𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 [peso pluma]

3

The night air was cool against Hassan's flushed skin as he walked away from the party, his footsteps echoing in the quiet streets. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, a mixture of regret, frustration, and confusion. He replayed the argument with Nata over and over again, each word like a stab to his conscience.

As he walked, he found himself retracing his steps through the memories of the evening. The image of Celine dancing and laughing with Nata gnawed at him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he had let something precious slip through his fingers. His heart ached as he recalled the hurt in Celine's eyes when she had caught him with Valeria.

He reached his empty house, the lights inside casting a soft glow through the windows. Slumping onto his bed, he buried his face in his hands. The weight of his actions settled heavily on his chest.

The hours passed slowly, the night growing darker as Hassan wrestled with his thoughts and emotions. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a restless sleep.

-

As the girls entered Brenda's house after the party, Celine's mind was still a mess of all her thoughts and emotions. Brenda and Fiona seemed to be in high spirits, replaying the events of the party and laughing about various encounters. Celine, on the other hand, remained unusually quiet, lost in her own thoughts. They gathered in Brenda's room, all taking different places to lay out for the night. The rest of her family already asleep.

Brenda nudged Celine playfully. "You've been awfully quiet. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Fiona chimed in, her voice teasing. "Yeah, spill the tea. Did you and Nata have a little moment on the dance floor? Are we switching teams now?"

Celine managed a faint smile at their attempts to lighten the mood. She shook her head, her gaze distant. "No, nada de eso." [No, nothing like that.]

Brenda and Fiona exchanged glances, their curiosity clearly piqued. "Come on, Celine, you can't lie. We saw you two dancing together, and you were having a good time with him," Brenda prodded.