‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE
paris, france
saturday
june 22, 2024
10:30am

the runway show was in full swing, models strutting down the catwalk with confidence and grace. but the both of us fought through the hangover, the bright lights and loud music making our heads hurt just a little more. alexa leaned over to me, her voice a hushed murmur. "how much longer? i think i might vomit."

"ew don't vomit on me." i said as i pushed her away gently.

she chuckled weakly, her hand resting on her stomach. "i'm trying." she said, her voice a bit shaky.

i rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. "just hang in there. it can't be much longer."

"hey," drew whispered from next to me.

i blinked continuously. "when did you get there?"

drew chuckled quietly, amused by my disorientation. "been here for a while," he replied. "you seem a little.. out of it."

i looked next to him only to see zendaya, i furrowed my eyebrows and looked around the audience slowly. no sign of odessa. "where's your girlfriend?" i asked bluntly. perhaps it was the hangover making me be so forward.

drew raised his eyebrows at my question, clearly taken aback by my straightforwardness. "what girlfriend?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

i looked at him blankly, confused by his response. "odessa." alexa said sounding annoyed.

he shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face. "we're not together," he clarified. "why would you guys think that?"

alexa and i exchanged a puzzled glance. for some reason, we had both assumed odessa and drew were an item. before either of us could ask for clarification, the crowd around us erupted into applause.

~~

we looked back to the runway, the models now taking their final stance and waving to the audience.

alexa nudged my leg. "show's over. let's get out of here."

i couldn't agree more. my head was pounding and the bright lights of the runway were not helping. "yeah, let's go. i need to lie down."

we stood up, weaving between the crowd towards the exit. we were just about to reach the door when a familiar voice called out.

"azaria! wait up." the voice was unmistakable. we turned around to see timothée making his way towards us.

with a mix of surprise and curiosity, we stopped and waited for him to catch up. he finally reached us, his usual charming smile in place. "timothée hey!"

he nodded in greeting as he looked between us, noticing our tired and slightly disheveled states. "you two had a late night?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice.

alexa and i exchanged a sheepish glance, both of us remembering the previous night's events. "something like that." alexa replied vaguely.

timothée chuckled, his eyes scanning our faces. "i can tell. you both look hungover as hell. but, i'm a bit confused because drew said you had a headache." timothée said as he raised his eyebrows.

alexa, ever the advocate for unconventional methods, chimed in, "best way to feel better is to chase something with alcohol." she said, a smirk on her face.

i rolled my eyes, knowing all too well her penchant for quick fixes. "yeah, let's not make this headache worse."

timothée chuckled again, a small smirk on his lips. "you two never change," he said fondly.

a small wave of nostalgia washed over me as i heard his words. it was true. alexa and i went through many ups and downs together but throughout it all, we remained the same. we both smiled, silently agreeing with him.

"well, i just wanted to say hi," he said, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before reluctantly looking away. "i'll catch you both later."

both alexa and i nodded, watching him walk away and join drew and mike who were waiting at the exit of the building.

"so, drew confirmed that he and odessa aren't together." i said to alexa.

alexa nodded thoughtfully, her eyebrows still furrowed in confusion. "yeah, which is weird because she was acting so...territorial."

i hummed in agreement, still feeling puzzled by the revelation. odessa's behavior, her constant jabs and glares, all pointed to something deeper. something wasn't adding up. why would she act that way if her and drew weren't a thing? my mind was spinning with unanswered questions.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

RITZ PARIS HOTEL
paris, france
11:20am

as we walked into the hotel lobby, i noticed amo at the concierge desk with his suitcase next to him.

recognizing the model instantly, i nudged alexa subtly, pointing towards the concierge. "look, it's amo."

alexa followed my gaze, her eyes landing on his tall figure and suitcase. she raised her eyebrows. "looks like he's checking out."

we both slowed down, watching as he spoke with the concierge, his expression serious. he looked tired, even from a distance, his shoulders slumped forward a bit.

i whispered to her, "do i say something?"

alexa shrugged, her eyes still on amo who was now checking his phone. "i don't know, he doesn't look in the best mood."

i glanced back at him, noticing the furrowed brow and tight jaw. he seemed irritated about something. still in my dress from the fashion show i made my way over to him. "you okay?"

he looked up from his phone, slight surprise showing on his face as he saw me approaching him. he ran a hand over his face, sighing. "oh, hey azaria." he replied, his voice laced with exhaustion.

i stood in front of him, reading the exhaustion on his face. "you look tired," i observed, concern in my voice.

he shrugged, leaning against the counter. "yeah, just had a hell of a week." he muttered, his eyes scanning my appearance briefly before returning to his phone.

"what really happened between you and the designer?" i asked, gently pushing his phone down.

he huffed a humorless laugh, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before looking away. "he was being a tool, i wasn't gonna just let him talk to me like that."

i raised my eyebrows, not entirely surprised by his response. amo could have a bit of a short temper, although it came in handy in some areas.

"and what did you say to him?" i asked curiously, my tone slightly playful.

he grimaced, his jaw tensing as he recalled the conversation. "just told him he was a pompous ass and he should stop worrying so much about my looks and focus on the shitty designs he was sending down." he said, his words harsh yet honest.

i chuckled lighty at his bluntness, knowing it was one of his signature traits. "i guess you're not wrong. some of the designs were...questionable."

he chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "seriously, who the hell designed those and genuinely thought they'd look good?"

i shook my head, silently agreeing with him. some of the designs were so unusual and oddly styled, even i couldn't believe they were going to be worn.

"well, it sucks you were kicked off. you were doing so well with the shows." i said, my voice gentle.

he shrugged again, his expression a mix of disappointment and irritation. "it is what it is. not the first time a designer got butthurt over my honesty." he muttered, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

i smiled and looked down at his suitcase. "have a safe flight back to la, amo."

he nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "yeah, thanks," he replied. "it was good seeing you again."

the words sent a pang of sadness through my chest. his presence, regardless of our past, was familiar. comforting.

"yeah, you too," i muttered, forcing a small smile before walking away.

i then heard someone calling my name, "azaria!" i looked back just to see amo waving me over.

feeling a bit confused, i turned back towards him, walking closer to him. "what's up?" i asked, curiously.

he paused for a moment, his eyes briefly flicking over me. "i'm sorry. i should've taken you and what we had more seriously. and i definitely shouldn't have egged you on the way i did." he said sounding sincere.

i was caught off guard by his sudden apology. his words were unexpected yet genuine. my eyes widened in surprise as i took them in. the amo i was used to didn't apologize, and when he did he never meant it.

but this time; i could see it in his eyes. he looked remorseful and sincere. "this...isn't like you." i finally said after a moment of silence.

he chuckled dryly, a hint of humor mixed with regret in his voice. "yeah, i guess it isn't." he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking away for a moment then back at me. "but i mean it. i'm sorry for treating you the way i did." he said, his tone firm yet apologetic.

i stood there, taking in his words. my first instinct was to brush off his apology, to tell him to shove it. but the fact that he was standing there, apologizing for his actions...it showed some form of change, didn't it?

i bit my lip, feeling my heart soften slightly. "i didn't expect to hear you say that."

he sighed, a hint of resignation on his face. "i know. i'm not usually the apologizing type." he replied, a slight sheepishness in his voice. he paused, his gaze flickering over me again before speaking up. "i'm not gonna ask for another chance or anything. i know that ship sailed. but i wanted to just apologize."

my heart ached slightly at his words. a small part of me wanted to tell him we could try again. but the rational part of my mind knew that it would never work. we just weren't meant to be together like that.

"i accept your apology," i said gently. "and honestly, i appreciate it. it's nice to hear you take accountability for once."

he huffed a small, humorless laugh, a ghost of a smile on his face. "yeah, never been my strong suit, accountability." he muttered. he reached out, his hand hesitating before resting on my shoulder. "you deserve a lot better than me, and i hope you find that, zari."

i resisted the urge to curl myself into his arms. his touch, his sincere words, it made me want to forget why we broke up. to just forget everything and start over again. but i knew it wasn't possible.

"yeah, i hope i do." i said, managing to keep my voice even. "i wish you the best, amo. seriously."

his eyes held a complex mixture of regret, longing, and acceptance as he took in my words. then, he nodded, his hand dropping back to his side. "thanks. i'll see you around, yeah?"

i forced a small smile, the lump in my throat becoming harder to ignore. "yeah. see you around." i said, taking a step back. i turned and walked away, not daring to look back just yet.

alexa who was standing near the elevators, waiting for me, nodded. "that was handled gracefully." she complimented.

i exhaled a shaky breath, trying to reign in the mix of emotions running through me. i glanced at alexa as we walked to the elevators together. "yeah, a bit too gracefully, maybe."

alexa pressed the elevator button to retrieve an elevator to go up and raised her eyebrows. "what do you mean?" she questioned.

as we waited for the elevator, i sighed heavily, leaning against the wall. "i kind of wished he asked for a second chance, you know? a part of me wanted him to fight for me. to prove that he's actually changed." i admitted reluctantly.

alexa leaned on the wall next to me, her expression one of understanding. she knew exactly how i felt. "do you want my opinion?" she asked, her voice gentle.

i shrugged, knowing her opinion was more often than not the cold-hard truth. "lay it on me."

she nodded, contemplating her words carefully before speaking. "you guys broke up for a reason. i get that you miss him, that you miss the comfort and familiarity, but you can't ignore the fact that you broke up because he wasn't capable of what you desired in a relationship." alexa paused for moment, letting her words sink in.

i ran a hand over my face, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "i know," i said, my voice coming out sounding hoarse with an undercurrent of irritation. "i know that. i'm just being sentimental."

alexa placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "he's charismatic, funny, and gorgeous. but he's also emotionally unavailable. and you deserve better."

with that, the elevator door opened and in we went. i pressed for our floor number before hearing a yell. "hold the elevator!" the man yelled.

i looked up as i heard the familiar voice, recognition flaring within me as i recognized the person. "drew." i muttered, reaching out to press the "hold elevator" button.

alexa, noticing my change in demeanor, looked at me confused as drew ran into the elevator, slightly panting from the jog. "thanks for holding the door." he said, a small smile gracing his lips. as the elevator door shut, drew leaned on the wall next to me. "hey," he said, a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "didn't expect to run into you two here."

i laughed softly and pressed for floor number two. "hi drew." i said gently.

alexa looked between the two of us, sensing the shift in dynamics as drew spoke to me. she stayed quiet, watching the interaction unfold while leaning against the wall.

"so how are you feeling, you feeling better?" drew asked referring to my 'headache' from last night.

i chuckled weakly, grateful that he got the hint about my lie. "yeah, much better after some sleep."

alexa watched me with a knowing look in her eyes, silently understanding what was happening.

"that's good," he replied, leaning against the wall, his arm accidentally brushing against mine as he did. my heart fluttered ever so slightly at the unintentional contact, making me hyper-aware of his presence next to me. "we missed you guys at the rest of dinner." he added.

i looked up at him, his eyes on me, and forced a small smile. i was just about to respond when alexa did instead. "by 'we' you mean everyone except odessa, right?"

drew sighed and nodded, a look of annoyance flashing in his eyes. "actually, her and i had a small argument in the bathroom and she left  almost instantly after you all."  he responded.

my eyebrows furrowed in mild surprise. a small part of me felt curious and concerned, but i kept my tone neutral. "what were you two arguing about?"

the elevator door opened, revealing the fourth floor. i took a second to mentally prepare myself before stepping out. as i walked out, i could feel drew's gaze on me, his presence close behind as the three of us made our way down the hallway.

"is he ignoring the question?" i mouthed to alexa.

alexa rolled her eyes as she responded via mouthing back, "he's a man. of course he's ignoring the question."

i chuckled weakly as she said this, knowing she was right. men were stubborn and not necessarily keen on sharing details about their arguments.

alexa and i then stopped at our hotel door and looked back at him. "well, this is us." i said.

drew nodded, his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "alright, i'll let you ladies go. see you two tomorrow." he replied, his tone casual but his eyes slightly lingering on me.

"see ya." i said, watching as his eyes flicked over me once more before turning to walk back down the hallway.

as we retreated into our room, alexa closed the door behind us. she leaned against the door frame and stared at me expectantly.

i could feel her gaze on me, silently waiting for my commentary. i leaned back against the wall and exhaled heavily. "ugh, i don't know what to make of drew these days."

alexa raised her eyebrows, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "you don't?" she inquired, her voice laced with teasing.

i scowled, tossing a pillow in her general direction gently. "stop it," i said, rolling my eyes playfully.

alexa laughed and grabbed the pillow before it hit her. "all i'm going to say is now we know he doesn't have a girlfriend and we know he likes you. what else do you need?" she said as she sat down on the bed.

i huffed, feeling a mixture of emotions rising up in me - anticipation, annoyance, hope. "it's not that simple, alexa. there's so much more to it." i responded, plopping down on the bed. "for one, we don't know if he likes me and two, amo."

alexa rolled her eyes. "amo and you barely lasted three and a half months. he has issues, zar. major commitment issues. he also treated you like an accessory, not a girlfriend."

i knew alexa was right. i knew that what she was saying was the complete truth, but it didn't make it any easier to hear it. i ran a hand over my face, feeling frustrated. "i know. i do know." i said, my voice coming out a bit strained. "but those three and a half months still meant something to me and it'll take time for me to get fully over amo." i admitted.

alexa's expression softened at my confession. she knew i put my heart into any relationship i had, no matter how brief. "yeah, i get that. you can't just erase memories and feelings that easily. but you also can't let your past relationship stop you from moving forward in your life."

i sighed, knowing she made a valid point. "i just feel conflicted. and confused. i mean, is it fair to me or drew to jump into something when i'm not completely over amo?"

alexa shifted on the bed, folding her legs underneath her. "that's a valid concern. but love, you can't stay in a limbo state of existence forever. you're allowed to move on at your own pace. and if that pace means pursuing something with drew, then why the hell not?"

i bit my lip, contemplating her words. a part of me wanted to brush it off and pretend like there aren't any feelings there, but the other part was screaming to take a chance. "why can't he chase me? why does the girl always have to run after the guy." i said with a groan.

alexa chuckled, a knowing smile on her face. "i've seen the way his eyes follow you whenever you enter the room. trust me, he wants to chase you."

my cheeks felt warm at her words. "but he's not chasing me." i said, my tone quiet and uncertain.

"he's probably waiting for a cue from you, zari. you're not really giving him anything to go off of," she pointed out, her voice filled with both humor and understanding.

"i know." i said, falling back onto the bed. "i'm being indecisive and confusing and it's annoying."

alexa sighed and laid down next to me, "look. tomorrow is the last day of paris fashion week meaning there's gonna be a big party that night. that's your chance to drop all the hints in the damn book. okay?"

her words made my heart thrum. a party. a night of drinking and mingling. the perfect opportunity to drop hints and put the ball in drew's court. "okay..." i agreed, my voice wavering a bit.

~~