Our world

Chapter 4

Chapter contains: mentions of  Substance abuse, Violence and aggressive behavior, Emotional manipulation, and strong sexual tension.

chapter 4

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Today marked a rare rainy day in Los Angeles, and with it came an unusual heaviness in everyone's mood—everyone except Debbie, who seemed to radiate joy despite the dreary weather. It was high time for Gabriella and me to pry her for the latest scoop.

I nudged Gabriella's leg, and she shot me a knowing smirk. "Hey, Deb, what's with all the smiles? Got some juicy gossip to share?" Gabriella knelt, her attention fully captivated as Debbie launched into whatever amusing anecdote was dancing on her lips.

Debbie's smile widened, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. Yet, despite her beaming expression, I could sense that something more was brewing beneath the surface, and my impatience was beginning to bubble over.

"Oh, it's nothing, really!" she laughed, brushing us off with a casual wave of her hand. "Just some funny stuff from a while back. No exciting news for you two, I'm afraid." She shrugged, but I could tell she was holding something back.

I chose not to press her further; if it were truly significant, she would share in her own time. "Mmm, if you say so," I mumbled, sinking back into my pillows as I closed my eyes. The fatigue from last night clung to me, and I hadn't shared much with anyone—only a snippet with Gabriella.

After I confided in her, she had erupted with enthusiasm, jumping around and insisting we were cute together. Although I had just met the guy, I couldn't find it in me to deny her excitement. Perhaps we were simply lost in our delusions, wrapped up in the thrill of new possibilities.

"Hey, Debbie, can I talk to you for a sec? In the other room?" I heard Gabriella say, but as soon as the words registered, I succumbed to a deep sleep, my last yawn still lingering in my mind.

The two of them exited my room and made their way down the hall to the guest room.

"Is it really necessary to walk to another room for this?" Debbie chuckled.

"No, it's not important, but I really want to know what you've been smiling about. You can't lie to me—obviously, you've been grinning all day. No way is that just about some funny event! Come on, spill everything!" Gabriella insisted.

They settled onto the guest bed, and after a moment of hesitation, Debbie finally relented, admitting she had been less than honest with them both.

"Sorry, but I sometimes don't trust Luna," Debbie explained. "I didn't want to say anything in front of her in case she made fun of me or blabbed to him."

"Blabbed to who?" Gabriella inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Look, I made out with Richard last night. We had a couple of drinks, smoked a bit, and that was it. We didn't have sex, but we were kissing like crazy. I was way more drunk than he was. Gabriella, please don't tell anyone—don't even mention it to Richard!"

Gabriella's jaw dropped in disbelief, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. She was so stunned she didn't know how to respond. Should she tell Debbie about Richard's secrets or confess to Luna what Debbie had just revealed? That man had a tangled web of secrets, and the implications of this one sent her mind racing.

Debbie, that's really bad," Gabriella said in a shocked tone, struggling to process the revelation. She didn't know what to do; the situation felt surreal. She wasn't trying to be dramatic, but she knew how much Luna liked Richard, and the fact that he had met up with both of them the same night was overwhelming. What do I do? she thought, anxiety gnawing at her.