Hearts of Grief (CaitVi)

III

'The Last Drop'

I read the sign over and over again as I stood in front of my car, hesitating. I've been at their bar before, why am I feeling so nervous all of a sudden? Maybe I ate something bad and that's why my stomach hurts.

"I should go home if I'm not feeling well.."
I thought to myself as I held my stomach.

"I hope you're not planning on leaving." I heard a familiar voice say. Sevika was leaning against the wall of the bar, pipe between her lips as she burned the tobacco with her lighter and inhaled the smoke.

I smiled and walked over to her. "No, I'm just thinking about how nervous I am to go inside as if I haven't been here before." I said honestly. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and shook my head. Sevika turned her head to blow out the smoke away from me and looked back at me with a sly smile.

"Nervous about Vi?"

I gulped and looked away as I held one of my cheeks on my hand. "You can say that."

She took another puff the pipe before putting it away and kicking herself off from the wall. "Don't worry, she looks all scary and hardcore at first but she's really a big ass softie just like her dad."

I appreciated Sevika for trying to comfort me but that's not the reason I'm nervous.

Sevika walked over to me and placed her hand gently on my back to lead me inside along side with her, forcing me to swallow my shaken nerves.

The bar was lively as ever. Rock music was playing through the loud speakers as a group of people danced throughout the bar. There was the usually customers on their respective tables and the rest of the family scattered around, doing their own thing.

Powder was at a table, playing some card game with Mylo and Ekko, who I assumed was finally off of work now. Claggor was helping Benzo at the bar and Vander was speaking to some people at a table.

No sign of Silco, who I assume left before it got too crowded, but definitely stayed long enough to greet Powder. You could tell the two middle-aged men tried their best to decorate based on the magenta colored table covers on each table and balloons of the same color pinned up on the walls. Confetti was scattered throughout the floor and a smoke machine by where the speakers were.

"No sign of Vi," I thought to myself. I need a breather. I told Sevika that I was going to go to the bathroom real quick before speed walking in there and leaning on the sink first thing.

I rubbed my temples as my body started to feel hot. I'm definitely getting a fever. I took a closer look at my face and hair. Gosh, I looked stressed and my hair was starting to become undone. What am I so worried about?

You know exactly why, Caitlyn.

I ignored my racing thoughts by taking a deep breath and starting to fix my hair bun and straightened out my dress. You can say I went a little bold with the look, wearing a light purple dress with a dark brown corset on top that enhanced my figure more than usual and same colored knee-high boots with white socks that slightly peaked through.

My arms and thighs were a bit more exposed than what I was used to. Maybe I looked ridiculous.

What on earth was I thinking?

I leaned back onto the sink, staring deep into my eyes. "Calm down, Caitlyn. Everything's okay," I said to myself while taking deep breaths in and out, "Everything's o-"

"-Oh, hey, you made it!" I heard from behind me as the toilet flushed. I turned my head slightly around to see VI?!

Quickly, I turned back to look at the mirror and pretended to wash my hands as she headed to the sink next to mine to wash her own hands. Was she in there this whole time??