Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Shawn wasn’t getting plastered like he’d hoped. The more booze he tossed back, the more his mind got crystal clear, leaving him feeling even more uncomfortable than before.
Sabrina, keeping a safe distance from Shawn, peeked over at the quiet chick sitting next to Fred. She grabbed Abby’s arm. pulling her close for a quick gossip session. “Is this Fred’s new squeeze? What happened to Clara? Over already? I haven’t seen this one around”
“Danno” Abby shrugged. She’s just some new actress from the company. Heard she spilled red wine on Fred at Clara’s bash and got noticed”
Sabrina made the sign of the cross. “Oh man, that girl’s in trouble. Fred’s a heartbreaker, you know” She took a closer look at the girl and saw that she was about their age, not like the usual flashy celebrities Fred was always with
Checking out the girl, Sabrina grabbed Abby and decided to make a move. “What’s your name?” she asked, straight to the
point
“Meghan Bentley,” the girl said.
“C’mon, let’s hit the dance floor. Hanging with these dudes is a total drag. Let’s have some fun!” Sabrina suggested.
“Sure thing” Meghan agreed with a grin, feeling like she couldn’t resist Sabrina’s energy. Plus, she was more than ready to put some distance between her and Fred. The three of them got up and headed for the dance floor in the heart of the bar.
Once the girls were gone, Charles wasn’t about to back down. Hemudged Fred. “What’s the deal with Shawn? Come on, spill.”
“Nah, man, I’m out of the loop. You should ask Aaron; he’s got the real story,” Fred said.
Before Charles could say another word, Aaron cut in. “Don’t look at me.”
“Alright, if you guys are gonna be all tight–lipped, I’ll just call Natalie, Charles said, reaching for his phone,
“Save it.” Shawn’s raspy voice cut in, cold as ice. “We’re divorced
With a thud. Charles dropped his phone in surprise,
Aaron and Hayden exchanged a look, both of them silent. ‘Divorced? That’s a big deal, Hayden thought.
Fred was just as shocked. He’d been on Natalie’s side earlier, and this sudden twist had him baffled. ‘Is Shawn back with Tracy? Natalie can’t seem to match up to his first love, can she? Bat if he wasn’t happy with her, then splitting up might be for the best. Why’s he drowning his sorrows like this?” he pondered.
Charles was the most upset. He wouldn’t confront Shawn head–an, but his voice was brimming with anger. “Shawn, seriously divorced Natalie? Are you kidding me? Today’s not April Fool’s.
The other three stared at him like he was an idiot. Shawn didn’t say a word. He just quietly took out the divorce decree from
bag and tossed it on the table. Lifting his glass, he threw back another shot.
Everyone leaned in, their curiosity piqued. Fred picked up the papers, flipped through them, and double–checked. “It’s true.”
Charles grabbed them next, scrutinizing them from every angle. When it finally sank in that the divorce was real, he just collapsed onto the couch,
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“I can’t believe this. I’m calling Natalie, Charles muttered, his fingers flying over his phone. This time, Shawn just let him do it, but all Charles got was a recording telling him the call could go through.
At that moment, Sabrina, Abby, and Meghan came back from dancing. But as they plopped back down, they spotted the divorce decree in Charles’s grip. Sabrina snatched it up, her eyes scanning the document, and then she turned to Abby, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief Shawn’s divorced”
Abby was just as stunned and quickly took the papers to read them for herself. It was the real deal. Meghan didn’t know Natalie, but even she could feel the weight of the situation. Divine wasn’t a good thing, especially for women.
Abby put the decree back on the table, and the three girls fell silent, lost in thought on the couch
Just then, Shawn’s phone vibrated loudly, breaking the silence. Shawn, where are you? Can you come over? I’m scared being alone, the voice on the other end of the line said.
“Sure, I’m on my way, Shawn replied, grabbing his coat and getting up to leave. The group exchanged glances, picking up on the fact that Tracy was the one calling him
Aaron and Hayden wore these knowing looks as if they had insider info. Fred was suspicious, thinking there was more to this story. But Shawn always marched to the beat of his own drum; no amount of advice was going to sway him. Charles was still trying to get through to Natalie, but her phone just kept ringing without a pick–up.
Sabrina watched Shawn take the call and storm out, her anger rising. In her frustration, she poured herself another drink. Before anyone knew what was happening, Sabrina was already leaning heavily on the table.
Meghan had also had a bit too much to drink. She got this dreamy look when she was tipsy–her cheeks all flushed, and her eyes were a bit out of focus, like she was somewhere else. Fred picked up on this and decided it was time to take his girlfriend home, saying his goodbyes to everyone.
Abby didn’t indulge much, knowing she had an early start the next day. Spotting Sabrina in no condition to stand on her own, she passed her off to Hayden for safekeeping and got Charles and Aaron to leave with her.
Hayden stayed behind. He sat down next to Sabrina, keeping an eye on her. After a while, Sabrina stirred, still a bit out of it. “Abby, I need to hit the bathroom,” she mumbled.
But no one responded right away. She looked up to see a bunch of Haydens around her, the room spinning a little. “You look just like that pig Shawn,” she slurred.
Hayden was caught off guard by Sabrina’s comment. He wasn’t the type to rile her up, so her calling him a pig threw him for a loop. Instead of getting into it with someone who’d had a few too many, he waved over a waitress to assist in getting Sabrina to the bathroom safely.
Once Sabrina returned, she flopped back down and loudly announced her desire to keep the party going. “Abby, Meghan, where’d you guys go? Let’s hit the dance floor again!” She was swaying a bit, all set to take off
Hayden, quick on the uptake, slipped an arm around her waist to steady her. “Hey, everyone’s already headed home. Let’s get you back, okay?” There was a gentleness in his tone that he wasn’t even aware of
The waitress couldn’t help but watch the scene unfold with amement. Her boss was trying his best to handle the tipsy Sabrina, who was having none of it–kicking and swatting away at him like a playful child. It seemed like Sabrina was the only one brave enough to act out in such a way with her boss around.
“Nuh–uht I’m not going back yet! I wanna keep drinking?” Sabrina protested.
“Alright, we’ll have some more at home, Hayden coaxed, steering her towards the exit.
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Chapter 16
After managing to get Sabrina into the car, Hayden, having enjoyed a few drinks himself, called for the driver to take the wheel.
Sabrina, already worn out, had finally calmed down and was resting quietly on the seat. With the school dorms shut for the night and Sabrina in no state to navigate her way back alone, Hayden opted to bring her to his apartment.
Upon arrival, the car came to a stop at the building’s entrance. Hayden turned his attention to Sabrina, only to find she’d dozed off on his shoulder. /Sabrina, we’re home,” he whispered, but she didn’t budge. With a soft sigh, he carefully scooped. her up and carried her up the stairs.
Inside, he laid her down on his bed. Seeing how deeply she was sleeping, he knew there was no chance of getting her in the shower, and as a gentleman, he felt it wouldn’t be appropriate to dress her in fresh clothes either. So, he simply reached for a blanket, gently covering her to make sure she stayed warm and comfortable.
With a final check to ensure she was settled, he quietly left the room, resigning himself to the couch for the night.
