1974 || 5SOS

Chapter 15

*Trigger warning attempted SA

Scarlett

The party was in full swing—one of those wild, untamed soirées in the hills of LA where anything could happen. The night air was warm, the scent of marijuana thick in the air, and the sound of music reverberated down the hills, echoing through the city like a pulse. The lights from the mansion flickered and swirled, illuminating the faces of people who had long since stopped caring about anything but the present moment.

The room swayed, both in time with the music and in my mind. I was drunk and high—more than I'd ever been before. But it felt good, freeing in a way I hadn't expected. My inhibitions had melted away with the shots, the lines of coke, and the glances that lingered longer than they should have.

Kitty was next to me, laughing, as usual. Her hands were in the air, twirling like she had no care in the world, while Luke and Michael had found their own corners of the party, probably flirting with some other girls by now. But Ashton... Ashton was nowhere to be found.

Well, not nowhere.

I spotted him across the room, laughing with a model—one of the well-known ones. Long, sun-kissed legs, flawless skin, and a blonde mane that seemed to glisten under the dimmed lights. Ashton's attention was fixed on her, and as she leaned in, laughing at something he'd said, I felt my stomach twist.

That feeling—the familiar sting of jealousy—hit me like a ton of bricks. I hated it, but I couldn't help it. It wasn't that I cared so much about him. It was the way he looked at her, the way her fingers brushed against his arm, the way his body seemed to lean in a little closer as she laughed. And I hated that it was affecting me so much.

I was better than this. I wasn't the girl who got jealous. Not anymore.

I glanced around the room, desperate to shake off the feeling. That's when I saw him. A tall, dark-haired guy with a chiseled jawline and that model look—he was just standing there, watching me like he had all the time in the world. He gave me a slight grin, like he knew exactly what I needed.

And for tonight, I needed a distraction.

I sauntered over to him, feeling the cool rush of air against my skin as I approached. "Wanna dance?" I asked, my voice low and filled with that confidence I had found over the course of the day.

He grinned, clearly amused. "Thought you'd never ask."

And then we were moving, our bodies pressed close as the music took over. He wasn't bad, not in the slightest—strong hands on my waist, his breath warm against my neck. I could feel Ashton's eyes on me from across the room, his gaze hot and burning even from a distance. But I didn't care. I was making my point.

As the beat of the music thudded against my chest, I pressed even closer to my dance partner, making sure Ashton could see just how close we were. Every move I made was for him—every sway, every step. I wasn't going to be the girl who stood by and watched. Not tonight.

The guy's hands slid lower, and I could see the model-looking girl glancing over at me, her eyes narrowing. She was feeling the same tension I was. Ashton had already started to look at me differently, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he continued to stare.

I grinned, enjoying the power I now had. I wasn't some good girl anymore. I was someone else entirely. And Ashton? Well, he'd either follow or get left behind.

I didn't even notice when the song changed. The music was just a constant hum, a backdrop to this little game we were playing. I spun in the guy's arms, catching a glimpse of Ashton's face. His eyes were dark, lips pressed in a hard line. Something shifted in the air between us—something electric and charged.