Page 104 of I Know Your Secret
She nods, eyes narrowing as she seems to consider. Her buzz is evident in the glassed-over look she gets as she grins. "Maybe he got a new phone."
"I get what you're trying to do, Ali. I do. But we both know that trying to find the man who stalked and kidnapped you is a stupid fucking idea."
She laughs. "Oh, for sure."
"Then, don't encourage me." I finish my drink as a waitress in a barely there black maxi dress trots up and hands me another.
I take it, wiggling it in Allison's face. "Especially not when I'm on my fourth drink."
Shrugging, she downs her own. "I was trying to be a good friend."
"You already are."
Melody rushes up the VIP stairs, her sweaty hair plastered to her cheeks. Bending over, she flips her long blonde hair into a messy bun before standing again. "This place is awesome! You two sure you don't want to come dance?" Reaching for water off the table in front of Allison and me, she chugs half the bottle down.
I chuckle. "No. I'm good."
"Same," Allison adds.
"Drinking while sitting is going to fuck you both up royally."
Allison and I share a look before both of us shrug. "We'll be fine."
"Suit yourselves. I'll try to find hot men to carry you both out, because I'm not doing it." Grabbing Allison's drink off the approaching waitress’s tray, Melody flounces back through the throngs of people.
I watch her spin through the crowd effortlessly. "What I wouldn't give to be that carefree.”
"You'll get there," Allison tosses back after listening to the waitress apologize for her missing drink, which Melody took.
"Will I? It doesn't feel like I will."
Allison's hand squeezes my knee. "You will."
"Well, until I believe it, I'll take your word for it."
Hours later, the room is spinning, and I'm jumping up and down to a song I don't know in the middle of the dance floor, Melody on one side, and Allison on the other. The music cuts off, and the DJ tells us it's time to go home, even though I hadn't heard last call.
“I told you that you'd be alright," Allison screams, even though the music is off and the club's lights are on.
I laugh drunkenly. "No. I'm wasted, that's different."
"Is it, though?"
Melody tells us goodnight from the arm of a stranger she's decided to leave with, as Allison and I lean against one another on the curb, the cool night air stinging against our sweat-slicked skin. "Should we let her go with him?" I point to where the man picks up Melody and carries her toward the parking lot.
"Eh, she'll be fine." Allison leads me toward the town car that pulls up at the curb for us, holding the door a little wobbly as I slide inside.
We pull away, our ears still ringing, and for a long time, we're silent.
Allison is typing on her phone, no doubt to someone she'll regret in the morning, but I say nothing.
Who am I to judge when she's been so good to me since I got home?
I check my phone for texts from Koen, anger building in my drunk chest when there are none.
Once I'm home, drunkenly leaning against the porch railing as Bear does his thing on the tree, it feels like I’m drunker than I was at the club. It turns out that's all I needed to find some courage.
Don't you care where I was?
