Where did you go?

9

We stayed at the bar for another twenty minutes before departing and going to our rooms. I wanted to have some real fun, so I was relieved to find my room empty. I showered and changed into a tight and extremely short black leather skirt with a tight black mesh long sleeved shirt over my black - kind of sexy, if I did say so, myself - bra. I paired it with the highest heels I owned - also black - and I wore my hair straight. I'd just finished clipping my silver wristwatch - which told me it was around 6, by the way, and time for some dinner - when Eden strolled into the room.

'Oh!' She was surprised to see me. 'You look nice,' she said, smiling sweetly.

'Thanks,' I said, looking in the full length mirror.

Yeah. I looked hot.

'Are we going somewhere?'

'We aren't.'

'Then why are you all dressed up?' She approached and stood next to me, finger-combing her hair.

'I've got plans.'

'But I thought you said—'

'That we aren't going out.'

She actually looked hurt. Hurt and confused. 'Are you mad at me?'

'I'll see you later, Eden.' I went to get my purse but she lunged forward and got to it before I did.

'Stop doing that,' she said.

'Stop doing what, you crazy bitch?' I didn't even try to get my bag from her.

'Stop avoiding me and being rude and-and don't call me names!'

I scrunched up my face in confusion. 'What?'

'You are in the wrong right now, not me. If anyone's crazy, it's you.' She lifted her nose and crossed her arms, my purse still clutched in her hand.

I had to laugh. 'I'm in the wrong? Me? You're being for real right now?'

She didn't move.

'God, Eden. You're not who I thought you were.' I shook my head, sadly. I didn't want to have another argument but she did.

'We made love.'

I cringed. 'Ew, Eden. "Made love"? That's so gross,' I said over her while she shouted 'What's the big deal? We like each other.'

I wrinkled my brows and opened my mouth. 'This is unhealthy, Eden!'

'Can you blame him?'

'Huh?'

'Can you blame him...' she stepped towards me, 'for not being into you? Look at yourself, Milo. You're nothing but a slut so desperate for a lay that you try to steal mine.'

'We had a five minute conversation! I don't fucking care about him, can't you see that?' I inhaled and straightened my shoulders. 'First of all, that was my date yesterday. You were only there because he had a brother. You were supposed to ask me which was the guy I had gone there to meet, but you didn't. You let your little delusions about being Mrs. Eden Dolan fill your head and tossed my feelings aside.'

I was completely calm, like an outsider summarising the events.

'Second, you didn't apologise or even rationalise your decision to leave with him when I told you it was Grayson, not Ethan. That's not really what a best friend would do, is it?'

She scoffed.

'Third of all, you locked me out of the room, leaving me basically homeless in a city I've been to twice as a child. Did you think I could just magically conjure up a house to stay in? Did you even care?'

'Excuse me if I was a little busy.'

'Where were the texts you and I both know I would've been sending you if I'd left you to fend for yourself? Where were the calls? The questions when I rocked up at noon the next day? You know, things a best friend or even just a decent fucking human would do.'

'I...'

'I'm going now.' I snatched my bag and stormed from the room.

I opened it to find my phone so I could check google maps for a nearby McDonald's when I walked straight into someone.

'Shit, sor—'

'Milo.'

'Grayson.'

'I was just—' he cut himself off when he caught sight of my outfit.

He was wearing a black Cub Sport T-shirt, black and white striped trousers and zebra-print Hi Top converse. I almost choked on my own drool.

'Wow,' I said. 'You look hot.'

He coughed. 'Don't even ask me to find a word for how you look right now.'

It took me longer than it should have to realise that he was complimenting me, but when I did I could feel my face redden so I looked down and I noticed something in his fist.

'What's that?'

He shoved it in his pocket.

Lace?

'Those are Eden's,' I said, eyes trained on his pocket.

'They're—'

'You guys, uh...you were here? After we...'

He hung his head, telling me all I needed to know. They'd had sex, again. While I was with Ethan after our time at the diner.

'She's in the room, if you're wanting to give those back,' I said, walking past him to the elevators.

The doors closed and I finally breathed.

'Just friends,' I said, aloud. 'Just friends.'

~•~

Is 8:30 too early to go clubbing? Surely not.

I'd been dawdling and sightseeing and eating painfully slow to try make it as late as possible before I hit the strip.

This is chronic.

I already knew which clubs I wanted to hit and had the directions to the first option up on my phone so I headed out, deciding to embark on the fifteen minute journey by foot.

On reflection, it probably wasn't the best thing to do in my choice of footwear, but I was good at walking in heels so my feet didn't hurt too badly when I joined the cue to get in.