After Hours (𝟏)

11. Red

Loud chatter engulfed Rainy's ears as she lifted the glass of champagne to her lips. She had been standing next to Elijah the entire night as he introduced her to his many friends and family members.

She was slowly losing the will to live.

For every friend she met, she had at least another three more kids to meet. And three more kids meant more Aunt's and Uncle's and a lot more talking.

The forced smile she supported on her face was becoming painful, her cheeks muscles were beginning to ache from the amount of smiling she was doing. Wearing a black backless gown, her long curly locks were scattered down her bare back. The gown shaped her body perfectly, hugging her curves and falling down to the floor. The front of her dress dipped in a low v cut, her breasts had been pushed together making them look bigger than they usually were.

Elijah looked handsome next to her in his suit, he was in a dark navy blue suit with a white shirt peeking underneath and neatly combed back hair. His usual tatted sleeve was hidden and the lip ring he always wore had been taken out. For the many months they had been dating, Rainy had never seen Elijah without his piercing. And most definitely not without his tattoos, he never wore long sleeved shirts.

She couldn't deny the fact that he looked strange without his signature ink and piercing.

Even though she was standing outside; she felt as if though she couldn't breathe properly. Rainy could sense the overwhelming emotions of struggle and fear residing within her, and instantly became aware of her raging anxiety. She had always struggled with anxiety, but lately the uneasy feeling of built-up pressure was spreading in her chest and she simply couldn't fight it.

"I'm going to get myself a drink, be right back." She tried to say but her words were far too quiet for anyone to hear. Looking over at her preoccupied boyfriend, who was busy laughing at whatever the people before him said, she sighed taking a step back. He still didn't notice her, not even when she turned around and started to walk back into the house.

There was a sense of relief when he hadn't bothered to acknowledge her absent presence. She just needed to get out of there before it all got too much for her.

Rainy wasn't sure how many people she had barged past in the house as she made her way up to her room. She greeted those who nodded over at her with a faint 'hello' while simultaneously keeping her head down low and walking as quickly as her sore feet could take her.

A few flight of stairs later, she was finally in front of her room. Rainy pulled the door open, quickly getting inside as she kicked her painful heels off and headed straight for the balcony.

Breathe, she reminded herself.

Finally reaching the handle of the balcony door, she grunted under her breath when she pulled it wide open. The immediate breeze of the night air hitting her exposed skin as she stepped out. Moving her body so that so she resting her elbows against the ledges of balcony, she could hear the faint music of the party going on downstairs. Her eyes found the array of strangers speaking amongst themselves when she looked down at the bustling garden.

She took in the sight of lavish gowns, some more extravagant than others and let out a deep breath. The women were all soaking in rich beauty and the men were stood besides them in their best suits. The twinkle of lights lit up the boisterous party, making the garden look like something out of a fairytale book. Lifting her attention up to the night sky, she tried to take in her only moment of alone time that evening.