MY BEST ADDICTION

Chapter 30

I went back to Haven’s office just as I finished dancing to meet a flustered Ezra and Haven waiting for me.
“You really are full of surprises, Penny”, she complimented.
“I try my best”, I playfully remarked shrugging it off.
“Why don’t you girls decide what to do next while I get changed”, I added and turned to leave the office.
“Sure, but are okay?”, she asked and I hummed in response leaving the office to my room.
For some reason I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the performance as much as I wanted. It didn’t feel as thrilling as it used to be.
‘Was it because Seth wasn’t present?’, I thought while changing. I sighed and hurriedly changed before meeting the girls.
We decided to go downstairs to relax and have fun since we had no other place in mind for our outing.
“We are getting drunk tonight”, Haven screamed and we giggled at her enthusiasm.
“But who is going to drive us back?”, Ezra the only level headed among us asked and I nodded in agreement after thinking about it.
“Um, we can just order for a ride and later come for my car or we can stay in Penny’s room if we aren’t able to return home”, she responded still fired up about drinking.
“But won’t that be…….”, she tried to reason but was cut off by the determined Haven.
“No buts, we are having fun and there is no one changing my mind about it. Now let’s go get wasted”, she finalized pulling both of us with her to an empty booth.
“How could you let that idiotic brother of mine do that to you”, Haven slurred clearly drunk, she was a lightweight after all.
“Haven I think you’ve had enough already, you can barely keep quiet”, I warned trying to take the bottle from her to no avail.
Not only was she a lightweight, she was a blabbermouth when drunk and now was no exception.
“He is just like that friend of his. They both don’t know how to treat women, only thinking about themselves”, she complained before placing her head on the table.
“Seth’s friend, Marcus? What do you mean?”, Ezra asked curiously.
“That’s a story for another time. I’ll explain it to you later”, I answered trying to get her mind from what Haven blabbered.
“Let’s drink”, she said instead her attention successfully diverted.
Irrespective of how much I could hold my liquor, I still wasn’t immune to it. After a while, the effects finally kicked in and I started to feel drowsy.
“Let’s dance”, Haven exclaimed dragging us to the dance floor.
We danced for a while and dragged our bodies back to our booth. The constant movement made me nauseous and I motioned to the washroom before rushing off to let everything out. After several rounds of retching in the washroom, I felt a little better. I rinsed my mouth and exited the washroom to join the others but stopped when someone held my hand. I turned to find the man that approached and tried to dance with me holding onto my hand.
“Can you please let me go”, I asked suddenly feeling tired. I wanted to join the rest and sit since the drowsiness had still not passed.
Instead of letting me go like I asked, he smirked and pulled me to him. The sudden action caused me to fall into his embrace holding his shirt to steady myself more.
“Are you that eager, babe? I know you want me but I didn’t know you were that earnest”, he slurred in my ears making me shiver in disgust. I wanted to leave and get back into the comfort of my bed. I tried pushing myself off him but the more I tried the more he pulled me to himself.
“Please let me go, I have a man”, I tried to reason with him while pushing away.
“That trick isn’t going to work, babe. I know you came here with your friends. Which man in his right mind will send his woman to the club alone, especially if it is the Haven’s Nest?”, he questioned before attacking my neck with sloppy kisses. I felt more disgusted and tried again to move away from him. The constant movement made me feel drowsier so I stilled to steady myself but I guess he took my stillness as accepting him because before I could do anything, I felt lips on mine. I flinched at the sudden action and finally registered what had happened.
“What is going on here?”, I heard startling me. I took advantage of his startled state and pushed away from him. I turned to see who my saviour was only to regret it. Seth looked angry and I felt scared because I had never seen him that angry before.
“Seth? I…it’s not….”, I started to say but stopped when he glared at me.
‘Shit…I’m screwed’, I thought and took a step towards him but the sudden urge to throw up caused me to turn from him and run towards the bathroom. After another round of retching, I rinsed my mouth feeling utterly disgusted with myself. I wondered how I was going to explain to him without seeming like I was just making excuses.
“Are you waiting for me to come get you or what?”, he snapped startling me back to my senses.
“I’m coming”, I answered looking in the mirror once last time before leaving the washroom.
I looked around to check if the man was still around but found him already gone.
“What are you looking for?”, he snapped at me. I looked at his face only to find a frown on his face.
“Seth let me….”, I started but he cut me off.
“Let’s go”, he said coldly leaving me trailing after him.
“Penny, what took you so long? We thought something had happened to you”, Haven complained worried even though she could barely stand on her own.
“I’m fine now”, I muttered under my breath and looked in Seth’s direction but he had turned away from me and was walking away from us. I sighed and followed after him.
“We’ll send Ezra to the dorm first”, he told Marcus to which he nodded and walked towards Haven’s car with a heavily drunk Haven.
Seth sat Ezra in the back and I decided to join her since I wasn’t sure if he was still upset with me.
“Aren’t you…. whatever”, he said before starting the car.
After sending Ezra back to the dorm I tried walking as slowly as I could dreading what was in store for me.
“Are you staying or returning with me?”, he questioned when I opened the car door.
‘Does he not want to see me anymore?’, I thought worried he was done with me after what happened.
“I…. I….”, I hesitated to say.
“Just get in”, he said before getting back into the car.
Once the car started I felt the tiredness settling in again and succumbed to the darkness that engulfed me. I woke up when I felt movement under me and found myself in Seth’s embrace.
“I’m sorry”, I whispered and snuggled into his warmth to continue sleeping.
I opened my eyes the next day in Seth’s room and felt a headache coming in. I turned and found water and pills on the bedside table.
‘I’m never drinking again’, I thought after taking the pill and left the room to find Seth.
He stood in the kitchen making breakfast and I felt guilty when I remembered what had happened the previous night. I walked to him and hugged him from behind hoping he was no longer upset with me but became worried when he flinched from my touch.
“Seth I….”, I started but he interrupted.
“Go sit, I’ll bring your food to you”, he said cutting me off.
“Seth….”, I tried to talk to him but he turned towards me and placed a kiss on my forehead.
“Just go and sit”, he insisted before turning back to the stove.
‘I guess that’s it’, I thought contemplating on whether to stay or leave.
“Aren’t you eating?”, I heard.
I shuffled to the table and sat avoiding his gaze. He turned towards his room just as he placed the food in front of me alarming me.
“Aren’t you eating?”, I asked hoping he would stay back.
“No, I have to meet up with Marcus in a while. Just eat and rest up, I might take a while to get back so you don’t need to wait up for me”, he said and left to his room. I sighed and paid attention to the food in front of me. I found out I had suddenly lost my appetite and just played with it.
“I’m leaving”, I overheard him say and the door close signaling his departure.
“I’m messed up now, haven’t I?”, I mumbled looking at the door hoping he would return. I managed to eat a little of the food and went to rest since the headache seemed to have returned.
I woke up to my phone buzzing. I checked the ID expecting it to be from Seth but was disappointed when it was from Ezra asking if I was staying with Seth or not since she was leaving the dorm for an appointment. I replied to her message telling her I was staying over so she could leave. I spent the day wondering if he was still upset with me since I hadn’t heard anything from him since he left. I checked the time and realized it was late but there was still no sign or message from him making me worried. I decided to wait even though he asked me not to and found myself drifting off to sleep.