frostbite

Chapter 42: The Wild Night Out

Chapter 42: The Wild Night Out

Eden sat cross-legged on her bed, flipping through her notebook, trying to focus on her readings. The tension with Evelyn had settled for the moment, but it still lingered in the back of her mind. She was just beginning to get into a rhythm when Amy burst into the room with her signature energy, grinning like she had the greatest plan ever.

"Eden!" Amy exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes. "Get up! We're going out tonight."

Eden sighed, looking up from her book. "Amy, it's a Wednesday. I've got class tomorrow."

"Come on," Amy pleaded, flashing her puppy-dog eyes. "You need to get your mind off all this Evelyn drama. One night out, I promise. Nothing too wild."

Eden raised an eyebrow. "Since when does 'nothing too wild' apply to your plans?"

Amy laughed, unphased. "I swear! Just some harmless fun. We'll hit up that rooftop bar, maybe dance a little, and you can stop overthinking all the weird tension with your very attractive but very complicated professor."

Eden rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face. Maybe a night out was exactly what she needed—something light and fun to get her out of her head. "Fine," Eden relented. "But if anything crazy happens, I'm blaming you."

Amy squealed in delight and grabbed Eden by the arm, dragging her off the bed. "Trust me, you'll thank me later."

The rooftop bar was everything Amy had promised—twinkling lights, a cool breeze, and a spectacular view of the city skyline. The music pulsed through the air, and Eden felt the tension of the past few weeks slowly begin to melt away. A couple of drinks in, and she was laughing at Amy's jokes, swaying to the music, and for the first time in a while, she wasn't thinking about Evelyn or Claire or the complicated web they were tangled in.

But, of course, with Amy, "harmless fun" was never as harmless as it sounded.

A couple of hours into the night, after a few too many drinks, Amy leaned over the railing of the rooftop and pointed to a nearby building that had a neon sign glowing on top of it.

"You know what we should do?" Amy slurred, a mischievous grin on her face.

Eden, who was still sipping her drink and enjoying the breeze, raised an eyebrow. "Please don't say something insane."

Amy's grin widened. "We should sneak onto that rooftop over there. I've always wanted to see the city from there. It's supposed to have this incredible view!"

Eden's eyes widened. "Amy, that's trespassing! We're not doing that."

But Amy was already on her feet, grabbing Eden's hand. "Come on, where's your sense of adventure? Just one quick look, and then we'll come right back. No one will even know."

Eden groaned, but the drinks she'd had made her resistance weaker than usual. "This is a terrible idea."

"It's going to be legendary," Amy countered, pulling her along. "Besides, it'll make for a great story."

Before Eden knew it, they were sneaking across the street, giggling as they darted around corners and climbed up a fire escape to the rooftop Amy had spotted. Eden's heart was racing, partly from the adrenaline and partly from the fact that they were absolutely going to get caught. But Amy's infectious energy made it hard to resist.

They reached the top, and Amy let out a triumphant laugh as they stood on the rooftop, the city lights stretching out before them. Eden had to admit, the view was breathtaking. The entire skyline shimmered against the night sky, and for a moment, the craziness of their plan seemed worth it.