Don't take it Personal

Mixed Emotions

Trey POV

I observed Stephanie from the moment she entered Club Seven, her lively dance moves drawing the attention of the man who had sidled up behind her. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy; her dance should have been reserved for me, a thought that my inner self mockingly echoed. Stephanie exuded an irresistible allure that night.

Bracing myself, I made my way towards her, noting the guy attempting to encircle her waist. As our eyes locked, an undeniable magnetic pull drew me closer to her. Despite the realization that she had recently emerged from a painful breakup and needed time to heal, my desire for her to be mine intensified. I grappled with the uncertainty of how to convey my feelings.

Stephanie gracefully disentangled herself from the man, favoring me with a warm embrace as we danced, a silent understanding passing between us. Each step on the dance floor felt as if a weight had been lifted from me. She seized my hands and led me to the bar, swiftly ordering four shots and downing them in one swift motion.

"Don't take this personally, Trey," she began, her voice tinged with longing, "but I wish I could find a man like you, someone to love and build a future with. I can't fathom why I keep ending up with..." Her words trailed off, abruptly interrupted by Sasha, who leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Stephanie nodded, and Sasha departed with a man she had been conversing with at the bar.

"It looks like you'll be the one taking care of me tonight," Stephanie said, her eyes holding a captivating allure that left me breathless. Damn.

Ms. Campbell POV

Stephanie, my eldest, still hasn't reached out to me. I'm well aware she's spending time with her father's family. Kevin, her father, and I met one night at a karaoke bar with his friends. He was quite the spender back then. I had hoped that bringing his child into the world would make him take care of me, but that was never the case. No matter how hard I tried to prevent him from seeing her, it never seemed to make any difference. He'd buy what she needed instead of sending money, and I despised the fact that I thought she'd be my ticket to security. I even warned her relationship with Miller wouldn't work out. "Good for her ,hope she learned I am always right".

Stephanie's POV

I woke up with the sun blinding me, and my head pounding. It felt like I'd been hit with a sledgehammer. How many drinks did I have last night, I wondered as I squinted at the brightness? I glanced over at the nightstand and noticed Panadol, Andrews, and a glass of water. I also realized I was wearing a huge white shirt. How on earth did I end up in this? I tried to piece together the events from last night.

"Stephanie, I know you won't remember any of this," Trey had said.

"Yes, I will," I had replied.

"I've loved you since we were kids, and I'm the one for you. I just don't know how to make you see that," he had confessed.

Trey loves me? Why me? I thought, panic rising within me. Oh Lord, help me navigate this mess.

Three notifications arrived in quick succession, each one exacerbating the annoyance already brewing within me, thanks to my pounding hangover. I reluctantly shifted my attention from the discomfort in my head to my smartphone, where the source of my irritation revealed itself as a message from the bank . It was an email notification detailing a $98 charge on my credit card from Shein, followed by an $80 purchase from Temu.

With growing concern, I promptly reached out to my bank, while simultaneously scanning my immediate surroundings for my purse, which safely harbored the credit card I had intended to reserve solely for emergencies. Frustration mounting, I found myself muttering "What the fuck" I muttered under my breath as I grappled with the unfolding situation.