𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧' 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 ─────⋆⋅★𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘺

𝟑𝟒. 𝐥𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞

The early morning streets of Manhattan were washed in a hazy, golden glow as the cab careened through red lights, the hum of a sleepless city thrumming around them. Suki and Lila were pressed against each other in the back seat, a shared electricity buzzing through their veins, their connection still new, still thrilling. The damp smell of mildew crept in through the open window, mingling with the faint scent of the champagne Suki clutched tightly to her chest. It felt as though the city was theirs tonight—sprawling, indifferent, and alive, ready to hold whatever chaos they tossed at it.

In their laughter was the reckless abandon of girls who'd been burned before and learned to fan the flames. Tonight, they were going to give the fire back.

Lila's voice, thick and slurred, echoed in the back of the cab, breaking with the shrill edge of disbelief. "Can you believe him?" She dragged out each word like it was a new insult. "The absolute audacity to treat me like this." Her heels tapped out her anger, fingers fluttering as she gestured to Suki in the dark.

Suki threw her head back and laughed, deep and guttural. She tilted the bottle to her lips, savoring the heat of the alcohol on her tongue. "He's damn lucky you let him get away with it this long. But not tonight." She raised the bottle, grinning as if she held the key to their revenge in her hand. "We're going to end him," she declared, her voice a mock toast, champagne catching the glint of streetlights as she lifted it high.

The cab lurched to a stop in front of Jack's building, a shimmering marble tower on the Upper East Side, the kind of place you barely breathed in, let alone stormed. But they were undeterred, fueled by their shared resentment and their bubbling laughter. Suki's heels clicked as she tumbled out of the cab, each step echoing with purpose. They moved as one, each holding the other up as they swayed, Suki's designer jacket draped loosely over her shoulders, her waves spilling around her face in a halo of mischief.

The lobby was dim and cold, mirrors reflecting their smeared makeup and wild eyes. They were vivid, uncontainable, two women in borrowed freedom, unsteady on their feet but not on their resolve.

Suki glanced over her shoulder, grinning in the kind of way that felt more like sisterhood than friendship. "Are you ready?" Her voice was conspiratorial, laced with the excitement of knowing they had nothing to lose.

Lila met her gaze, eyes glittering with an emotion that was equal parts sadness and defiance, her lips curving up into a smile that looked like a dare. "I was born ready."

The elevator dinged, too loud in the silence. They held hands as they stepped inside, laughing too hard as they tried to steady themselves. They stood side-by-side, each of them the other's mirror in the glass reflection of the elevator walls: Lila, heartbreak on her lips and fury in her eyes, and Suki, glowing and untamed, a living portrait of freedom just out of reach.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, spilling them into a hushed hallway. They stumbled out, stumbling over the marble tiles like they owned them, too drunk and too exhilarated to care about decorum or whispers. Jack's door loomed ahead, pristine and unassuming. Suki gripped the champagne bottle tightly, her grin widening. She gestured to the door and whispered, "It's your moment, babe."

Lila squared her shoulders, her face a mix of hurt and determination, and slapped her palm against the door. She knocked loudly, then louder, each pound a demand for acknowledgment, for everything she hadn't been given.

Suki with the champagne held high, calling out, "You tell him, Lila! Tell him exactly what he's missing out on!"

Lila slapped her palm against Jack's door, pounding loud enough to wake the entire floor. Jack yanked open the door, his face a mix of annoyance and confusion, eyes widening as he saw them. "What the—Lila? Did you—" He stopped, the recognition hitting him. "Did you actually get Suki Monroe wasted?"