Drowning

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Nothing, I'm not going anywhere." I tell her, when I finish my drink. The last thing I'm going to do is run away from my problems.

"Val, please let's just leave or this is going to end ugly." She tells me, trying to convince me, but there is no need. Because I'm not going anywhere. "Can I have another?" I ask the bartender as Mariana keeps talking to me.

"I'll go grab Mark and Damon so that we can leave. Yes?" She asks, hopeful that I'm going to leave with them, but I'm not. If I'm leaving it's because I want to not because my grandparents made an appearance.

"You can go look for them, but I'm not leaving." I say as the bartender hands me my second drink. "I'll go find them." she says looking around, clearly reluctant to leave me alone. When she finally walks away I heard the 'so stubborn' she muttered, but I'm just going to pretend like I didn't listen to it. I'm not going to leave because of my fear or exhaustion.

"Here I thought I was actually a decent dancer, but since my dance partner left me stranded on the floor, I guess I'm not as good as I thought." The man whose voice I've grown to know says from behind me.

"I told you if you were sure you knew how to dance before we started," I say, not turning around. A slight grin forming on my face, not big enough though, the comment not being enough to make me forget the new unwanted presence in the room.

"I'll have one of what she's having." Aiden tells the bartender. As he stands beside me.

"So, the Millers are here," he says in a rough tone, and my back straightens.

"They are," I strain.

"What are you going to do?" He asks, turning towards me as if analyzing me, and I don't want him to since apparently he is one of the few people that can actually find something.

"Me? Nothing, stay and enjoy the diner I paid so much to eat." I say avoiding his gaze. I need to get away from his hard stare, I need a second to breathe. Just breathe and think away from anyone.

"I'll be right back," Maybe I can find a bathroom somewhere, there maybe I can actually think.

I walk out the ballroom and go down an empty hallway where I see a waiter. I ask where the bathroom is. He tells me and I make my way there.

I look in the mirror as soon as I get in, I need to get myself together, no matter how much I want to leave, I won't. I just want to punch a bag until my hands are bleeding and I'm curled next to it crying. I can't do this today, it's been a long day. It's too much.

Tears brim my eyes and with a paper towel I dab them off. This isn't me. I'm not leaving, regardless of the fact that I want to at least slap them with every fiber of my being, I'm not leaving. That's what cowards do, they run and I don't run, I walk right into the fire.

I walked back the hallway I went through, taking out my coat ticket so that I could get my phone from my purse. Why did I have to leave my phone and not take it with me? Suddenly someone whose voice I haven't heard in years speaks, "well if it isn't the thief," and when I look up, I see my grandfather standing there, hands deep in his pockets.

It's been a long time since I've seen them. That including pictures. But they both look as good as ever. My grandfather may be getting old but he is in great shape, still tall and brooding the only signal of his old age being his slightly gray hair laced with the brain and the wrinkles that are starting to form around his eyes. From what I saw when they walked in, my grandmother is as beautiful as ever. Standing tall and beautifully with my grandfather not looking like she aged a day. She reminded me of my mother with the slight marks of old age across her face, long hair, and brown eyes. I never thought I got my blue eyes from my mother's side but my fathers. It's always made me wonder what would've happened to Aubrey and I if he would've taken us with him when he left and decided to never come back.