I stepped through the door, greeted by the same cold emptiness that always lingered in this house. The silence pressed in, heavy yet familiar. It didn't bother me not anymore. I had long since grown accustomed to it.
With a quiet sigh, I shrugged off my bag, tossing it onto the sofa without a second thought. My legs carried me toward my room on instinct, drawn to the only place in this house that ever truly felt like mine.
The moment I stepped inside, the air shifted warmer, quieter, almost welcoming. My bed sat there, bathed in the faint glow of the outside lights filtering through the window, looking more inviting than ever.
I sank onto the mattress, feeling its familiar warmth seep into me. For a moment, I just sat there, letting the exhaustion of the day settle into my bones.
Tomorrow...
The thought drifted through my mind, heavy with uncertainty. There was the party, the club, the people waiting for me. And Alice.
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.
Yeah… tomorrow was going to be a mess.
The thought weighed on me, lingering like a storm cloud in the back of my mind. But why? Why was I acting like this?
No. It shouldn't be like this.
With a sharp inhale, I pushed myself up, shaking off the hesitation clinging to my skin. My feet carried me to the closet, hands moving on instinct as I sifted through my clothes, searching for something to wear. There was no reason to avoid her—no reason to make excuses.
I hadn't done anything wrong.
So why should I run?
I would face her. Head-on.
As if solidifying my resolve, I pulled out an outfit and set it aside, a quiet determination settling in my chest. But as the night stretched on, my thoughts spiraled, looping in endless circles.
At some point, without realizing it, sleep slipped through my fingers, stolen away by the slow crawl of time. And before I knew it
The first rays of sunlight bled through my window, painting the world in soft gold.
The sun had long since dipped beneath the sea, swallowed by the horizon, leaving behind only the lingering hues of twilight. The air had changed—sharper now, colder, carrying with it the whisper of an oncoming night laced with tension. The world around me had settled into that in-between state, caught between the last remnants of day and the full embrace of darkness.
It was already time.
The meetup spot was near a private pub—one I had never even heard of, let alone been to. A brilliant choice, really. Nothing like wandering through unfamiliar streets in the dark to set the mood for an already stressful night. But skipping wasn't an option. Not when I had already decided to face it head-on.
With a sigh, I pulled out my phone, checking the address again, as if staring at it longer would somehow make the place materialize in my memory. No such luck.
I hailed a cab, barely acknowledging the driver as I slid into the back seat. The soft hum of the engine filled the space between us, and the city outside blurred past in a smear of neon lights, flickering signs, and passing headlights. I watched it all through the window, my reflection ghosting over the moving scenery, tired eyes staring back at me.
The ride was quiet, save for the occasional muttered curse from the driver as he weaved through traffic. It gave me too much time to think, to let my mind drift back to the inevitable. The club. The party. The faces waiting for me.
Alice.
I exhaled slowly, pressing my head back against the seat. Thinking about it wouldn't change anything. Whatever happened tonight would happen. I just had to get through it.
Eventually, the cab rolled to a stop. I handed the driver some cash, barely hearing his mumbled thanks as I stepped out onto the pavement. The night air wrapped around me instantly, heavy with the scent of distant rain and city smoke. The street was quieter than expected, tucked away from the main roads, the glow of streetlights barely reaching past the scattered buildings.
I glanced around, searching for the supposed pub. A few dimly lit signs flickered in the distance, their neon lettering half-burnt out, offering little help. My phone's map wasn't much better—just a dot on the screen, insisting I was in the right place.
With a slow breath, I squared my shoulders.
There was only one way to find out.
I started forward, my steps steady, my destination clear.
As I walked, my eyes caught on a small group gathered near a flickering neon sign. The half-burnt letters buzzed weakly, spelling out "PUB" in uneven light, casting a faint glow over the pavement.
A flicker of hesitation gripped me, but I pushed forward, weaving through the faint hum of the city, my steps quickening with something close to nervousness.
As I neared, the faces came into focus—and to my relief, one of them was Kai.
Thank God.
If that cheeky brat had been her, the party would have been over before it even started. And Alice—she wasn't here either. A small mercy. Maybe she was busy with something else, or maybe she just hadn't arrived yet. Either way, it gave me a moment to breathe.
Kai noticed me first, his usual lopsided grin sliding into place as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "There you are. Thought you'd gotten lost or something."
"Yeah, well," I muttered, shaking off the last of my unease. "Almost did."
He laughed, then turned to the others. "Alright, let's get this over with. Guys, this is Adam. Adam, this is—"
I tuned out.
The names blurred together, voices blending into the background noise of the city. I nodded absently, enough to appear present, but my mind was elsewhere, lost in the weight of the night ahead.
The others started moving toward the entrance, the soft shuffle of footsteps filling the space between us. I followed without thinking, my body moving on autopilot.
Then—
A voice.
Faint at first, barely cutting through the haze of my thoughts.
"Kai!"
A second time, louder, stretching across the street.
"Kaiii!"
The sound tore through my trance, snapping me back to the present.
I turned, my pulse kicking up a notch as my eyes followed the voice.
Someone was calling out.
It was Alice.
Her black dress clung to her frame, exuding a quiet elegance, the kind that demanded attention without trying. The neon lights painted shifting colors across the pavement, reflecting in pools of red, blue, and green, casting fleeting hues over her silhouette. Each step she took was punctuated by the rhythmic click of her heels meeting the asphalt, a sound that somehow cut through the hum of the city.
Silver earrings caught the light as she moved, a glint of brightness against the dark canvas of the night. Her blonde hair swayed with every hurried step, strands catching the air like threads of gold.
And for a moment—just a moment—I was mesmerized.
She closed the distance with ease, her focus locked ahead, unwavering. Then, without so much as a glance in my direction, she passed me, slipping into the pub with Kai and the others.
Just like that, the moment shattered.
The air she left in her wake felt colder.
I blinked, breaking free from the daze that had rooted me in place. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, as if to ground myself, as if to shake off the sudden weight settling in my chest.
With a slow breath, I pushed forward, following them inside.