CHAPTER TWELVE

~Nella~

I hesitated. Should I walk over? My mind raced, but before I could decide, Ethan’s voice sliced through the noise, pulling me back into the chaos of the night. The bass of the music reverberated through my body as I stood frozen, caught between confusion and the pulsing rhythm. Ethan and Ash were lost in their own world, caught up in the beat, but I couldn’t shake the gnawing unease gnawing at me.

Gray’s gaze. That’s what had thrown me off. I hadn’t minded bumping into him at the club, but there was something in his stare that unsettled me. It was like he’d been watching me for longer than I had realized, and when our eyes finally met, I felt exposed—like he knew something I didn’t. I’d told him earlier that I was coming with Ashley, so why did he look at me like that? I hadn’t done anything wrong, had I?

"Come on, Nella," I murmured to myself, shaking the thought. "You didn’t do anything wrong."

I had made it clear that I was here to have fun. If anyone had a reason to feel out of place, it was Gray—he hadn’t told me he’d be at the club. But still, something in his eyes was unnerving.

I took a deep breath and excused myself from the dance floor, my heels clicking sharply on the ground as I made my way toward him. His eyes were still on me as I approached, and when I reached his group, I forced a smile, hoping it masked my growing anxiety.

"Hey, Gray," I greeted him, trying to sound casual, though my pulse raced. "Hey guys."

“Hey, Nella,” he said, pulling me into a brief hug.

His expression softened, but the tension still lingered, hanging in the air between us. I could feel it. I sat beside him and, without thinking, grabbed his wine glass, taking a sip.

“You didn’t mention you’d be at the club,” I shouted over the music, my voice barely carrying. “It was a last-minute call from Teddy. He wanted to celebrate the baby,” Gray chuckled.

“Teddy has a baby?” I blinked in surprise. I’d known Teddy—had even gone to his housewarming party with Gray—but I had no idea he was married, let alone expecting a child.

“No, Nella,” Gray corrected with a grin. “He got a new car.”

I laughed, shaking my head at his teasing. “Oh, I see. Do you want to dance?”

Gray shook his head. “Nah, I’m a little tired. Just want to relax for now.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, taking another sip of my drink, trying to hide my anxiety.

Just then, Ashley waved from the other side of the club, signaling me to come over. She probably had some gossip to share, and I didn’t blame her. I turned to Gray, who was chatting with a guy I didn’t recognize. I only knew two of Gray’s friends—Teddy and Owen—and this guy wasn’t either of them.

“Hey, babe, I’ll be right back. Just need to check something with Ash,” I leaned in close to speak in his ear, shouting to be heard over the music.

Gray’s hand found mine suddenly, pulling me closer. “Let’s dance.”

I frowned, confused. “I thought you didn’t want to dance.”

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m craving my baby’s body,” he laughed.

I tried to suppress a smile, but my mind was still clouded. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?” I said, standing up to walk over to Ashley.

Ethan was busy making a fool of himself, dancing badly in front of us, trying to distract Ashley, who was laughing hysterically. She was making fun of him for trying to dance with a girl who’d snubbed him earlier. But then, out of nowhere, Gray appeared again, excusing me from Ethan and Ashley, pulling me aside for a private word.

Without a word, he snatched my clutch from the table, and we walked outside the club together. The cool night air hit me, and I shivered slightly, trying to gather my thoughts.

“What’s going on?” I asked, confused by his sudden urgency.

“Nothing, just bored,” he shrugged. “Let’s go home.”

My mind raced. “What do you mean, babe? You’re with your friends, I’m with mine. I’m having fun. Let’s just give it another hour.”

“No, Nella,” he said firmly, turning to face me. “Let’s just go home. We can have all the fun we want there. Music, alone, just us.”

I shook my head, feeling something shift inside me. “No. No, I can’t just leave without telling my friends. You know we planned to spend the night together. Ash even told you I’d be back tomorrow.”

He exhaled sharply, looking at me like he was trying to stay calm. “Nella, I’m not going to argue with you about your friends. I left mine. I don’t see why you can’t do the same. Just text Ashley, let her know, and we can leave. She would have done the same without questioning.”

My pulse quickened. “What do you mean by that?”

He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “I mean, Ashley would never leave her boyfriend the way you did—just to be with that guy. What’s his name? Ethan?”

I froze. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I came with my friends, I told you that. You came with yours, and you didn’t even mention it to me! And now you want to accuse me of—”

“Did you tell me Ethan was going to be with you?” he cut in sharply.

“No,” I snapped. “But I didn’t think it was necessary. Not like you told me you were going to be at the club either.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Because you didn’t think it was important? Just like you didn’t think it was important to mention Ethan?”

“Why does it matter so much to you?” I was growing frustrated, the argument bubbling up inside me.

“I don’t have a problem with Ethan. I have a problem with you not telling me where you are or who you’re with exactly,” he bit back, his tone sharp.

I stared at him, feeling like the world was spinning. “Babe, you’re sounding insecure right now.”

“Insecure?” he laughed bitterly. “I’m not insecure. I care about you, Nella. That’s the problem.”

“Stop,” I said, trying to calm him. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

His voice softened, but there was no warmth in it. “I guess I care too much. You know what? Go back inside. Have fun with your friends. Do whatever you want. I’m done.”

I felt a knot form in my stomach as he turned and walked away, his steps purposeful. I stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The flashing lights of the club, the laughter of people coming and going—it all felt distant now.

Ashley’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Nella? What’s going on? Where’s Gray?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Words failed me. The tears I’d been holding back suddenly welled up, and I sniffled, trying to gather myself.

Ashley pulled me into a quieter corner. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, Ash. I—I just… don’t know,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

She exhaled, squeezing my hand. “We’ll talk later. For now, I’m calling Ethan. We’re getting you home.”

Before I could protest, Ethan appeared, a worried look on his face as he spotted me standing there, barely holding it together.

“I was going to tell you guys I’m leaving. I got an emergency call from home”, just then he noticed my eyes which were almost tearing up.

“What’s wrong, Nella?” He asked, his voice full of concern.

I barely managed to stop the tears. “It’s fine, Ethan. Go home. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Ashley intervened. “It’s just a misunderstanding between her and Gray. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” she added with a forced chuckle, trying to downplay the tension.

Ethan didn’t seem convinced. He frowned, looking between us both, his gaze still on me. "A misunderstanding?” His voice dropped an octave, his protective side coming through. “Nella, you don’t look okay. And if you’re telling me this is just a ‘misunderstanding,’ I’m not buying it." He paused for a moment, glancing at Ashley as if searching for a reason why I was so upset. “What happened? Where’s Gray?"

Ashley sighed, clearly trying to defuse the tension. She waved a hand dismissively, trying to downplay the situation. “He just… he and Nella had a little argument, nothing big. You know how it is—sometimes relationships hit a bump, and then you just move on.”

Ethan looked skeptical but nodded. “Okay, but I’m not leaving you alone tonight.”

I felt the weight of his concern, the intensity of his gaze. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "It’s not just about the argument, Ethan. I don’t even know what happened. I came here to have fun, and now it’s like everything’s falling apart." I tried to shake it off, but the frustration kept bubbling up. “Gray just… I don't even know what to say right now.

Ethan stepped closer to me, his hand finally resting on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. We’ll figure it out, but for tonight, I’m not leaving you like this. I’ll take you home, okay?”

Ashley gave me a sympathetic glance but then turned to Ethan. “Actually, Ethan, you don’t need to worry. We can just go back to Nella’s place. We’ll be fine. You’ve got things to do, right? You mentioned you had an emergency earlier?”

Ethan hesitated, his gaze still on me. There was no mistaking the hesitation in his voice when he spoke next. “I did have an emergency to take care of, yeah…” He rubbed the back of his neck, his tone shifting. “But I’m not just gonna leave you two here. I can deal with that later. Right now, Nella needs me more than anything.”

Ashley raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised at his determination. “Ethan, you’re really not going anywhere until you know she’s okay, are you?”

“No,” he replied firmly. “Not tonight. I can always go back to the emergency later, but Nella’s my priority right now.” He gave me a look of reassurance.

“No Ethan, you can just leave. I’d be fine with Ashley,” I muttered, feeling utterly drained.

Ashley sighed, clearly seeing that there was no way to talk him out of it. She shrugged with a slight smile, then nodded. “Alright, fine. We’ll let you drive us home.”

I was too exhausted to protest. The events of the night had drained me, and the thought of going home and just getting some peace sounded like a relief.

Ethan, looking a little more relaxed now that he’d made up his mind, gestured for us to follow him toward the exit. “Let’s go. I’ll get you both home, and then I’ll take care of everything else.”

As we walked to the car, Ashley whispered to me, “He wasn’t going to leave without making sure we were okay. He’s always been the worrywart.”

I couldn’t bring myself to reply, the weight of everything pressing down on me. As we drove in silence, the tension between Gray and me hung heavy in my mind. What had just happened?

We walked out into the cool night air, and the sound of the club’s bass faded behind us. The car ride was quiet, save for the occasional soft hum of the engine and the distant chatter on the streets. As we climbed into the backseat, I felt a sense of relief wash over me, the quiet of the car felt oppressive, and as the city lights blurred past us. I leaned back against the cool leather seat, trying to ease the tightness in my chest. I slowly wound the window down, feeling the night air brush my face and ease the heat building inside me.