One Night, Forever After | DAERIN

CHAPTER 3 : AFTERTASTE

Aftertaste is the eighth track from Shawn Mendes's debut studio album, Handwritten. It was released on April 14, 2015, through Island Records.

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I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today, each exhale a testament to how badly I wished I could just erase Saturday night from my memory. If only banging my head against the wall would do the trick, I'd have given it a shot by now. But the truth was, I was tangled in a mess of regret and guilt, and nothing was going to fix it without some serious cleanup.

"Care to share your thoughts?" came a voice from behind me.

I turned around to see Hanni standing there holding some papers, her eyes narrowed into a suspicious squint. She was giving me that look—the one that said she knew something was off and wasn't going to let it slide.

Clearly, she was still upset that I had left her at the club that night without a word, only sending a message the next morning about an emergency at home.

I knew I was being a terrible friend by not telling her the truth. Hanni may be a shorty, but she'd kill me if she found out I'd hooked up with a stranger and cheated on Soobin.

She didn't exactly have a soft spot for him, and she'd be the first to tell me I was an idiot—not only for staying with him but for cheating, too. I could practically see her shaking her head, arms crossed, ready to rail at me with all the indignation of a vengeful deity if she ever found out.

I pursed my lips and closed my eyes, wishing I could just disappear. Dani, you are so dead.

And speaking of Soobin, I hadn't messaged him yet. He probably thought I was still pissed about what happened, but the truth was I'd already forgiven him. It was just that finding the right words felt impossible. The guilt was eating me alive, and I didn't know how to face him or what to say.

When I opened my eyes, I forced a smile at Hanni, trying to keep it casual. "Oh, just a rough night, you know? Nothing worth stressing about."

She didn't look convinced. "Rough night? You looked like you were on the brink of a meltdown. Something's up."

I attempted a laugh, but it came out more like a strangled noise. "Yeah, well, let's just say I had a lot on my mind."

Her frown deepened. "If this is about Soobin—"

I quickly interrupted, hoping to steer her away from the topic. "It's really nothing. I just need to... sort some stuff out."

Good thing it's just the two of us in the office since our coworkers had gone out for lunch. No one else was around to overhear our conversation, which was a small blessing given the tension in the air.

Hanni's gaze was still sharp, but she seemed to relent, if only slightly. "Fine, but don't expect me to be in the mood for sugarcoating. You're my friend, and I'm not just going to let this slide."

The guilt and anxiety churned in my stomach. I needed to fix things with Soobin, and I needed to figure out how to handle this mess with Hanni, too. It felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with every wrong step threatening to send me crashing down.

"Here are the documents you asked me to send to you," Hanni said, extending the papers towards me. The shift in topic was a welcome distraction.

I glanced at the stack of papers, then back at her. "You should have sent these to me via email."