𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 | nicholas chavez

3.

the party & the after party - the weeknd

i couldn't stop thinking about it—the way her lips felt against mine, her body pressed close, like we were the only two people that mattered. i kept replaying that moment in my head on the way to the party, barely focusing on the road. star sat next to me, quiet, adjusting her dress. i stole a glance at her, still not over how stunning she looked tonight. it was impossible not to think about how close we'd been just a few hours ago.

but we were late. again.

when we finally pulled up to the house, it was already loud. music thumping, people spilling onto the front lawn, a typical l.a. party scene. i should've been all in, but i couldn't shake the feel of her skin against mine or the way her voice dropped when she whispered, "then don't stop." yeah, that had me rattled.

"you ready?" i asked, trying to sound normal. she smirked at me, that teasing look in her eyes, and nodded.

"you think we're gonna survive this?" she joked, sliding out of the car before i could answer.

inside, it was packed. people everywhere, all familiar faces—actors, producers, and a couple of people i recognized from a show or two. i scanned the room, spotting arlo and bella near the bar, talking animatedly, and damien holding court with a group of guys in the corner, looking as smug as ever. we were all here, the usual crew, but tonight felt different. or maybe it was just me. i couldn't stop thinking about star. i couldn't stop looking at her.

"nick!" someone called my name, and i turned to see grace sterling making a beeline for me. she was all smiles, hair perfect, eyes bright, and immediately too close for comfort. i braced myself. grace had been flirting with me for months, and she never held back. tonight wasn't going to be any different.

"hey, grace," i said, forcing a smile. i didn't want to be rude, but i wasn't in the mood for whatever game she was about to play.

"i was wondering when you were gonna show up," she purred, resting a hand on my arm. "you're late."

i chuckled awkwardly, glancing over her shoulder, hoping to catch sight of star. "yeah, you know how it is," i replied, already distracted. my eyes landed on star across the room, and of course, she was talking to blake kingston. the guy who barely spoke at all, always lurking around but never really engaging with anyone. but tonight? he was leaning in close, his face inches from hers, and she was smiling at something he said.

that weird knot in my chest tightened. i knew blake wasn't the kind of guy to make a move, but seeing him with her was... annoying. i tried to focus on grace, who was still talking, but my mind was somewhere else entirely.

"you okay?" grace asked, narrowing her eyes a little, sensing i wasn't fully paying attention.

"yeah, totally," i lied, flashing her a quick smile before stepping back. "i'm gonna grab a drink. i'll catch you later, okay?"

grace looked disappointed, but i didn't wait for her response. i headed toward the bar, where arlo and bella were laughing, already a few drinks in.

"finally!" arlo called out when he saw me. "thought you were ditching us."

"i wouldn't do that," i grinned, grabbing a beer. bella raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking over to where star stood with blake.

"you might wanna check on that," she said, not even bothering to hide the smirk.

"what?" i tried to play dumb, but arlo snorted.

"dude, you've been staring at her since you walked in. relax. it's just blake. he's harmless."

"i'm not staring," i muttered, taking a long drink to cover my irritation.

bella rolled her eyes. "sure, whatever you say. but you might wanna hurry before grace tracks you down again."

"don't remind me." i groaned, glancing back over to star. she was laughing at something blake said, her hand brushing his arm lightly, and there it was again—that stupid tightening in my chest. i knew it was nothing, but it was hard to ignore.

"i'll be right back," i said, setting my drink down and heading over to her before i could overthink it.

blake noticed me coming and gave me a polite nod, stepping back a bit. "hey, nick," he said quietly. "star was just telling me about her new single. it sounds amazing."

"yeah, she's great," i replied, my voice tight. star looked up at me with that soft, knowing smile that always seemed to disarm me. she wasn't doing anything wrong, but i still felt the need to pull her closer.

"blake, would you mind giving us a second?" i asked, not caring if i sounded rude.

"no problem," he said quickly, stepping away. i watched him leave, my mind still buzzing with jealousy.

"what was that about?" star asked, her tone playful but curious.

"nothing," i mumbled, running a hand through my hair. "i just didn't like how close he was standing to you."

"are you jealous?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

i hesitated for a second before shrugging. "maybe."

she laughed softly, stepping closer. "you don't need to be. he's just a friend. you are the one i'm thinking about."

her words hit me like a punch to the chest, and i exhaled, relieved. i leaned in, lowering my voice. "good. because you're the only one i'm thinking about too."

she smiled, her fingers brushing against my arm. "wanna get out of here?" i asked in a soft tone.

before she could answer, we heard a loud laugh from behind us. damien had stumbled into our space, clearly drunk, grinning like he was about to cause trouble. "well, if it isn't lovebirds reunited," he sneered, looking between me and star.

i clenched my jaw, not in the mood for his usual crap. damien was always an ass, especially when he drank. he had this way of saying just the right thing to get under my skin.

"leave it alone, damien," i warned, stepping in front of star.

"what's the matter, nick?" he taunted, leaning against the wall. "can't handle a little competition?"

"there's no competition," i said, my voice low, trying to keep it together.

star squeezed my hand, but i could feel the tension in her body, too. she wasn't scared, but damien had a way of ruining the mood. he always did.

"you should really go find someone else to bother," star said, her tone sharp.

damien just laughed, raising his drink. "whatever. have fun playing house, you two."

he finally staggered off, and i exhaled, turning back to star.

"let's go," i said, not wanting to stick around for more of that.

"but nick, we just got here." star said with her eyebrows furrowed.

"i don't want to deal with anymore of that tonight." i say, eager to get out of the party.

"i don't want to go, you can go if you want." she says, her words hit me like a brick, "i'll just catch a ride with bella or arlo."

"no star," i say, not wanting to leave her, "i wont go without you."

"nick it's fine, just go." she says with a reassuring look, i sigh.

"okay fine, i'll see you back home." i say, kissing her cheek before heading out.

as i head outside, i take one last look inside, i see star laughing—she's laughing with blake.

the drama is beginning 😉
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