𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 ||The Girl Behind The Act||

Chapter 21

Ariana

"Hey, you alright?" I halted mid-undoing my shoelaces and raised my gaze to find Shay standing in front of me, her expression filled with concern.

Swiftly, I sat up, tossed my sneakers into my gym bag, and stood up to face her.

"Yeah, I'm good. Why do you ask?"

"You've been kind of spaced out lately. During practice today, you totally blanked on the new routine, and you've been distant from Jo and me," she observed, her words accompanied by a sigh.

Shay's knack for noticing even the smallest details about me was uncanny.

"I've just got my mind on the game next week. That's all," I fibbed, attempting to shrug off her suspicions.

She held my gaze for a moment, her expression thoughtful, before flashing me a small smile.

"Are you sure? You don't have to come if you're not up for it. You can avoid Tristan and just do your thing," she suggested. I scoffed, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for the exit of the gym.

"Whatever. I'm heading home. See you next week?" I asked, not bothering to wait for her response. Without giving her a chance to speak, I jogged out of the gym and headed straight for the parking lot.

I fished my keys out of my bag, and the distant sounds of laughter and chatter echoed across the parking lot. Curiosity compelled me to look in that direction.

Joanna was sharing a smile with Josh as they got into his car, and Shay and Jacob joined them. That's when my eyes fell on him.

Just seeing him made my heart clench, and the urge to release my frustration physically surged within me.

He stood by his car, smiling at the group. Then, as if sensing my stare, his gaze locked onto mine. We held that eye contact for a solid minute until Shay seemed to say something to him, pulling his attention away from her and then to me.

Now, all eyes were on me. I quickly unlocked my car with a single beep and hopped inside, reversing out of the parking lot.

Even as I drove away, I could sense their gazes lingering on me.

Trying to drown out their presence from my thoughts, I cranked up the volume and grinned as the perfect song from my playlist began.

Chris Brown's "Hope You Do" started playing, its pulsating beats filling the car. With a smile, I left them behind and focused on the road ahead.

As the music played, I couldn't help but realize how well it reflected the events of today.

Tristan kisses Jenny.

They were probably an item now, depending on how their date went yesterday.

He toyed with my emotions and hurt me in the process. I couldn't entirely blame him; after all, my initial plan was to make him fall for me, date him for a week or two, maybe get him into bed, and then publicly humiliate him by breaking up with him.

Pulling into the driveway, I parked and turned off the engine. Grabbing my bags, I entered the house and paused at the foot of the staircase, struck by a thought.

All this overthinking had me craving relaxation and a way to unwind. Also...

I could really use a drink right now!

I dropped my bags on the floor and sauntered across the room to the kitchen. Swinging open the fridge doors, I scanned the collection of beverages and settled on a bottle of wine – various types, all half-finished.