Luke.”
@Mr.GeniusPants: “Shut the fck up, you don’t know anything.”
@DramaLover34: “Really? Lol. You’re the idiot who can’t see love at first sight.”
@Mr.GeniusPants: “What love at first sight? ITS A VIDEO.”
@DramaLover34: “Lol have you even seen the behind the scene videos? They’re totally in love. They’re always all over each other.”
@Mr.GeniusPants: “She litereally has a man - she’s not all over him. Luke’s not even good lookig.”
@DramaLover34: “you’re blind fr fr”
OH YOU LITTLE PIECE OF… JDIOSPJFDOIPSJFDP
He blinked, realizing he might be getting a little too heated, then pulled back just before he went into full battle mode with DramaLover34. He could go off, but…he stopped, his mind suddenly alert. Was that a creak outside?
He froze, shutting his laptop and locking his phone as if he’d just been caught red-handed by the FBI. Valerie had been asleep for hours; the last thing he needed was her seeing him arguing with a teenager over her fan theories.
Taking a deep breath, he recited his therapist’s advice. “Close the stupid…fcking… frustrating distraction, Dan.” Inhale. Exhale. Pretend you’re at KaiIsStupid Island, enjoying the rays and… THIS IS SO FCKING STUPID. HE PAYS HOW MUCH FOR A THERAPIST AND THIS IS THE BEST THEY HAVE? INHALE AND FCKING EXHALE. AND THINK OF NICE PLACES? WTF
Fine. TikTok and YouTube were off-limits. Surely, Instagram would be safe, right? The losers were on TikTok, not Instagram. Insta was classy.
Except…the first Reel that popped up was another fan edit—a montage of Valerie and Luke, interspersed with their “sweetest” interview moments, set to some sappy piano cover of “Wildest Dreams.”
Daniel’s thoughts spiraled. They don’t know her. They don’t know a damn thing. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, fully aware of how ridiculous he looked at that moment. But just as he was about to close his phone, he heard soft footsteps behind him.
“Dan, it’s four in the morning,” Valerie’s voice was a warm, sleepy murmur, and he flinched, caught in the act.
“What are you doing, dummy?””
She crossed her arms, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips as she saw the absolute mess that was Daniel Parker at 4 a.m., glued to his phone, fuming over fan edits of her latest show.
Daniel felt his shoulders slump. “Do you know what people are saying, Val?” he asked, reluctantly showing her the screen. “They’re practically writing my obituary. ‘Luke deserves better’? Seriously?”
Valerie stifled a laugh, taking his phone and shutting the app.
“And here I thought you were the confident, unshakeable Daniel Parker,” she teased, climbing into his lap. “Since when do you care about random internet strangers?”
Dan gave her a look - insinuating that they both know he’s gotten into more online fights then most other people.
“Okay let me rephrase - since when did you care about random internet strangers that are spewing random sht? Especially about a show you didnt’ start watching until this season.”
He sighed, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist. “It’s not that I care, it’s just—” He hesitated, feeling a little ridiculous as he muttered, “It’s annoying. And they’re wrong. Obviously.”
She laughed, pressing her forehead to his. “Daniel, I’m engaged to you, you dummy. They can ship me with whoever they want, but they don’t know the first thing about you and me.”
A reluctant grin pulled at his lips. “Good. Because clearly, they’re missing out on this whole package here.” He gestured to himself dramatically, still frowning a little.
“Oh, the whole package, huh?” She rolled her eyes. “You know… I’m just going to keep being professionally nice to Luke, right? That’s it?”
Daniel sighed dramatically. “I guess I’ll allow it. Just… don’t call him charming… on screen okay… Or I might end up arguing with more people online.”
Valerie laughed, brushing her thumb along his jawline. “Honestly, no one could handle your jealousy, Daniel Parker.”
“Damn right… except for you my love, Future Mrs. Parker” he muttered, smirking as he pulled her closer. “And don’t you forget it.”
The warm glow of carnival lights cast an orange and pink haze over the crowd as Jess laced her fingers through Dorian’s, pulling him forward with a a spark in her eyes. She knew their first date hadn’t exactly gone as planned—okay, that was putting it mildly. The image of herself getting tossed out of a wheelchair and Dorian practically fuming by the end of the night still replayed in her head sometimes. But, alas - it had been months since then and now, Jess could finally… actually walk (longer than 2 minutes). Soooooo tonight, she was determined to change the narrative. Their OFFICIAL second date (technically because having sex in dorian’s pool and getting caught by his ENTIRE family isn’t really Jess’ definition of a date… so). This was going to be a night they’d actually… er… hopefully want to remember, and she’d planned every detail—from the neon lights to the scent of fried everything that already filled the air. Ah. FRIED FOOD. Okay… maybe that was more for her than for him but WHATEVER.
Buuuuuut as they walked, Jess felt a tiny flicker of nerves in her stomach. Why? Why the actual hell was Jessica Pierce nervous? She’d been on dates with Dori. Hell, SHE’D SLEPT with Dori. They were official… but something in the back of her mind was still asking: What if it didn’t go well? What if something happened, and it just turned into another one of those “oh, remember that date?” stories they laughed about later but didn’t necessarily want to relive? She took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts away. Tonight was about showing Dorian a good time—about giving him the kind of night he deserved. Because… well… after all they had both been through, he deserved the world.
“Alright, DeLoughrey, this is your big chance,” she said, eyes gleaming with a playful challenge as she came to a stop in front of a towering ring toss game. “Redemption. I’ll even let you go first. Don’t embarrass yourself too badly.”
Dorian shot her a smirk, cracking his knuckles as he eyed the rings. “Redemption? Really? You think I need a comeback after last time? If I remember correctly, I won.”
"“Mm-hmm… I don’t remember it that way love. If I remember correctly, we were 15 and you hadn’t won… well… anything… which was awkward since you were trying to impress Selena Cowell and she was… mm… far from impressed” she replied, raising an eyebrow before continuing BEFORE he could get a word in. "“Looook all i’m saying is just don’t cry if you don’t get me the biggest stuffed animal in the booth. That one,” she pointed dramatically at an oversized teddy bear with sparkles on its paws, " “is calling my name.”
He rolled his eyes, reaching for the first ring. "“That bear’s got your ego all over it.”
As he launched the ring, Jess bit back a smile, watching him narrow his eyes in concentration. The first ring missed, clanging off the rim. She couldn’t help herself and stifled a laugh behind her hand. " “Oh wow, big guy, maybe all those muscles are just for show.”
He didn’t reply, just focused on the next toss. She felt the familiar warmth of their banter, and it eased her nerves a bit. This—being with him, teasing him—was what she loved. And tonight, she wanted him to feel that too. Jess wanted to give him a night he’d remember for all the right reasons, not the kind of disaster their first date had turned into. Though… it was a disaster she loved… maybe because she loved him.
But, back to the game - with each toss, Dorian’s rings slipped just a little off-course. By the end of his set, he sighed, looking over at her with an exasperated grin. " “Alright, maybe it’s rigged.”
“Sure it is, champ,” Jess snickered, patting him on the shoulder. “Now watch and learn.”
She picked up her ring, twirling it between her fingers with confidence. “Okay, universe,” she thought, almost pleading,“if you’re listening, can you just give me this one thing?”
And with that, she tossed it. It sailed smoothly and—just to rub it in a little—landed perfectly on the bottle. She turned to him, flashing a triumphant grin. " “See? Easy. If you’d like, I can win you a consolation prize.”
He shot her a look that was half-annoyed, half-amused, but she could see the pride hiding there. “Beginner’s luck. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Oh, please. I’m planning on it. It’s actually already gotten to my head. Don’t I look pretty? I think huge head is like, a thing now for smart, intelligent, beauuttiful girls,” she said, swiping her prize—a small, ridiculous alien plush toy—and handing it to him with a flourish. “Here you go, DeLoughrey. Something to remember the night by. I’m just too good to you.”
Dorian accepted the plush, raising an eyebrow. “You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever been given such a… thoughtful gift. Really touches the heart, Jess.”
“Glad to know you know a classy gift when you see one, darling.”
They continued through the carnival, laughing at the cheesy displays and hopping from one game to the next. With each step, Jess felt her worries easing. Dorian looked genuinely happy—like he was really enjoying himself. And, okay, she knew she could be competitive, but tonight, she didn’t just want to win; she wanted him to feel like he was with someone who wasn’t going anywhere. Someone who loved him and was alllll his. 100% of the time.
When they found themselves at the high-striker game—the classic one with the giant mallet—Jess nudged him with her shoulder. “Okay, now’s your chance to impress me, big guy. Think you’ve got it in you?”
He smirked down at her. “So now we’re going for brute strength? Fine. But you’re going next.”
“Oh, I am so ready,” she shot back, already laughing at the idea.
With a confident swing, Dorian took the mallet, hefted it above his shoulder, and brought it down hard. The marker shot up, coming just short of the bell.
“Ouch, so close,” Jess teased, her eyes sparkling.
“Alright, let’s see you try then,” he challenged, handing her the mallet. She took it, shaking her arms out in exaggerated prep.
Jess planted her feet and took a determined breath. “Prepare to be amazed, DeLoughrey.”
With a dramatic swing, she brought the mallet down… and sent the marker halfway up, only to see it fizzle back down. She looked at him, feigning disbelief. “Okay, obviously the machine is rigged.”
“Oh, obviously,” he snickered. “Here I thought you were invincible.”
“Alright, alright, let’s find something I can actually beat you at,” she said, tugging him over to the dart booth.
There, they traded wins, laughing and nudging each other as they threw darts, trying to outdo each other at every turn. He won one round, and she’d roll her eyes, pulling him in for a light shove, then insisted on a rematch. When she won, she’d look at him with her best mock-serious face. “Oh, DeLoughrey, it must be so hard being constantly be beat by little ol’ me. How do you handle it?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“Ridiculously amazing,” she replied with a wink, and he just shook his head, giving her a look that told her he was completely wrapped up in the moment too.
Finally, when Jess had accumulated a small collection of winnings—most of them won just to spite him—they found themselves in front of the Ferris wheel. She didn’t even ask, just tugged him over, her excitement clear as they climbed into the small gondola.
As the wheel turned, lifting them above the carnival, Jess leaned back, glancing at Dorian. For a moment, she could see everything in his face—the way his smile softened, the way he relaxed, his thumb tracing small circles on her hand. They both knew what this meant, and she could feel it in the silence: they were good together, in the best ways.
“See?” she said, breaking the silence with a soft smile. “I can plan one hell of date, darling… without it being all about food… okay fine some of it was about food but you can’t blame me for getting the fried oreo… and the fried ice cream… and the fried donuts… and the… yeah I’m going to shut up now because I think i’m digging myself into a whole and you’re laughing and I don’t think it’s with me so…”
But her spew of words was stopped with a kiss, one that allowed her to simply melt into his touch.
“You did,” he said, his voice quieter than usual, his eyes warm and thoughtful. “You plan one hell of a date, Pierce.”
The Ferris wheel came to a stop, and they climbed out, his hand slipping into hers. Jess felt the warmth there, knew they’d both been nervous about this night for different reasons. And maybe, just maybe, they stomped down any worries either of them had.
As they walked, she nudged him gently, her voice light but her smile genuine. “So, DeLoughrey, I think it’s obvious who’s the real catch here.”
“Oh, you’re a catch, alright,” he said, laughing as he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “But don’t think for a second you’ve won just yet. We’ve got plenty more dates before I admit defeat.”
“OH REALLY? Want to bet, my love? I have a feeling I’ll win”
She laughed, meeting his gaze with that spark in her eyes. “Challenge accepted,” he murmured, right before he leaned in, his lips finding hers in a kiss that felt warm, real, and everything she’d hoped for when she’d planned the night.
And for once, Jess thought, the universe had actually listened.
@astxrism wrote this one a while ago and just finished up the ending Don’t mind me
Sophia tried to minimise the surprise it took her by to hear the high-pitched tone that came from him. She didn’t have to be looking at his face to know he was probably trying to save face right now. “Maybe they were trying to help you make an impression,” She suggested to him with a shrug, though not indicating whether that had succeeded. “Hope she’s getting paid for that overtime,” Sophia added, with a hint of a smile crossing her face.
As he finally got the opportunity to dress himself, Sophia faced the wall so he could save whatever dignity he had left, the immediate sound of frantic movement and rustling making her laugh lightly. Then when indicated, she turned to face him properly for the first time. Ignoring the questionable choice in outfit, he was cute. His awkwardness and nerves were more apparent when she was looking at him, though now it made him more admirable. He seemed harmless, and a far cry from anyone Sophia usually kept in her company, with a sincerity so fragile it almost made her want to tread lightly around him.
Well if she couldn’t see him properly before, Sophia definitely got a good look at him when he stumbled forward and almost into her. Peter Parker, he said he was. She gave him a soft smile, her posture remaining cool throughout his stumble. “Sophia Hawthorne,” She introduced, pulling his hand that had initially extended but fallen limp on his faltered route, shaking it as he originally intended.
While Peter tried to articulate the suggestion of sorting out the room situation, Sophia’s attention landed on his sweater. She almost didn’t notice his question had come to an end, awaiting an answer. “You’re gonna leave like that?” She asked, looking him up and down, leaving the silence to hang for a moment after. Then she extended one arm, traveling around to the back of his neckline, her fingers barely grazing his skin before gently tucking in the label that had been sticking out. “Much better,” Sophia said, the haste in her words a jump from the delicacy of her actions prior, opening and walking out the door.
She probably could have said something herself to fill the silence, but Sophia was curious to see what Peter would come up with as they advanced down the hall. Somehow the cliche line that he settled for didn’t surprise her. “Where would that be, the ski resort or the room of someone fresh out the shower?” She told him, her eyebrows raised and her tone light.
Peter’s heart skipped about a hundred beats when she casually suggested that the receptionist might’ve been helping him “make an impression.” Right. He could barely keep his voice from cracking with this whole situation in general. This banter… it wasn’t doing him well okay but he was trying. "Yeah, well… if that was her plan, I think… I think she might need to, uh, reconsider her career choices,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. But there was a hint of a smile there, despite himself. Maybe she was just teasing, but still… small wins, Peter. Small wins.
After a whirlwind of frantic dressing, he managed to get clothes on—questionable, but at least functional. Annnnnnnd now she was looking at him with that look—like he was an interesting, maybeeeee slightly amusing exhibit at a museum—had him instantly self-conscious. Just when he thought he’d salvaged an ounce of dignity, she leaned in, reaching up to fix the label sticking out from his collar. Her fingers brushed the back of his neck, light but enough to make every nerve in his body hyper-aware. By the time she took a step back, Peter’s mouth was dry, his brain short-circuiting. “Uh… yeah…uh… tha… thank you? Sophie…that’s… a pre… cu…good name,” he mumbled, face now fully resembling the shade of his red sweater.
And, because it wouldn’t be a conversation with him without some monumental awkwardness, his brain malfunctioned and he blurted the most cliche question in the history of clique questions.Her raised eyebrows and casual retort had him inwardly facepalming so hard he swore he might just pass out from the embarrassment.
Peter let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as her words sank in. [ “Right… yeah, uh… that was… a stupid question.” He shook his head, face turning redder by the second. “I’m… I’m just not used to talking to girls like…” He paused, eyes widening slightly. “No, I don’t mean, like, all girls. I mean… well, no, I mean I don’t… I’m just gonna… shut up now, because I think if I keep talking, I’m gonna end up in a hole I can’t climb out of.”
He shot her an apologetic smile, his gaze darting to the floor as he internally screamed.
As they reached the reception area, Peter did his best to muster a semblance of confidence, resting one hand on the counter and taking a deep breath. “Hi, so, um… there seems to be a… uh… small mix-up, I guess? With, um, our room booking.” He gestured vaguely between him and Sophia, trying not to sound like he’d swallowed half his words, but already feeling the flush creeping up his neck. “We both, uh, got key cards to the same penthouse suite… so maybe…?” he muttered, pushing his card and ID towards her.
The receptionist furrowed his brow and glanced at the computer screen, tapping a few keys. “Hmm… this is… odd. Hold on a second.” He kept typing, his frown deepening, and Peter felt his stomach twist. He gave Sophia a nervous half-smile, trying to play it cool as if this wasn’t rapidly devolving into the sort of comedy routine his life seemed determined to be.
After a few seconds, the receptionist glanced up, looking even more concerned. “It appears… there was a computer error. You two were both accidentally booked as… the same party.”
Peter blinked, his voice fumbling in confusion. “Oh. Uh, so… we’re… what does that mean?”
The receptionist nodded, looking apologetic. “I’m very sorry. I have no idea how it happened… but… since it’s high season, we’re actually fully booked. The soonest we could get a second room available is… three days from now.”
Peter’s face dropped as he tried to process that. “Three… days?” he repeated, looking over at Sophia, hoping she didn’t look as alarmed as he felt. News flash - she didn’t.
“Is there… anything… we can, um, do?” Peter asked, his voice pitching slightly with the last word. He could feel Sophia’s eyes on him, and he glanced over, forcing what he hoped was a reassuring smile but probably looked more like a nervous grimace.
The receptionist gestured toward the back, muttering something into a walkie-talkie, and a few moments later, the manager appeared. She took one look at the scene—the two of them standing awkwardly side by side, Peter’s flushed face, his… less than ideal outfit—and sighed. “Apologies for the inconvenience. There was indeed a system glitch. I can confirm that we are… unfortunately… fully booked, but I’d be happy to offer you both complimentary dining during your stay as an apology and 6 drink vouchers each”
Peter looked at Sophia, trying to gauge her reaction. Okay, Peter. This is fine. Not ideal, but fine. Just… play it cool. “Um, well… our suite has, what… five bedrooms?” He looked to the manager for confirmation, who nodded in agreement.“I mean… we could just… I don’t know, stay together? Like, not together together,” he clarified quickly, “but… you know, the, uh, logistics of it… Me and my friends could take two rooms and, like, the couch, and… you girls could, um, have the other rooms. Just… till the, you know, other room’s available.”
He looked at Sophia, waiting for her reaction, hoping he hadn’t completely overstepped. He forced a casual smile, one he hoped made him look at least slightly less like he was seconds away from an existential crisis. “I mean… only if that works for you,” he added, feeling the awkwardness creeping back in, but trying his best to sound like he had it together.
He let out a shaky laugh, realizing he’d been holding his breath. Just play it cool, Peter.
His mind was still shrouded in a fog. Everything in his mind was stuck in a shadowed haze. Hardly anything made sense anymore. He knew he should eat, but it was difficult to even take more than a single bite. Jess had only gotten a few bites out of him, and only because she made him take a bite for each question he wanted her to answer about her time with Scarlet. He hadn’t even realized until then how he hadn’t told her Scarlet’s name.
By that point, just a few weak bites into a plate of food, he couldn’t do it anymore. It took every bit of effort he had just to make it that far. It was even a mental battle just to take the offer of the medicine Jess had. It’s hard to do much when you hardly have any will to live. Even the smallest of things, took everything he had. But at least for once, he didn’t fight sleep.
How long had he been asleep? Minutes, hours, he had no idea. He slowly opened his eyes to see Jess sitting next to him, her hand on his shoulder. ”Jess?” Why was she there waking him up? If something happened to Scarlet there’d be a more emergent tone, right? But there was nothing urgent about her speech or demeanor, and there was food on the table beside him. So it wasn’t an emergency, but what could this be about? He sat up in the bed as Jess began to speak, mentioning how she was looking into the news. A maid… those words made his heart sink. That’s what this was about.
He knew what Jess was going to say the instant those first words left her mouth. The pain likely visible in his features already, even as he looked down. ”Skye… she didn’t even get to meet Scarlet.” It was by pure luck that Scarlet made it. He easily could’ve lost her too. He almost didn’t get to even meet her, just like he didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to Skye… and how Scarlet would never get to meet her mom…
It was baffling to Annie how little self-awareness Ricky had as he pinned the blame of Maddy leaving on her, she almost laughed. Her demeanour was a stark contrast to his, the fluidity of his movement indicating how ahead he had been with his drinks. Annie picked up her drink after the thought that she should probably catch up, especially if he was going to stick around here longer. 'If your ‘entertainment’ was that easy to scare, I don’t think the problem was me," She suggested, taking a long sip to get through whatever response he was going to come up with and who else he could blame instead.
Obviously Ricky had to give his own take on the mocking front, putting on a show to imitate her back. Annie rolled her eyes as he brought up her parents, in a manner similar to most of the public at the moment. “Very original,” She muttered. If it had been anyone else, Annie would have jumped to the defence of her parents. But for Enrique Montoya, she didn’t want to waste her time, despite the nerve he may have struck. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Annie started, not denying his claims she was too good to talk to him, “Maybe one of these days some poor girl will fall for your ‘damaged’ charm,” She continued, using both hands to gesture in his direction on the last words. “Or at least grow to tolerate it, in some weird Stockholm syndrome-y kind of way,”" Before taking a drink and glancing around for her exit opportunity.
With no success, Annie’s gaze landed back on Ricky who was questioning her about her defensiveness and if it was just for him. “I’m not defensive,” She defended with a scoff. Okay, maybe she was being abnormally guarding in his company, but it’s not like she didn’t have good reason to. But she did not need him to tell her to lighten up. “Would love to,” Annie exclaimed as he suggested her take a shot, before picking up the bottle of liquor that he had been working through. Empty, as she had anticipated it being. “Huh. Seems like you kept all the fun for yourself,” She told him, her eyes travelling from the bottle to him.
It had only been five days, but Addie could feel every hour. She’d barely managed to keep herself from going back to his place, from doing what she knew she shouldn’t. And yet here she was, suffocating in the fallout of her own choice. Addie knew what she’d done would make Leo feel awful. She’d meant for it to—she’d meant to drive him away, to keep him safe. But still, the memory of those three checks sat heavy on her chest, a constant reminder of what she’d done. Was it cruel? The thought gnawed at her, making her toss and turn on her bed, alternating between guilt and resignation. “No,” she muttered to herself, “I’m doing it for him.” But still, the thought wouldn’t quiet.
Every effort she made to distract herself fell flat. She’d tried cooking—disaster. Singing? That earned her a very loud complaint from Justin. Every little thing just felt like an excuse, and the realization only made her feel more restless. She’d been avoiding any chance of running into Leo, even staying cooped up at home like a hermit. But now she’d had enough. Maybe leaving was the only solution. She could go back to London, clear her head, and put some distance between them once and for all.
The more she thought about it, the more it felt right. After a few restless hours of debating, she grabbed her phone and called her pilot to schedule a flight for the end of the week, even though the thought of getting on a plane alone made her wince.
“Going home?” Justin’s voice startled her from the doorway, a tinge of disappointment on his face.
Addie hung up the phone, looking over at him with a half-smile. He’s going to be all sentimental about this, she thought, bracing herself. She knew her brother – it was oddly part of the reason she stayed in her world… of course, the other part being leo
He crossed his arms, sighing. “I’m going to miss having you around, weirdo.”
Rolling her eyes, she replied, “Oh, please. You have to come home in a month anyway, and then we’re stuck with each other all summer.”
Justin gave her a mock pout before brightening. “Okay, then. Last hurrah tonight?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, wary.
“Nat’s friend is hosting a party. You know, one last night out together before you jet off.” He kept his tone casual, and she tilted her head, narrowing her eyes.
“Which friend?” she asked, something about this just feeling… odd.
“Oh, some guy Nat knows from when she was a kid. They used to be close growing up so he invited us out.
After a brief back-and-forth and some very convincing eye-rolls from Justin, she finally agreed. Besides, one last night couldn’t hurt, right?
The party was loud, lights flashing as Addie stepped in beside Justin and Natalie, but something about it felt…off. Maybe it was just the feeling of being out for the first day in… well… 5 days. But still, something just wasn’t sitting right in her stomach. Not to mention, she was just having this lingering feeling feeling that someone was watching her and she found herself scanning the crowd… which was all well and good until she spotted him. Leo. Waiting for her, eyes trained in her direction. How? Why? Addie thought that this was a childhood friend of Nat’s - why the fck was he here? He couldn’t be here.
Leo had this look on his face… unreadable almost. However, it was clear that he knew she was coming. Not only did it look like Leo knew - knowing him, he made it so she would come. It didn’t take Addie long to connect the pieces; Leo being at a high school party? One he knew about.
She glared at Justin, her voice barely a whisper as she spat, “Please tell me I’m wrong - blue royalty told you to come to this party… with me?”
Justin was surprised… and after a second she saw his shoulders hunch, “How did you… I’m sorry, Ads. I know I told you they usually give tasks to seniors but I was a little shocked when I got a note today and it just said to come to this party with everyone and I’d get a head start next year. I didn’t think it be a big deal? You’d been holed up at home for basically the entire week and looked like you needed a night out… but… Ads how did you know?.”
She huffed. Of course, she should’ve known. She should have trusted that feeling she got when leo asked her to come. Leo’s shadow hung over every part of this stupid game. She was fuming? Could you blame her? She had tried SO hard to avoid Leo. SHE HAD BECOME A HERMIT. And then he did this? He used her brother to get her here? you had to be kidding. She stalked straight over to him, feeling her pulse quicken with anger. Leo turned to face her, his gaze as cold as she’d ever seen it, and for a moment, she was lost for words. He’d never looked at her like that before. Well… not until Harr… never mind. Stay in the zone Addie…
“You set this up, didn’t you?”
He didn’t flinch, his gaze as cold as ever. “Aww… are you mad? Do you feel used? That’s crazy because that’s exactly how I f*cking felt when I woke up and found your goddamn note on my kitchen counter a few days ago. Oh… note and checks I mean.”
“ I was paying you for your time.” The words came out sharper than she’d intended, but she refused to take them back, even as something inside her twisted painfully. She needed him to hate her. And this would be her chance to do it.
“Oh, so I’m a f*cking prostitute now?” His voice was thick with contempt, and the way he looked at her made her feel like she’d taken another punch to the gut.
“Did I say that? Or did you imply it?”
“Then what exactly are you saying, Addie? You’re the one who left like it was nothing, who put money on the table like I was some paid-for-stripper distraction.” He took a step closer, his gaze sharp and unforgiving.
Her jaw clenched, and she felt a familiar frustration bubbling up. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted any of this?” Her voice wavered, and she hated how vulnerable she sounded. “I was trying to make it clear—”
“Clear that what? That you don’t care?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “Funny, because here you are, looking pretty damn bothered for someone who ‘doesn’t care.’”
She wished she was drunk for this conversation. She really did. It hurt to hurt him so much - and Addie knew with him, he could read her. He could read her face, her eyes - even when her lips were saying something different. But… but she had to be clear with him. If there was any chance, it was now. Lifting her chin defiantly. “I don’t care. Not about you, and definitely not about any of this.” The words tasted bitter in her mouth, but she forced herself to keep going.
Leo’s expression hardened, his gaze piercing through her. “Then go. No one’s f*cking stopping you, Addie. No one’s paying you to be here—you have free will, you know.”
“You’re unbelievable,” she spat, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. “I came here… I came to confront you because… because for some reason, you still seem to think you have some hold on me. Well, guess what? You don’t.”
“Good. Then why the hell are you still standing here? Go find someone else to play your games with.” He was practically daring her to walk away, and part of her knew she should, that it would be the smart thing to do, but she couldn’t. Instead, she just stared at him, the weight of everything unsaid settling between them.
“Fine,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the music. “ If it isn’t clear; I don’t want anything between us. I might be at this party due to your meddling, but we don’t mean anything. You won’t ever… You don’t…” She couldn’t say those words. SHe couldn’t say he meant nothing to her. The words wouldn’t come out. “ Just leave me alone for the rest of the night. I’m only hear for my brother.”
He looked at her with an almost pitying smile. “I don’t buy any of what you said for a second, Addie. Not even close.”
Instead of responding, Addie spun on her heel, heading toward the bar. The need to numb herself was overwhelming. Yes she knew that her baseline these past few weeks had been tipsy-drunk. But she didn’t care. She took shot after shot, ignoring the sting, letting the alcohol blur her frustration. She didn’t care. She didn’t… but Addie couldn’t help but let her eyes wonder back to him…
She watched him from the corner of her eye, saw him lean close to a girl with long, dark hair, his hand lingering on her waist as they talked. So yeah… he moved on quick. Clearly… good. Good. He deserved someone else… someone better.
But god, it hurt more than it should. He looked so at ease, laughing, smiling like he hadn’t a care in the world. Like she hadn’t just ripped his heart out five days ago. Whatever. WHATEVER. She just needed another drink… or 4… or 8.
As the party went on; she tried to ignore it, tried to focus on anything else, even the pathetic attempts at flirting from the guy next to her. But every time she let her eyes wonder, Leo was there… with someone else, and that ache in her chest grew sharper. But HEY at least she was drunk. Being drunk helped… a little? Okay not really… she just felt jealous… and sad…
Finally, she heard the crowd start to chant, “Shot! Shot! SHOT, SHOT”. Great a distraction. This would be good right? Turning around to watch what had grabbed everyone’s attention - she found the dark-haired girl who was with Leo earlier egging the crowd on. A bright smile on her lips as she held a shot in her hand. But instead of drinking it - she saw someone laying on a table… followed by her poring the shot on his stomach.
Oh you have to be kidding me.
No because this actually has to be a joke.
While Addie couldn’t see with the crowd of people surrounding them who was laying down. She knew. She just… knew.
Taking a few steps closer; Addie pushed between the crowd only to find herself almost front row as the girl took the shot from his stomach… and then licked the salt off his collarbone, and topped it off by eating the lime that Leo was holding in his mouth.
Why was she still here?
Why was she watching?
She saw the girl take the lime out of her mouth and then close the distance between her lips and Leo’s but Addie couldn’t watch that part. She had already turned around; pushing through the crowd as her heart sunk in her chest. It hurt. It hurt so fcking much. It felt like someone had repeatedly stabbed her in the stomach, laughed, and then used a bigger fcking knife.
She was leaving.
She couldn’t do this anymore.
But as she reached the door to the house… she couldn’t leave.
She couldn’t walk out the door. It was her salvation to this shtty night… but her legs wouldn’t move.
Fck.
She didn’t know what was happening. With her head spinning… she really didnt. However, her legs were moving before her brain could even catch up. She found herself marching, albeit unsteadily, towards where she had last seen Leo. And… and there he was. Leaning on the wall looking… looking bored? There was a girl draped on his arm… kissing his neck… but he was… you know what it didn’t matter.
Before Addie even had a chance to make sense of the situation; her legs were once again moving towards him. Ignoring the girl, Addie grabbed his hand while catching his gaze with her own, anger simmering beneath the surface.
“Upstairs. Now.”
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips as he studied her expression. “Jealous, are we?”
“Just… just shut up and follow me.” She tugged him toward a staircase marked with a No Entry sign, barely glancing at the curious stares that followed them as they made their way up. She pushed open the door to a dimly lit bedroom, closing it behind them and locking it as she leaned against the door, finally allowing herself to breathe.
Leo watched her, his arms crossed, an almost smug expression on his face as he waited for her to speak. The room felt heavy with tension, every unspoken word, every bottled-up feeling lingering between them.
“Well?” he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. “What’s the grand plan, Addie? Get me alone so you can keep pretend this doesn’t mean anything to you? Because honestly, if that was the plan - I have someone waiting for me downstairs.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just don’t want to see you parading around like none of this matters.”
What was she saying? She didn’t mean to say that. What the fck brain? Fck.
Fck.
“Funny. That’s exactly what it looks like you’re doing.” He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “Why don’t you stop lying to yourself for once and admit that you’re the one who can’t stay away.”
“I’m… I’m… I’m not lying to myself,” she shot back, her voice shaking slightly. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m trying to protect you.”
He laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “Protect me from what? From you? Hate to break it to you, Addie, but I’m not the one running away here.”’
“I’m not… I’m… not… running,” she whispered, but the words felt hollow, even to her. She crossed her arms, trying to hold onto whatever resolve she had left.
“Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like that’s all you’re good at.”
The words stung, and she felt a bitter taste rise in her mouth. “Fine, if that’s what you think, then maybe I should go.”
“Go ahead,” he replied, his tone icy. “No one’s stopping you. In fact, no one’s paying you either, so you don’t have any obligation to stay, remember?” He added, a sneer on his face.
Her throat tightened, the guilt bubbling up as she forced herself to hold his gaze. This is what you wanted, she reminded herself. Make him hate you. Make him leave. But as she looked at him, his face contorted with anger, she felt her defenses crumbling.
Without a word, she took a shaky breath and turned, leaning against the wall, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. She didn’t want to leave. Not really. But she also didn’t know how to stay.
Addie paced the length of the room, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor, her breaths shallow and rapid as she struggled to steady herself. “F*ck it. I can’t do this anymore…” she muttered, her voice filled with frustration, her fingers tightening as if she were gripping onto her last thread of self-control. Her mind was racing, logic slipping away as she turned to face him, her gaze meeting his with a fierceness she couldn’t hold back any longer.
The silence during the ride back to Leo’s place was suffocating, thick with the weight of words they both seemed unwilling to say. Addie kept her gaze fixed on the window, lost in her thoughts, acutely aware of Leo beside her yet unable to look at him. The ache she felt inside only deepened as they neared his place, a reminder of how deeply entangled she still was in everything about him.
When they reached his condo, she stepped inside ahead of him, heading straight for his liquor cabinet. She knew exactly where it was, of course. The familiar glint of bottles behind glass felt like comfort as she took out a bottle, pouring herself a long shot and tipping it back without a second thought. Then, before Leo could even react, she poured herself another.
Leo let out an exasperated sigh, muttering under his breath, “You just got sober…” but Addie barely heard him. The burn of the liquor felt steadying, grounding her, and the tension in her chest loosened slightly as she felt the warmth spreading through her.
She moved over to his coffee table, where a pack of cards sat off to the side. She picked them up, shuffling them absently before looking up at him, a glint of mischief flickering in her eyes. “Let’s play poker, love.”
He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he looked at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “Why are you like this?”
Ignoring his question, she moved closer, a sly smile forming on her lips as she added, “No… let’s play strip poker.” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “Come on, Leo, afraid you’ll lose?”
Leo grabbed the deck, clearly intending to put it away, but Addie pouted, reaching out for the cards. “No, let me shuffleeeeee. You always cheat… okay, you probably don’t, but you can’t always be that lucky with the damn cards.”
He sighed, his resolve weakening as he gave in, sitting across from her with a reluctant look. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
They began to play, and sure enough, Leo won every single hand. Addie tossed her jacket off first, then her shoes, and finally her dress until she was left in just her bra and underwear, her face flushed as she pouted at him across the table.
“How… how the hell do you always win? This is rigged.”
He chuckled, shrugging as he collected the cards, stacking them neatly before standing.
“Alright, Addie. I think it’s time for bed.”
She shook her head, a sudden wave of sadness washing over her as she looked up at him. “No.” Her voice was softer now, the edge of her earlier defiance fading.
He raised an eyebrow, studying her closely. “Why do you do this? Why do you act like you want something, and then the second you’re sober, you pull away?”
Addie’s eyes lowered, a mix of emotions swirling within her as she struggled to find the words. “I don’t… want to hurt you,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, and suddenly she felt a prickling at the corners of her eyes.
Her chest tightened, the weight of everything she’d been holding back pressing down on her as she finally broke down, her face crumpling as she buried her head in her hands. “I… I hurt you and it… haunts me. I broke you, and… and… and I can’t do it again… but it’s hard when you’re here, everywhere, and all I want is to be near you, to wrap my arms around you and just…” Her words trailed off into a quiet sob, and for a moment, the room was silent except for the faint sound of her crying.
Leo sighed, running a hand through his hair before walking over to her. Without a word, he gently lifted her and carried her into his bedroom, ignoring her half-hearted protests as he set her down on the bed.
He grabbed a t-shirt and shorts, placing them on the bed beside her. “Get changed. I’ll bring you some water.” His voice was gentle but firm, leaving her no room to argue.
As he left, Addie lay there, wiping her tears away as she pulled his shirt over her head, her mind reeling from everything she’d just said. She barely registered his return until he placed a glass of water on the nightstand and turned, starting to leave the room but Addie grabbed his hand before he did.
“Please… I… I need your arms around me, my love,” Addie whispered. She could see the hesitation… but after a few minutes… found herself comforted by his arms; and it didn’t take long before she drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally overtaking her.
When Addie woke the next morning, the headache hit her like a freight train, pounding relentlessly as she blinked against the harsh morning light. She glanced around, realizing she was alone, and the events of last night came flooding back in hazy fragments. She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead as she stumbled out of bed, pulling Leo’s shirt more tightly around her.
She wandered out to the kitchen, where the smell of coffee and something cooking filled the air. Leo was at the stove, looking far too composed for someone who’d been dealing with her drunken antics the night before. Her mouth was dry, but she didn’t waste time on small talk.
“I want to f*ck you, Leo.” The words tumbled out before she could think twice, blunt and direct, and she watched his reaction with a brazen sort of curiosity. “So, what do I have to do to convince you to take me to that bed and do it?”
He turned slowly, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her with something between exasperation and amusement. “How about a real date first?” His voice was calm, measured, as if he’d been waiting for this exact conversation. “I want to take you out on a date. A real one. And after that, if you still want to sleep with me, fine. No… no f*cking payments. Just us, okay? Deal?”
She blinked, the boldness from moments ago fading as she processed his words. A real date. Her mind flickered with memories of their first dates, the laughter, the long talks, the feeling of ease she’d only ever found with him. And for once, she didn’t have the energy to argue.
After a long, thoughtful pause, she nodded, her voice softer as she whispered, “Deal.”
Ricky’s head tilted at her remark, the grin creeping back onto his face like she’d just handed him his favorite game to play. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, Rick was great at games. Call him the game master. “Wowww, are you saying I’m not charming?” he asked, clutching a hand to his chest in mock offense. “That’s… harsh. Really harsh, Annie. Especially because if you ask around, people will tell you—like, without hesitation—that I can be extremely fun to be with.” He leaned closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he added, “But okay, sure, let’s go with that. IM the problem. I’ll embrace it. I am a problem. But every problem has a solution…” His grin widened, his voice dropping into a teasing whisper. “And maybe that solution… is you.” . There was something in his eyes, a sparkle - so to speak - as he let his green eyes look into hers. Was this one of his many moves? Oh for sure. He he got a penny for every time a girl said they could swim in his eyes; he’d be rich…er… richer than he already was.
After a second; he looked away (the annoyance apparent in her eyes but honestly he was true drunk to care). He took another lazy sip of his drink, tilting his head back just enough to let the alcohol burn his throat before continuing, “See? I’m charming. So I’m prettyyyy sure it wasn’t me scaring… uh… Lisa? away?” . Yeah he reallyyyyy didn’t remember that girl’s name anymore. Could anyoen blame him?
Her dry “Very original” didn’t even faze him; in fact, it only made him smirk wider. He gave her a little nod, taking her sarcasm at face value just to bother her. “Thanks.” The simple word was delivered with just enough mock sincerity to border on maddening.
When she launched into her Stockholm syndrome jab, he barked out a laugh, clutching the counter for balance as he nearly spilled his drink. “Wow, so you think I’m soooo unlovable,” he replied, letting the mock despair drip off every word. “Sure, I’d agree with that. But you know what? Who needs love, anyway? It’s overrated.” He took another drink, pausing to savor the burn before adding with a smirk, “As my grandpa used to say, ‘El amor dura poco, pero el sexo nunca se olvida.’” (“Love doesn’t last long, but sex is unforgettable.”). No he’s not kidding. His grandfather did sit him down and say these exact words. Was the man drunk? Yes. Was Ricky 8 and understand what sex was? Nope. But was the man right? Honestly, yeah.
But then he caught it—her eyes darting around the room, clearly looking for an escape. Oh, no. She wasn’t getting out of this that easily. He set his cup down, leaning forward slightly. “Aww, trying to get rid of me already? That’s cold, Annie. Especially because, let’s not forget, you’re the one who made my entertainment of the night leave. I mean, we kind of established it wasn’t me soooo it goes back to you. So, guess what? You’re it now.” He tapped her lightly on the arm, like they were playing some absurd game of tag.
Her defensive scoff didn’t go unnoticed either. Ricky grinned, leaning back as if he were observing some fascinating specimen. “I’m not defensive,” he repeated in a high-pitched imitation of her voice, complete with a theatrical wave of his hand. “She says… defensively.”
When she called out the empty bottle, he grinned and threw his hands up. “Guilty as charged,” he said, standing up a little too fast but catching his balance with surprising grace. “But see, I’m a man of many talents. Sit tight.”
Ricky scanned the kitchen like a man on a mission. He grabbed a bottle of vodka from the counter, then rummaged through a cabinet until he found a dusty bottle of Kahlua and a martini glass shoved in the back. He flung open the fridge door and triumphantly held up a carton of cold brew coffee like he’d struck gold. “Perfect.”
With a practiced flair, he started making a drink, throwing the vodka bottle in the air with a woosh… and yes… he also said the word “woosh!” , and raised his eyebrow at her as he catched it smoothly. The liquor poured into the shaker, followed by a dash of Kahlua, a splash of coffee, and a drizzle of simple syrup he found tucked away in a corner. He shook it with a little too much enthusiasm, the ice clinking loudly inside as he spun the shaker in his hands like a pro.
When he finally poured the drink into the martini glass, the creamy espresso martini settled perfectly, and he even garnished it with a sprinkle of cocoa powder he’d found in the spice cabinet. He slid it toward her with a proud grin. “I was a bartender in Barcelona last summer. See? I’m full of surprising facts. Like the fact that I can still do this drunk.” He tossed the shaker in the air one last time, catching it without missing a beat. “Anyways, I don’t know, you look like a girl to drink an expresso martini at a party where everyone else is drinking beer out of our favorite little red cups.” . With those words, he was already adding more vodka to his previously empty cup.
“Either way… There’s soooo much you don’t know about me, Annie. Get to know me. Come on. I can be pretty damn fun, you know.” He raised his own cup, clinking it to the martini class she had yet to pick up, the grin never leaving his face as he took a long sip, watching her reaction with unabashed amusement.
Shorts Series: Alternate Universe - Kai’s What If - 2037/2038
Jessica’s stomach twisted the moment the words left her lips. She hated herself for saying them, for… potentially reopening wounds she knew hadn’t even begun to heal. The last thing she wanted was to pile more weight onto Kai’s already burdened shoulders. But he needed to hear it. And he needed to know she was there—not just to shoulder some of the weight but to understand it with him.
His silence felt deafening. The way his gaze dropped, his hands tightening slightly in his lap—it told her everything before he even opened his mouth. And then his voice, quiet and heavy with grief, confirmed what she already knew. “Skye… she didn’t even get to meet Scarlet.”
Jessica’s heart clenched, the pain in his voice cutting straight through her. She didn’t hesitate. She slid closer to him, wrapping her arms around his hunched frame, holding him tightly as if she could physically keep him from shattering. Her voice was barely a whisper as she said, “I know this doesn’t change anything… but I’m so sorry, Kai. I’m so, so sorry for your loss.”
For a long moment, she didn’t let go. She just held him, her cheek resting against his shoulder, trying to anchor them both in the moment. She felt him tremble slightly beneath her touch, and her own chest ached with an emotion she couldn’t quite name. Grief? Guilt? A mix of it all.
Eventually, her voice came again, softer now, almost as if the words weren’t meant to be heard. “No mother should have the chance to meet their child taken away…” Her hand drifted instinctively to her stomach, fingers brushing against the fabric of her shirt as a ghost of a memory surfaced—her own loss, the child she never got to meet. But she removed her hand as quickly as she held it… she couldn’t go there. That was a memory she didn’t want to relive… not now… not when it was so close… It didn’t matter. Right now he did.
She let the silence linger, giving them both time to sit in it, to feel the weight of everything that had been said. But then, slowly, Jessica pulled away, brushing her fingers lightly against Kai’s shoulder before standing. Without a word, she left the room, her mind already made up about what she needed to do.
When she returned minutes later, Scarlet was nestled in her arms, her tiny features peaceful in sleep. Jessica moved quietly, sitting back down beside Kai and gently transferring the baby into his lap. “But hey,” she said softly, her tone tinged with warmth as she smiled faintly, “look how perfect of a daughter you have. And guess what, Kai? She needs her dad. And I know you… I know you’re going to be an amazing dad to her, darling.”
She watched him as his arms adjusted automatically to hold Scarlet securely. There was something different in his expression—fragile, but a flicker of something beyond the grief. Maybe hope? She hoped it was… Either way, whatever it was, it made her chest ache in a way she couldn’t explain.
“But to be a good dad, you can’t fade away right now, Kai,” she continued, her voice gentle but firm. “You need to eat… sleep… all of the above. And I’ll be here until you’re okay enough to do it alone. I promise. My home is your home, but I have a set of rules here.”
She leaned back slightly, nudging his arm lightly as if to make her point. “Rule number one: you have to eat every day.”
Her gaze softened as she watched Scarlet shift slightly in Kai’s arms, her tiny hands curling into fists. “We’ll figure this out together,” she added, her voice steady but filled with quiet determination. “One step at a time.”
For the first time, as she looked at the two of them together, she felt a glimmer of hope. Small, but real. And for now, maybe that was enough?
Can we talk about that final scene?! URGH can Netflix drop the next four episodes already?”
Don’t mind me
