Ecstasy of Love

Chapter 14: Hanging

Josephine's POV

A cold shiver runs down my spine as I stand in front of one of the most alluring houses I've ever been to. Actually no, the term mansion would be more fitting for the all-concrete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows estate.

Though, if I keep lingering outside any other minute contemplating if I should just walk in or leave, people are seriously going to start looking at me weirdly.

Despite what happened the last time I came to a party, once again I find myself facing another one somehow.

This just adds to the already long list of reasons why I'm still debating with myself. Gosh, this is so embarrassing.

I take a deep calming breath to relax my senses and start making my way inside the house with determined steps.

Once I'm in though my steps slow down almost to a halt as I look around the open floor. It's even more stunning on the inside. Roaming around, I feel like a lost little girl.

All decorations in this house are so gorgeous that every wall screams wealth in a very posh way. A chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, a grand piano on the side of the room. The parlor flooring and the looming staircase made of glass at the other end.

I'm almost scared of how the place will end up tomorrow morning.

Unlike other parties, this one is not inside a frat house. Apparently, some rich kid wanted to piss off his parents so, in a tantrum, he threw this party.

Staying here makes me feel so out of place, I was clearly not invited. But what makes me feel uneasy is that I don't even know who this kid's house is.

Yet I guess that's what college is about, isn't it?

Plus, I'm almost certain the guy wouldn't even care either.

I know Melissa is somewhere in this house as well because I found out about the party thanks to her. And if she's here, that means he may be here as well.

From what I've realized after being roommates for almost a year is that she's not a big party person but I'm sure if she cared about this one, there's a reason behind that most probably concerns Hero.

And now, I'm not going to even deny I care about him. Seeing him hurt, those bruises marring clicked something in me, I had no wish of being harmful and guarded. For the first time since I saw the loneliness etched in him, I wanted to shed another layer of my facade.

Though, I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do about him. This is all so baffling. I'm not even sure I want to do something about it. Most definitely because this is just a phase, and in a matter of weeks I'll forget about this all. Or so I hope so.

I don't have to roam around further to find that I was indeed right as I see Hero's friends seated next to him on a wide couch, and on the opposite couch is Melissa with a group of girls, who are part of our dorm building if I'm not wrong.

It's a sickening feeling, the somewhat sense of triumph when I realize Hero is so out of whatever the lot is talking about. He's not even looking at them, for fuck's sake. Instead, his eyes drift to his surroundings, his head tilting back to rest on the edge of the black leather couch. Completely oblivious to the electric music pumping throughout the house, and to whatever his group is guffawing about.

There's no way I could infer what may be going through his mind given how little I know about him. Plus, I also know how improbable is for me to ever find out.

Still, my curiosity doesn't waver.

Hero grazes from the ceiling back to the party around. And as I stand a few meters away, his eyes somehow find me staring back at him already through the mass of people. And this time, I absorb the feel of it instead of being cast down.