The Strip

Part 6

Freen POV:

It's rare that you get an off night from the club.

Scratch that, it's rare that you take an off night from the club.

When you first moved to the city, you'd spend far too much time there, running from the quiet of your apartment.

Because, in the quiet, you missed your dad.

In the quiet, you missed your mom.

In the quiet, you missed him, and missing him was just a reaction to being lonely.

So, you spent an inordinate amount of time stripping, letting your mind and body absorb the music, and letting wandering hands ground you to the moment.

Eventually, Sophia and Liam had had enough and banned you from coming back until you took a night off.

That's why, tonight when your phone lights up with your best friend's contact photo, you can't help but worry.

"What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something wrong?"

You sigh. "Just spit it out."

"It's nothing major..."

Sophia has never once in her life beaten around the bush.

Except yours. And that was during your au naturale phase.

" Sophia."

"She's here."

Your heart sinks. "Of course she's there on my night off. I told you, the grocery store was just a fluke."

"No, uh, I mean, um, well, you should come to the club."

"It's my night off. If I may remind you, you and Liam have a 'no Freen' timer in the locker room. And that's hella desperate for me to show up just because she's there."

"Right." Sophia puts her hand over the phone and muffles whatever could be heard on the other end of the line. "You act like you don't want those pouty lips on yours. The lower ones."

You ignore her, no matter how true it may be.

"Listen, Freen..." You can hear her moving away from the noise. "...I'm kind of talking to Amelia and she's worried about Rebecca and she said she doesn't know where she is and Rebecca's here now and she's really, very drunk and I don't know what happened and I think it's probably just a good idea if you come in and hang out with her or whatever, and I know you said you'd want to meet her outside of the club, but you're technically not working today so it technically is outside of the club and I think she needs someone."

She sucks in a deep breath and sighs. "Phew. That was a lot... Freen?"

You blink into the space in front of you.

"Freen?"

"You've been talking to Amelia?"

"Of everything I've said, that's what you're choosing to go with? Focus, Freeny. Your girl is a mess."

"She's not my girl," you sigh out.

Sophia says something you don't catch - probably cursing you out in Spanish - "the point is, can you please come down here? Amelia and Ava aren't here, I have no idea how she got here and I have no idea how she's getting home."

"She drove?"

Sophia's silence causes your heartbeat to falter. You need an answer. "Ray?" Your voice raises with the speed of your heart.