𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 // 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵

𝒯𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝓌𝑜

"Are you coming?" Audrey asked as she knocked on the bedroom door.

"Go without me! I'm not in a drinking mood" Talia responded back as she looked at her phone, trying to hold hack her tears.

"What? You've been boozy this whole time. Are you okay?" Audrey asked concerned. Aki could hear Audrey down the hall, he softly came up to the door where Audrey quietly shushed him before he could say a word.

"I'm fine really. I have the bottle of wine from dinner still. I'll be okay. Go have fun" Talia said behind the closed door as she held her hand to her mouth. Aki and Audrey whispered something before walking away down the hall.

As the music pulsed from the hallway, Talia took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and decided she wasn't going to sit this one out after all. She stood up, grabbed her purse, and threw on her leather jacket, letting the fabric and the decision shield her from the hurt she'd felt all night. Max had promised he'd be there, he'd be different, that he'd actually show up. And yet again, she'd been left waiting. If he wanted to blow her off, fine—but she'd be damned if she'd sit around crying over it.

"Alright," she said as she opened the door, and Audrey and Aki, who hadn't gone far, spun around with surprised smiles.

"Finally! There's my girl!" Audrey squealed, linking her arm through Talia's. "We're getting you to that party. I swear, by the time we leave, you'll have completely forgotten about Max."

Aki nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, you deserve a night where you're the one having fun. And hey, if you want to talk about it..."

Talia shook her head. "I don't. I just want to drink, dance, and maybe forget him for the night."

Aki and Audrey exchanged glances but didn't push further, knowing it was better to let her have her space. Instead, they launched into gossip about Obie's latest relationship drama. Apparently, he'd been going on about some girl named Grace, and Julien was dead set on making sure Grace wasn't as "sweet" as she appeared. As they chattered on, Talia sank deeper into her thoughts, the laughter and banter around her fading into the background. She felt like she was in her own bubble, where everything felt muted and heavy.

A couple of drinks later, Talia's mood lifted, at least enough to get her dancing with Audrey and Aki. She played along with their antics, but a gnawing feeling inside made it hard for her to stay. Eventually, when they got distracted by another friend's arrival, Talia slipped out the door.

She wandered down the dark streets, the crisp air biting through her slightly tipsy haze. She didn't know where she was going, just that she needed some air, needed to feel something other than the sting of betrayal. She walked through the small streets, the city lights reflecting in puddles on the ground, lost in thought as she tried to bury her disappointment.

As she turned the corner, she spotted a familiar figure just ahead, fumbling with the zipper of his jacket, visibly frustrated. He looked up, and her heart sank when she recognized him.

Max.

He paused, his hand freezing mid-motion, eyes narrowing as he took her in. "Talia?" he asked, his voice low.

She straightened, crossing her arms over her chest, an attempt to shield herself from him. "Out for a smoke?" she said, trying to keep her tone casual, but her words came out sharper than intended.

Max looked at her, something like regret flashing across his face. "I didn't know you'd be out here."

"Funny," Talia said, her voice shaking. "I thought the same thing earlier when you didn't show up."

"Talia, I—" he started, but she cut him off.

"Save it, Max. Whatever excuse you have, I'm sure it sounds really good in your head. But I don't need to hear it."