Chapter 2 - A Blissful Trance

SCARLETT

It’s just before 10 p.m., and the party is still in full swing. The room is buzzing, and the adults left, so we can the hall all to ourselves. Reed’s friends also arrived a few hours ago, and they are catching up and having just as much fun. As for my friends and I, the champagne has added a pleasant buzz to our laughter and conversation.

“Thank you!” I raise my voice over the music as I express my gratitude to one of the staff members who’s gathering the last of the presents to take them to my room.

“Come, I want to dance,” Ollie declares, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the center of the stage, and Lexi, ever the accomplice, signals the DJ to crank up the music.

The hall, with its soundproof walls, allows us to dance freely, disturbing no one outside. "May I have this dance!" Ollie calls out to me over the music again as we get to the center stage and she doesn't have to ask twice.

I start moving and she falls into rhythm, the sound drowning our laughter as we lose ourselves to the beat. But I keep stumbling and I realize I have to do something about these shoes because the strain on my feet is killing me as tipsy as I am. The dancing is too good to be interrupted, but I need a break from these heels.

I lean into Ollie’s ear and tell her I'm going to quickly run upstairs to change into my slippers. She raises her thumb, still swaying her hips as she sips from her glass. And I head out and make a beeline to my room.

Pushing the door open, I stumble inside and quickly change into my slippers, letting out a breath at the newfound comfort. We have no plans to go to sleep and it's time I get comfortable.

Satisfied, I head towards the door, ready to return to the party, when the sudden urge to pee interrupts my course. I turn around, heading towards the bathroom, and as I enter, the familiar creak of my bedroom door catches my attention. Ollie must have followed me.

After washing my hands, I take a moment in front of the mirror to give myself a few touch-ups and I head out, ready to ask Ollie if she wants to change her shoes too. But my words freeze in my mouth as I step into the room. It’s not Ollie sitting on my bed; it’s Reed.

“Hey,” I say, my eyes instinctively trailing to what he has in his hands, and he jokes about me having spent all my energy already. I laugh and I assure him that’s not the case, sensing a subtle tension in the air.

“What’s this?” I quickly ask and he says it’s another gift for me, one he wanted to give when we’re alone, and my eyes widen with anticipation. “Oh,” I whisper as he steps closer, handing me a small bag. I take it, feeling the weight of a little square box inside as I shake it.

Opening it, I let out a gasp as I come across a diamond necklace inside the flat box. “Are these real diamonds?” I breathlessly ask, and Reed chuckles, saying he hopes so as I look up at him before collapsing into his arms in awe of the exquisite piece of jewelry. “Thank you,” I whisper, and we linger in the hug while he replies with a warm, “You’re welcome.”

However, as I mention how beautiful the necklace is, he adds, “Just like you.” And the way he says it sends an unfamiliar shiver down my spine. There’s something different in his tone, something that resonates in a way his compliments never did before, causing me to scramble out of the hug. But we remain in a moment of silence, locked in each other’s eyes as the atmosphere shifts, unable to shake the lingering tension between us.

“May I?” Reed breathes, gesturing towards the necklace and I give him a soft nod before handing it over. “Please turn around for me,” he asks, and I giggle “Of course," trying to shake off the cheek-heating tension. However, the cool touch of the diamond and the sensation of his warm fingers brushing against my skin as he sweeps my hair to one side makes me shudder. What is wrong with me?

“Perfect,” Reed whispers against my ear before fixing my hair, his touch lingering a moment longer and I breathlessly mutter a thank you before slowly turning to face him.

Our eyes lock again as I reach for the diamond, his filled with an emotion I can't decipher but has my breath coming out in shallow gasps and before we realize it, we have begun leaning into each other. But just as our lips are about to meet, a sudden knock on the door shatters the blissful trance.

Our eyes snap toward the door to lock with my mother's and the intensity of the moment dissipates as quickly as it came, leaving behind an awkward awareness. I clear my throat, attempting to dispel the tension, and my mom smiles.

“Am I interrupting something?” she teases, eyeing us playfully and I stammer out a no, exchanging a glance with Reed, both of us caught in the crossfire of a moment we never saw coming.

My mom steps into the room, saying she came to check on me before going to bed and begins to talk about the party, the guests, and the presents, unknowingly giving Reed and me a chance to regain our composure. On that note, Reed asks to be excused and bids my mother good night. Mom reciprocates and he leaves after saying he'll see me downstairs, leaving me standing there, asking myself what the hell just happened.