═════════════════════════════

❝Don't let the pain make you hate. Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.❞

═════════════════════════════

  ___ 

"YOU LOOK RAVISHING today, Nina." I curtsy at Jeromy's compliment that he delivered with a wink.

"Thank you, Jeremiah," I wink back, "I must say myself, you look quite handsome, too."

He bows as a thank you, and my smile turns into a grin.

"You seem really happy, today," he remarks. The light from the big chandeliers above us reflect on the patterned black and white, sparkly mask he's wearing.

"I am," I tell him, my voice does sound uncharacteristically enthusiastic. My eyes dart to Heidi as she approaches us, all smiles and everything. Little does she know, I think with an internal smirk. "You should be, too. Life is beautiful, and you're just going to have to enjoy it while you can before getting stabbed in the back by someone." I shrug.

Jeromy's expression drops a little, his eyebrows furrow. "Is everything okay?"

Before he can answer, Heidi steps next to us with a joyful expression on her face. Seriously, what is up with her mood swings? "Did you know that the bathrooms here have the same ceramic decor as Ruby's house?" Heidi says with wide eyes once she reaches us. 

"You get too overexcited about everything, Heidi," Jeromy points, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. One of Jeromy's favorite things to do, I learned, is to tease Heidi all the time.

"I do not."

"You do so."

"I-" she starts but stops when I roll my eyes. She looks down at her heels, "whatever."

"Where is Phoebe?" I ask. I haven't seen her much since we came here.

"I don't know. She was dancing with Hunter a few minutes ago."

"And Ruby?"

Jeromy shrugs, and I turn to Heidi.

"I. . . think she went to the bathroom. I'll get her," she says quickly before hurrying away. I hide my smirk and nod. To avoid suspicion, I stay and talk with Jeromy for a few more minutes, before saying that I need to retouch my makeup.

I stop at our table and grab my small purse, unzipping it and pulling out my phone and a micro camera. People -- girls, to be specific -- plaster their fake smiles at me, every time I accidentally catch their eyes, as I make my way around them. I finally reach the bathroom and stop, taking a deep breath. 

Are you sure you want to do this? 

But before I can answer my question or have any more hesitations, I push open the door, making a show of being heard. No one is inside, and you could hear a pin drop because of the utter silence. I walk to each bathroom stall and push each door; all are empty but one -- Ruby and Heidi, I assume. I go to the sink, and turn the tap, letting the water run for a few seconds before closing it again. 

Nothing is heard as I step into the empty stall next to the occupied one, and place my phone above the toilet, hitting the record button. I stand on the closed toilet seat to reach the top of the wall separating the stalls, and place the micro camera on the edge so that the lenses will catch the other stall, pressing the small button that will record. 

Then, I leave the stall and pull out a bobby pin from my hair. Doing this multiple times before when I was younger, sneaking out of the house at midnight, I manage to lock the door of the bathroom stall from the outside in less than thirty seconds with ease.

I leave the bathroom, making sure my exit is heard as my heels hit the floor with a repetitive click-clonk. Then, pressing myself against the corner of the hallway, I let out a deep, exhilarated breath. 

***

"So?"

Hunter raises his eyebrows questioningly and crosses his arms. His expression is taut, and his jaw is clenched -- like always. 

A lazy, carefree smile finds its way on my face as I wring my hands around his neck. I feel his broad shoulders tense up under my forearm and laugh. "You know, you should really learn to relax a bit. Life is short. I did, and I thought that you'd think so too when Jenny died."

The words come out before I think them through, and as soon as her name leaves my mouth, I stumble back. Hunter sports the same shocked expression as I do. I haven't said her name out loud since. . .

Hunter recovers and his eyebrows meet. "Are you-"

I laugh. "Yes, I'm drunk, but only a little.  And why are you surprised by my words?" I ask, then lower my voice, saying my next words. "Just because I don't mention her, doesn't mean it never happened.  Doesn't mean she never happened." 

A lanky waiter passes us with a tray of wine flasks in his hands. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I pick up a flask and wink at him. "Thank you."

Just as I bring the flask to my lips, Hunter grabs it abruptly from my hand. A little spills on the floor, barely missing my heels. He adds to my confusion when he grabs my hand in his and maneuvers us away from the crowd, and out of the large hall. His skin feels warm and calloused against mine. We step outside, and a cool breeze glides against me, raising goosebumps along my bare arms and back.

He rubs the side of his face and exhales heavily. "India. . ."

I wrap my arms around my torso, looking at the fancy cars in the parking lot. Rich people everywhere. My friends, my family, in front of me. . . me. What's wrong with us? Why can't we be rich and genuine; rich and sane; rich and not murderers. Why did I have to fall into that stereotype? 

"Come here."

I step into his arms that encircle my waist and have the sudden urge to cry. Her name rings in my mind like an echo as if to remind me of what I did. My face against his hard chest, I sigh shakily.  

"It's okay." 

A thick swab of cotton lodges its way in my throat, and I close my eyes, willing it to go away. 

"It's okay," he repeats over and over again as he rests his chin on my head. Engulfed in his warmness and masculine scent of lemon, soap, and leather, I almost blieve his words. Almost.

"Getting cozy, aren't we?" 

I already miss his heat as soon as he takes a step back. My arms hang limply at my side, feeling bare without his embrace when I turn to find Ruby standing with a smirk, her arms crossed above her cocked hips. I want to smack that smirk off her pretty face.

"Don't worry, it wasn't like we were fucking in the parking lot," I roll my eyes as I start walking toward her, stopping when I'm close enough to whisper lowly in her ear. "I, however, can give you a whole different story about you cozying up with you-know-who."

I smile smugly when the blood drains out of her face just as her expression drops. 

I throw my head back and crow. "Relax, Ruby. I'm just kidding." I wink. "Unless there really is a secret lover that we should worry about."

She scowls at my smirk. "I'm going home. And you guys better watch out for Phoebe."

I stand in my place and watch her as she leaves to her car, gets in, and drives off, the roar of the engine filling the silence. Hunter takes a few steps forward to stand next to me, the gravel crunching under his shoes.

"What did you tell her?"

I don't need Hunter knowing about Ruby and Heidi's relationship until everyone else does. There's a possibility he'll try to stop me, and I can't risk that. I'mm still not guaranteed that he's completely on my side and won't rat me out to save his own ass. Always being on guard is a lesson I've learned the hard way.

"Nothing that's of your concern."

From my peripheral vision, I see that his expression hardens again. Anything that sparked between us today is blown away like it was never there. 

"Think she'll tell her?"

I don't hesitate. "No. We don't need to worry about her."