Never Enough

Chapter 2

The pulsating beats of the music reverberated through the walls of F8 Nightclub and Bar, creating an atmosphere thick with energy and excitement. Natalie and I arrived with high hopes of a night filled with fun and celebration. We navigated through the crowd, our laughter mingling with the ambient noise. At first, everything was as we'd hoped: we grabbed some food, enjoyed a few drinks, and danced without a care in the world. Cute guys bought us drinks, and for a while, it felt like nothing could spoil our night.

But as the hours passed, the energy in the room shifted, and so did Natalie's demeanor. Unlike me, who always kept a tight rein on my limits, Natalie was a different story. Her idea of a great time was to get completely plastered, and once that happened, my role transformed from partying friend to designated caretaker. This was one of those nights where things were getting out of hand.

Natalie was getting increasingly frisky, trying to convince me to let her hook up with some random guy in the bathroom. I had to repeatedly tell her no, explaining that it was neither safe nor a good idea. My patience was wearing thin, and as I pulled out my phone to check the time, I was startled to see that it was nearly 2 a.m.

"Natalie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "We need to leave."

She looked at me with bleary eyes and whined, "Why? Just leave me here. I'm having fun."

I tried to stay calm despite my frustration. "No, we need to go. You're too drunk, and I can't just leave you here."

The task of dragging her out of the club proved to be more difficult than I'd anticipated. The crowd was dense, and navigating through it with an unsteady Natalie clinging to me was no easy feat. I practically had to drag her, her stumbling steps making the journey all the more arduous. Eventually, I managed to get us outside and to the car.

Getting her into the car was another battle. I had to practically lift her inside and help her buckle up. Once we finally arrived at our apartment, the real test began. Getting her inside and into bed was a Herculean task. I had to help her up the stairs, unlock the door, and guide her into her room.

After she was safely tucked into bed, I left a glass of water and some aspirin on her nightstand, knowing she'd need it in the morning. Tomorrow was going to be a rough day for her, but at least she got to sleep in an extra hour while I had to face the day ahead.

I decided to forgo my shower for now, planning to take it in the morning. I slipped into a fresh pair of underwear and a tank top before collapsing into bed. The night was a blur of exhaustion and discomfort, but at least I fell asleep quickly and deeply, the darkness swallowing me whole without dreams.

My alarm jolted me awake at 7:30 a.m., and I felt the full brunt of the previous night's chaos. With only five hours of sleep, I dragged myself out of bed, dreading the day ahead. I pushed through the fatigue and shuffled to the shower, using the time to brush my teeth to save a few precious minutes.

Emerging from the shower, I picked out my outfit for the day: a yellow cotton v-neck dress with tiered ruffles and mid-tied sleeves, paired with tan leather ankle-tie heels. I added small gold hoop earrings with floral designs and a gold and black metal locket choker necklace. A quick blow-dry and bun later, and I applied a touch of eyeliner and neutral shimmery lip gloss. I took one last look in the mirror, trying to muster some confidence.

In the kitchen, I brewed a pot of coffee and made toast with cream cheese. By the time the toast was ready, the coffee had finished brewing. I glanced at the clock: it was 8:30 a.m. I quickly made a cup of coffee to go, grabbed my portfolio with my latest designs, and headed out the door. I heard Natalie stirring in the kitchen as I left, so I called out a hasty "See you later" before closing the door behind me.