CONTRADICTED STARS || L. PARTRIDGE [1 | EDITING]

22. Denial

IT WAS OVERWHELMING.

Moreover, the headache only blew me off the stand. His eyes pierced through my soul as if he was rummaging for an answer.

"We didn't," I mumbled in disbelief.

As soon as I let go of those words, Louis furrowed his eyebrows and nodded, standing tall in front of me.

"Well, you see, that's why I'm here asking you. We did."

"I was drunk."

"You were. Honestly, it was hard trying to figure that out because one second, you act completely normal, then the next, you're mental."

I couldn't even take his joke right now. I was frozen. Paralysed, to say the least. I put my hand on my forehead. The boy's voice faded and all I can hear was a static noise and his muffled words.

'This is just-'

"Cabrera, are you okay?" Louis inquired and touched my shoulder, moving them to make me face him.

The next thing I know was that he put his hand on my forehead with a sense of gentleness. His hand was warm, all as warm as the tea I badly wanted to take this morning.

"You don't seem to have a fever." He muttered under his breath.

I took his hand and pushed it away. I shook my head, brushing past him. "I'm fine." I retorted.

"You don't look fine."

"Why do you care?" I snapped. Louis was stunned by the action as he opened his mouth to say something.

He closed it again.

"Did you really think that was meant to happen?" I inquired.

"Oh, you're sounding like you're blaming me . . . again."

"Who else should I blame? Zeke?"

"Maybe. He's the one who can't get that alcohol away from you because he was scared of your attitude."

"It's your fault for convincing me to go!"

"You had to! We had to. Crawford spent his entire week trying to plan something for your birthday."

"I don't even know him." I scoffed.

"He's a fan."

"I don't need fans. I didn't even want to have five seconds of fame!"

"Why are you yelling?"

"Because—" I took a deep breath. "Because—" I couldn't find an answer.

"Because?"

"Because you shouldn't have done that! You knew I was drunk, and you knew I wasn't in the right mind, but what did you do?"

He chuckled bitterly and looked at the door before turning to me. "Actually I was confused whether you were drunk or not, because after a few times of you telling me you were completely sober, you convinced both of us to go for it."