In the stars

When you walked in to the party

Sydney had debated all day wether it not to go to the party. Madelyn's invitation had been a surprise and though they'd only just met she liked madelyn's easygoing vibe and figured it could be a good chance to make some friends in New York.Madelyn had assured her that benson wouldn't be there, which was a relief. She'd had enough of his intense attitude on set and she didn't need any more of it in her free time.

She'd finally decided to go so she pulled on her favourite black dress, did her hair and makeup and made her way to the address Madelyn had given her, a trendy loft in Brooklyn.

The party was in full swing by the time she arrived with music thumping and laughter spilling out through the open windows. She'd finally decided took a deep breath and stepped inside, scanning the room for any familiar faces. After a few moments she spotted Daniel and Madelyn chatting by the kitchen surrounded by a small group of people.

She weaved her way through the crowd smiling as she reached them. "Hey!"

Madelyn's face lit up when she saw her. "Sydney! You made it!" She gave her a quick hug. "Come on, let me get you a drink. I'm so glad you came!" Daniel grinned raising a glass to her "Nice to see you Syd."

But before she could get too comfortable, She noticed someone else standing just behind Daniel, half-hidden in the shadows. Her stomach dropped when she realised it was Benson, watching her with that same unreadable expression. "So, who invited you?" He asked his voice cutting through the noise around them.

She felt herself stiffen, caught off guard by his question and by his presence. Madelyn had promised he wouldn't be here. She glanced over at Madelyn who gave her an apologetic look and small shrug. "uh, Madelyn invited me" Sydney replied trying to keep her voice steady"

Benson's gaze flickered over her, his face unreadable."well Madelyn had interesting taste in company"

"I didn't realise my being here would be such an issue for you" she shot back, her tone sharper than she intended. Madelyn stepped inside quickly shooting Benson a warning look. "Benson, come on don't be rude." He shrugged clearly unbothered "I'm just saying I didn't expect to see her here."

Sydney forced a smile and took a sip of her drink, Benson's presence lingering at the edge of her thoughts, and she could feel his gaze on her, sharp and unrelenting. She wanted to have fun tonight,to relax, but with benson around she had a feeling it was going to be a lot harder than she'd hoped.

Sydney had done her best to ignore Benson's moody glances from across the room focusing instead on Madelyn and Daniel, who had been keeping her laughing and introducing her to people. But as the night wore on and she had let herself enjoy a few drinks, she began to feel the effects of it.