Wheel You Marry Me?

CHAPTER 19.

"Are you eavesdropping on me in my own house?" Eleanor slurred, swaying slightly. Her eyes were glassy, and she reeked of alcohol.

"No! No, Eleanor. I was just looking for the washroom," I lied quickly, forcing a nervous smile.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Hmm... I hope you're not lying." Then, without warning, she pointed down the hallway. "It's over there."

I nodded, heart racing, and rushed toward the washroom, locking the door behind me. I leaned against it, breath shallow.

Oh God. What is she up to? What was that noise I heard?

I turned to the mirror, startled by my own reflection. I looked like I'd just seen a ghost. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to steady my nerves. After a few deep breaths, I slowly unlocked the door and stepped out.

Downstairs, the music still played, and people danced and laughed like everything was perfectly normal.

"There you are!" Ryan beamed as soon as he spotted me. His smile faded when he saw my face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I... I'm fine," I lied again. But I wasn't. My hands were shaking.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, brows furrowing.

A waiter walked past with a tray of champagne. Without thinking, I snatched a glass and downed it in one gulp.

"Whoa! Slow down," Ryan said, surprised. He knew I rarely drank.

"I have to go home. I'm sorry," I mumbled, setting the empty glass down.

"Wait!" he said, grabbing my hand gently. "Can I at least drive you?"

"No. No, I'll get an Uber," I said quickly, pulling away and walking out.

Outside, I pulled out my phone and ordered a ride. A few minutes later, the Uber arrived and I slid into the back seat, my mind spiralling.

What was that noise I heard? Who was crying? Was someone in trouble?

The guilt ate at me. What if I could have helped someone, but I did nothing? The questions kept swirling.

When I finally got home, I kicked off my shoes and collapsed onto my bed, but I couldn't rest.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

Skylar.

"Hey Sky."

"Aurora! Where are you? I can't find you!" she slurred. Her voice was thick with alcohol.

"I'm home. I left. I wasn't feeling well," I lied, again.

"Hmm... really? Or were you running from your Prince Charming?" she giggled.

"Sky, where are you?" I asked, alarm rising.

"Uh... I-I really don't know," she mumbled. Then silence.

"Sky? Sky! Are you there?" I yelled into the phone, but the call ended.

Panic gripped me. I called Ryan immediately. It rang three times before he answered.

"Aurora? Are you alright?"

"Yeah... but I'm really worried about Skylar."

"What happened?"

"She called me, sounded really drunk, said she didn't know where she was, and then hung up."

"Okay. Let me look for her. I'll call you back."

Those few minutes felt like hours. Finally, my phone rang.

"Did you find her?" I asked before he could speak.

"Yes. She just left with Douglas. She's safe."

Relief washed over me. "Thank God. Thank you, Ryan."

"No problem. Aurora... are you really okay?" he asked gently.

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"Alright... If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Have a good night, gorgeous."

After the call, I glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight.

As I lay back on my bed, the memory of Ryan's kiss returned, his scent, the way he tasted like chocolate peppermint. The thought of him made my skin tingle.

I think I'm falling for this guy.

I drifted off to sleep.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

I shot up, startled by someone pounding on my door. My head throbbed. I groaned, hoping whoever it was would go away, but the knocking continued.

Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled to the door and opened it.

"Oh my God. You're a mess." Sandy Barton stared at me, arms crossed.

What is she doing here? Wait—Sunday. Shit. I'm supposed to be at the studio!

"I—I—"

"I know, I know. You're sorry. Now get dressed. We've got fifteen minutes."

I rushed to the bathroom, took the quickest shower of my life, got dressed, and grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge as we headed out.

At the studio, Edmund, my music manager, looked frustrated.

"Aurora, what is going on with you today?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but he cut me off.

"I don't feel that fire in you. Let's start again. From the top. One, two, three—go!"

I took a breath, let the beat guide me, and began:

🎵
Nobody knows you better than me
Better than the cologne you wear
Every single detail Chantilly
Every curl inside your hair.

And I'm falling in, falling in the light
Anything you want to do
You and me, you and me intertwine.

Oh, I can be the queen of shadow
Every way you turn, I'm chasing you
Tell you where to go, I'll follow
Everywhere you run, I'll stalk you.

I can be the dark, you can look right through me
In a flash of love we're just one body.
🎵

"Yes! Yes! That's it! That's the fire I'm talking about!" Edmund shouted.

Sandy grinned and gave me a huge thumbs-up.

It was break time. I stepped outside and headed across the street to a small café. Just as I was leaving, Sandy leaned in and whispered:

"Whatever you did last night, keep doing it. I love this new fire in you."