My Enigma

Chapter Twenty-One

Auroras POV

The bar was loud, buzzing with music, laughter, and clinking glasses. The neon lights cast a colorful haze over the room, but none of them could penetrate the fog that had settled over my mind. I sat on a stool at the bar, a half-empty glass of whiskey in front of me, Hanna by my side, urging me to take another shot.

"Come on, Aurora," she slurred, laughing as she handed me another drink. "Tonight is about forgetting. No more Luke, no more sadness. Just fun."

I laughed weakly, but the sound felt hollow. Fun. That word seemed so foreign lately, but I was too deep in the whiskey to resist. "You're right," I said, downing the shot in one quick motion, wincing as it burned down my throat.

Hanna cheered beside me, and I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. She had always been the wild one, the carefree spirit who lived in the moment. I envied that about her. I wanted to be like that tonight, to forget the weight of everything that had been dragging me down.

On the other side of the bar, Gabe was making his way over to where Luke stood with his friends; I didn't even know he had friends other than Gabe and this group of ours. I really didn't know him.

I stiffened, my eyes following Gabe's movements, my heart beating erratically in my chest.

"Relax," Hanna whispered, leaning in close. "Gabe's just going to talk to him. We're not letting Luke get away with treating you like that. He needs to know he can't just ghost you and act like nothing happened."

I wasn't so sure about that, but the alcohol had blurred my judgment enough to let it happen. I took another sip of my drink, watching as Gabe approached Luke. The tension in the room seemed to shift, and even in my drunken state, I could feel it. Luke glanced over at me, his expression unreadable, before turning back to Gabe.

I couldn't hear what they were saying over the bar's noise, but I didn't need to. I could see the way Luke's posture stiffened, the way he shoved his hands into his pockets, his jaw tight. Whatever Gabe was saying wasn't pleasant.

"I hate him," I muttered under my breath, feeling the familiar ache in my chest. "He's so... cold."

Hanna laughed, her arm draped around my shoulders. "He's not worth it, Aurora. Forget him. He's an idiot."

I nodded, wanting so badly to believe her, but the truth was, I wasn't over it. The indifference Luke had shown me still lingered, still hurt. No matter how hard I tried to pretend otherwise, his coldness had left a mark.

Gabe returned a few minutes later, shaking his head as he sat back down next to Hanna. "He's a brick wall," Gabe muttered, grabbing his drink. "Didn't say much. Just shrugged it off like it was nothing."

I exhaled sharply, the sting of his indifference cutting through the haze of alcohol. Of course, he shrugged it off. That's what he did—he brushed everything aside and acted like nothing mattered. I'd given him my feelings, my vulnerability, and he had just... shrugged.

How could he be so unfeeling, and yet he made me feel so much?

"Forget about him, Aurora," Hanna said again, her voice softer now. "You're better than this. Better than him."

I smiled at her, appreciating her words, even if I didn't fully believe them. Hanna had always been my rock, my biggest supporter. She didn't understand why I'd fallen for Luke in the first place, but she never judged me for it. She just wanted me to be happy, and I loved her for that.

I had missed her.

The night blurred after that. More drinks, more laughter, more of Hanna cheering me on as we danced in the middle of the bar. I let myself get lost in it, the alcohol dulling the ache in my chest, if only for a little while.

At some point, we stumbled out of the bar and into the night, Gabe holding Hanna up as she giggled uncontrollably. I leaned against her, feeling the world spin around me.

"You're staying with us tonight," Hanna said, her words slurred but determined. "No way I'm letting you go home like this."

I nodded, too drunk to argue. "Connor's not home, right?" I asked, my words barely coherent.

She shook her head, her smile wide. "Nope! He's staying with friends. It's just us."

We made our way back to Hanna's place, Gabe helping me up the steps to the front door. The house was quiet, just like Hanna had said. Her parents were rarely home, always off on some business trip or another, and true to her words, Connor wasn't there either. It was just the three of us.

Gabe helped me onto the couch, and I collapsed onto the cushions, my head spinning. Hanna disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of water that she pressed into my hand.

"Drink," she ordered, her tone playful but firm.

I did as she said, sipping the water slowly, the cool liquid soothing the burn of alcohol in my throat. The room felt like it was tilting, and I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to steady myself.

"You're going to feel like hell tomorrow," Hanna said with a laugh, flopping down beside me." Thank God it's a weekend." She added.

"I already do," I muttered, sinking deeper into the couch cushions.

Hanna's hand found mine, and she squeezed it gently. "You'll be okay, Aurora. We'll get through this."

I nodded, the weight of exhaustion pulling me under. "I hope so."

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