Chapter 33
Emily’s POV
I kept drinking at the bar, feeling the sting of Keith’s words replaying in my mind like a broken record. He had said that sleeping with me was just like making me a substitute for Lily, and that thought gnawed at me, each sip of alcohol only dulling the pain slightly.
My phone buzzed on the counter, Nina’s name flashing on the screen, but I didn’t have the energy to answer. I waved it off and signaled the bartender instead, pushing my empty glass toward him.
“Another, please,” I mumbled, avoiding eye contact as I stared at the rows of bottles behind him.
The bartender, a man in his early thirties with a kind face, hesitated as he looked at me. “Are you sure, miss? You’ve had quite a few already. Maybe it’s time to call it a night?”
I shook my head, the motion making my vision blur slightly. “Just one more.” I insisted, my voice tinged with desperation. “I’m fine. I just… I need this.”
He frowned, clearly concerned. “Drinking like this isn’t going to help, you know. Maybe you should talk to someone instead?”
C DO
Chapter 33
I forced a smile, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m not here to talk. Just pour the drink, okay?”
With a reluctant nod, he sighed and reached for the bottle. “Alright, but this is the last one, okay? I don’t want you getting sick.”
I didn’t respond, just watched as he poured the liquid into my glass, the amber color swirling as it filled to the brim. The bartender’s eyes lingered on me, a flicker of concern crossing his face as I grabbed the glass and downed it in one go.
He winced slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line as he watched me gulp it down, but he didn’t say anything. The burn in my throat was a welcome distraction from the pain gnawing at my chest.
As I set the empty glass back on the counter with a soft thud, the music from the dance floor pulsed through the club, a hypnotic beat that seemed to resonate with the parts of me that just wanted to forget.
I glanced over at the people dancing, their bodies moving in sync with the rhythm, carefree and lost in the moment. For a brief second, I envied them -their ability to let go, to lose themselves in the music and the night.
Maybe that’s what I needed–just a little bit of escape. Without thinking too much, I left my drink at the bar and made my way to the dance floor. The rhythm took over, and I let myself get lost in the music, dancing one song after another.
A few men approached me, their intentions clear in the way they leaned in a little too close, but I wasn’t interested. I shook my head, smiling
Chapter 33
politely but firmly refusing their offers to join me. This wasn’t about. finding someone else; it was about losing myself, just for a little while.
After a few more songs, I started to feel the exhaustion set in. My legs. ached, and the initial buzz from the alcohol was wearing off, leaving me more drained than before. I made my way back to the bar, ready to order another drink, when I noticed my phone vibrating again. This time it was Frank.
I hesitated for a moment before answering. “Hey,” I mumbled into the phone, trying to sound more composed than I felt.
“Emily, where are you?” Frank’s voice was filled with concern, a sharp contrast to the lively background noise of the club. “Nina’s been trying to reach you, and when she couldn’t, she called me. I was worried.”
Hearing the worry in his voice made my heart ache a little less, but I still didn’t want to burden him with my problems. “I’m fine,” I said, though the slur in my voice probably betrayed me. “I’m just… at the club, you know, celebrating.”
“Celebrating? What are you celebrating?” Frank asked, confusion and concern mingling in his tone.
I paused, realizing what I had just said. “It’s my birthday,” I replied quietly, the words tasting bitter as they left my mouth.
“Your birthday?” Frank sounded surprised, almost hurt. “Emily, why didn‘ t you tell me?”
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I shrugged, though he couldn’t see it. “It’s not a big deal. No one really celebrates it anymore. Not since… well, not since everything happened. Except for Zane. He’s the only one who cares.”
There was a silence on the other end of the line, and I could almost hear Frank processing what I’d just told him. “Emily, that’s not right,” he finally said, his voice softer now. “You deserve to be celebrated. Every year.”
I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill over and tried to focus on the bar in front of me. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just another day.”
“It matters to me,” Frank said firmly. “Where are you exactly? I’m coming to get you.”
I gave him the name of the club, expecting him to tell me he’d be there in a while, but instead, he said, “Stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Ten minutes? That was hardly any time at all. I was surprised, not expecting him to drop everything and rush over. “You don’t have to-” I started, but he cut me off.
“I’m on my way, Emily. Just wait for me.”
True to his word, Frank arrived quickly, and when I saw him walk into the club, my heart skipped a beat. He spotted me at the bar and made his way over, concern etched into his features.
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“Emily,” he said softly as he reached me, his eyes searching mine. “What’s going on? Why are you here alone?”
I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “I told you, I’m celebrating my birthday.”
Frank didn’t buy it. “Emily, this isn’t the way to celebrate. Come on, let’s go somewhere quieter.”
He took my hand gently, guiding me to a private booth away from the loud music and prying eyes. Once we were settled, he turned to me, his gaze steady and full of care. “Talk to me, Emily. Why didn’t
anyone it was your birthday?”
you tell
I sighed, the weight of the night pressing down on me. “Because… no one‘ s really cared for a long time. Not since I was eighteen. After that, my birthdays just stopped being a thing in my family. I was… I was a mistake that no one wanted to acknowledge.”
Frank’s eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?”
I looked down at my hands, twisting them together nervously.
I took a deep breathe, ready to tell him everything.
“When I was eighteen, I slept with Lily’s boyfriend. And I got pregnant.”
