And the thought strikes hard, almost enough to steal my breath.
What if that was the only time I’ll ever feel it?
I like you, Ivy.
A shiver ripples down my spine despite the heat.
Did that really happen?
I exhale sharply, tilting my head back under the spray, letting the water drown out the frantic rhythm of my thoughts. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe I’ve finally let these dares from Olivia and Harper get to my head.
Because never in my life has a dare led to something that turned my world upside down.
But this one did.
And the worst part? It’s over just as quickly as it began.
I lather shampoo into my hair, working through the tangles as my thoughts churn. Years of silly challenges like singing in a busy room, ordering the weirdest thing on a menu, sneaking notes to boys we crushed on in the past. But none of those moments lingered. None of them carved out space in my chest the way Gray just did.
I rinse the suds away, eyes squeezing shut as regret presses behind my ribs.
We didn’t swap numbers. Didn’t even follow each other on social media.
He’s just…gone.
I press my lips together as I scrub my skin with body wash, like maybe I can wash the ache away too. But the truth won’t budge.
Gray shifted something in me, though I couldn’t tell you what. All I know is, the girl who woke up this morning isn’t the same one standing here now.
Maybe that’s the worst part.
Still wrapped in thought, I step out of the shower, dry off and pull on a fluffy hotel robe. Laughter bubbles from the bedroom, the familiar sound grounding me back to reality.
Just outside the door, the energy buzzes.
Olivia stands in front of the mirror, a vision with her blonde hair falling in effortless waves that somehowlook both glamorous and low maintenance. She’s the kind of natural beauty who turns heads without trying, her serious expression at odds with the bold dresses in her hands—one deep red silk, the other glittering silver with a plunging neckline.
“I can’t decide which one,” she sighs. “This is our last night. We have to go out with a bang.”
On the bed, Harper snorts, her red hair already escaping the messy bun she’d half-heartedly attempted. The fiery strands match the spark in her personality—quick, unapologetic.
“Go with the silver,” Harper says without hesitation. “That neckline will stop traffic.” She tilts her head, then smirks. “Although, if we’re aiming for subtle, you might blind someone under the streetlights.”
Olivia laughs, holding the dress up to herself in the mirror. “Subtle is overrated.”
Their laughter fades when their eyes drift back to me. For a beat, neither says anything—just this quiet, almost sympathetic pause, like they can still feel the weight of what I told them about Gray.
Harper straightens, breaking the moment with a bright grin. “Okay. Tonight’s mission? Fancy dinner first, then we hit Bourbon Street like we actually know how to have fun. No moping allowed.”
Olivia sets the silver dress down and turns toward me, her lips curving into something softer. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll see him while we’re out tonight?”
The thought sends a little spark through me before I can help it, chasing away some of the heaviness in my chest. “Maybe,” I say, trying to sound casual, but my voice comes out a touch too hopeful.
Harper pats the space beside her on the bed. “Come on, love-struck, sit before I start dragging you.”
I sink down next to her, the mattress dipping under our combined weight, and for the first time since I left the coffee shop, I feel like I can breathe again.
I flop back onto my hands, my voice coming out flatter than I mean it to. “I don’t know if I feel like going out tonight.”
