HER SAFE PLACE

Suck

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Shivangi's POV

As I stood there in the emptying balcony, the words of those girls still echoing in my mind, I felt my chest tighten. My head was spinning, but not from the alcohol. It was from the weight of what I had overheard. Every word, every laugh—it all felt like a hammer pounding at the fragile walls I had built around myself.

Just as I was about to leave the balcony, needing some air, I bumped into Rocky. His sudden appearance startled me, and the concern on his face was clear as he took one look at me and asked, “What happened?”

But I couldn’t find the words. My throat felt dry, and all I could think about was those girls—what they had said about him, about their pasts with him. I could still hear their smug voices in my head, mocking me without even knowing who I was. I was too stunned to say anything, my emotions tangled in a mess of anger, confusion, and hurt.

Without answering, I pushed past Rocky, desperate to get away from him. I needed space, I needed to breathe. The weight of everything was crashing down, and I didn’t want to confront him yet, not while I was feeling like this.

I made my way towards the bar, hoping a glass of water would help calm the storm raging inside me. Just as I was about to reach the bar, a waiter appeared beside me. He held out a tray, and I instinctively reached for a glass. But before I could take one, he stopped me.

“Ma’am, not this one,” he said politely, handing me another glass from the tray instead. His gesture seemed a bit odd, but I was too distracted to think much of it. My mind was still reeling, the words of those girls playing over and over in my head, making everything else blur into the background. I just needed something to drink, to calm myself.

I took the glass and drank it in one go, hoping the cool liquid would help clear my mind. But a few minutes later, something felt off. My head started spinning, and my vision began to blur. The voices and laughter around me sounded distant, like they were coming from far away. The ground beneath me seemed to shift, and I struggled to stay on my feet.

Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence behind me. Rocky’s arms wrapped around me, steadying me before I could stumble. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Shivangi, what’s happening?”

But I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, and I felt an overwhelming sense of dizziness. Without thinking, I pushed him away again, frustration and confusion clouding my mind. I didn’t want his help. Not after everything I’d heard.

Rocky’s expression darkened, realizing something was wrong. His eyes flickered to the glass still in my hand. He swiftly grabbed it from me and examined it for a moment before tossing its contents onto the ground. His jaw clenched as he stared at the water that had spilled onto the floor, his face filled with suspicion.

He turned to me, his voice now laced with urgency. “What did you drink?” he asked, though I could barely register his words. The world around me was spinning, and my legs felt like they were about to give way beneath me.

Rocky didn’t wait for an answer. He immediately pulled out his phone, calling Mihir and Shanaya. Within minutes, they were by his side.

“Take her outside,” Rocky instructed Shanaya, his voice sharp but calm, despite the panic that flickered in his eyes. “I’ll handle this.”

Shanaya quickly wrapped an arm around me, guiding me away from the crowd. “Come on, Shivangi. Let’s get you some fresh air,” she said softly, her voice soothing in the haze of my confusion. I tried to focus on her words, but everything felt so distant, like I was drifting away from reality.