HE'S MY EX, daniel seavey

23

ariella

the party started around 8 and things were already getting a little crazy. many of us were partially drunk - including me. well i'm more tipsy than anything, but only because i know how to hold my liquor.

"here's to ariella! our baby is finally twenty one!" tate yells out as she holds her cup in the air.

"to ella!" everyone chants after her, all taking a sip of their drink.

i laugh and shake my head. i was never someone who enjoyed being the center of attention, but it's nice being around the people who love me and seeing them go out of their way to make me feel special

there are tons of people here and i don't know most of them. everyone starts to break off into groups and eventually i lose sight of tate and the others. great.

i grab another drink and search the crowd for a familiar face. as i'm looking around, someone grabs my waist from behind causing me to jump.

"woah sorry. i forgot how jumpy you get," the voice giggles and i immediately recognize it as daniel's.

i turn in his grasp, "daniel, what are you doing here?"

"sorry that's my fault," corey appears next to him with a sheepish grin.

i sigh but decide to shrug it off, "it's cool. enjoy the party."

i smile slightly and give corey a hug before starting to walk off. daniel grabs my wrist gently,

"wait... i just.. i don't want to ruin your night but i really wanted to see you and say happy birthday in person," daniel lets go of my wrist and looks down at the ground.

"thank you again. that's sweet." really ella? sweet?

he smiles at hearing this, "i know the answer is probably still a no, but i would really love to talk soon. about everything and-"

"dani! there you are," a shrill voice interrupts us. a girl walks over and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him into her.

he frowns and looks really uncomfortable but i don't bother sticking around once i notice who the girl is.

who the fuck invited her to my party?

as i walk away, i down the rest of my drink. i head to the kitchen for another one but accidentally bump into someone on the way.

"ariella! i was looking for you- hey are you okay? you look upset," corbyn's soft tone greets me.

"corbyn, hey. i'm alright... just need another drink."

he glances around the room and then looks down at me worriedly, "nevermind i see the problem. that girl really cannot take a hint."

i giggle, "i can't believe she had the nerve to show up here."

he laughs and hands me a drink, "well forget about that. cheers to your 21st."

i clink my cup against to his before drinking the burning liquid.

"so um.. how are things with you and christina?" i ask politely.

"good, good. kinda wish she was here," he says awkwardly.

"me too." silence fills the space.

"well i'm gonna step outside for a little. enjoy the party," i tell the boy before excusing myself and slipping out the back door.

only a few people are scattered across the yard, some even in the pool. i find my way to the secluded hammock and make myself comfortable.

i hate not being able to enjoy my own party. i just wasn't expecting to see him... and the worst part is that every single feeling came rushing back to the surface. the pain. the heartbreak. the happiness... the love.

"whatcha doing out here?" jack asks as he carefully sits next to me.

"needed a breather. i get anxious around big crowds."

"me too," he chuckles, "you saw him, didn't you?"

i nod softly, distracting myself by playing with the loose strings on the hammock, "spoke to him too. he was saying something but alexis popped up out of nowhere."

"as usual," we say at the same time.

we pause and look at each other before bursting into giggles. i am so incredibly lucky to have a friend like jack. we're really similar - we think the same and we have some of the same struggles. i'm really glad to have him back in my life.

"you really should try to enjoy your night. it's not about them, it's about you. and trust me when i say that daniel is not interested in alexis. i don't think he ever was," he tries to comfort me but i only doubt his words. daniel is a very friendly guy but surely he knows when he's being too friendly. and that was always the problem.

"you're right... they went through a lot of trouble to put this together for me. the least i can do is enjoy it," i shake off all of my previous thoughts and stand up, "c'mon let's go find everyone else and dance!"

he grabs my outstretched hand and i pull him up, both of us stumbling a bit.

this is my night and i'm not going to let myself or anyone ruin it for me.

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