035
1067 Words
ISLA
~•~
The next day dragged on slower than usual. I could barely focus on anything because I kept arguing with myself about the party.
About whether or not I should invite Sophia.
Lorenzo said I could. And I wanted to. She was the only friend I had. She was the last atom of normalcy in my life. After the semester was over, I would barely see her anymore. But I was skeptical about letting her step into Lorenzo’s home. Nothing about him was normal. Nothing about him was ever as it seemed.
I tapped my pencil against my desk while deep in thought. Sophia didn’t belong anywhere near that house. She didn’t belong around men who carried guns or in rooms that smelled faintly of blood and whiskey.
Wait. Why was I even considering the party?
I hadn’t agreed to it.
“Isla?”
I looked up to see Sophia smiling at me. “You've been spacing out for more than twenty minutes. The class is over.”
“Oh,” I flipped a page, still distracted. “Just tired.”
She gave me a look that said she didn’t buy it but she let it slide. Instead, she smiled wider. “Your birthday’s next week, right? Don’t tell me you’re planning to spend it alone.”
“Maybe,” I muttered. I didn’t usually spend my birthdays alone. I spent it with my family. They always wanted to throw a party but I never agreed. Now, they were gone.
“Maybe?” She groaned dramatically. Sophia was the kind of person who went all out on her birthdays. “Come on, Isla. It’s your birthday. You can’t act like it’s any other day.” I knew she wanted me to celebrate it because she knew I used to do so with my family. Knowing her, she didn’t want me to be lonely on my birthday. “We could go somewhere–“
“There’ll be a party.” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Telling her I couldn’t go anywhere with her would make her feel bad and there was a very high possibility that the party was going to happen whether I liked it or not. I didn’t want to disappoint her but at the same time, I wasn’t intending to invite her.
Unfortunately, her face lit up instantly. “Oh my God! It’s been too long since I went to a party! What’s the theme?”
I hesitated. She automatically thought she was invited and normally, she would be, but this wasn’t a regular college party. The smartest thing would be to say no, but seeing her excitement made the word die on my tongue. “I don’t know. I’ll update you when I do.”
“That doesn’t matter. The fact that you’re throwing a party is impressive already.”
Before I could respond, a familiar voice interrupted.
“Did someone say party?”
Ryan was leaning against the doorframe. While we were sitting at the front of the class, I didn’t think we were loud enough to be heard, especially over the chatter of the idle students.
His voice was loud enough to fill the room and both Sophia and I watched as he pushed off the frame and strode towards us confidently. Somehow, he always managed to find us. He had been appearing a lot more frequently than he used to but he had been asking me out a lot less frequently. Had he finally decided to lay off on dating me and instead try to be a friend now?
“Do you have super hearing or something?” Sophia questioned, mirroring my mind.
“Lucky timing,” he shrugged, his eyes flickering between us. “So where’s the party, Isla? Or is it invite only?”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said, already regretting mentioning it. I had contemplated inviting Sophia but I didn’t want Ryan anywhere near Lorenzo.
“Sounds like one to me,” Ryan smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll come. I’ll bring a few friends. We’ll make it fun.”
“No.” My voice was sharp.
However, he wasn’t deterred. “Relax, Isla. We’ll behave.”
Sophia laughed, oblivious to my dilemma. “See? The more, the merrier. Let him come, Isla. He might be annoying but it’ll be fun”
“Hear that, Isla. It’ll be fun.”
“She also said you’re annoying.” I pointed out, a last-ditch effort to change the subject and make him forget about the party.
“So am I invited or not?”
All I could think about was Lorenzo’s house. His men. His lifestyle. His ruthlessness. His kind of fun.
Lorenzo had suggested inviting Ryan but I knew that if Ryan showed up, it wouldn't be anything good.
I forced a smile, pretending to consider it. “We’ll see.”
Ryan grinned in satisfaction, as though I’d already consented to his presence. “Good. I’ll bring drinks.”
“You don’t have to bring anything.”
His grin widened. “So I am invited.” He noted. “Sweet.”
I closed my eyes briefly, almost face-palming for falling for that cheap trick.
Sophia laughed and began talking about dresses, hairstyles, and what we should wear. I nodded when appropriate, but her words faded in the background.
It was just one day. Nothing too bad could happen in one night.
Right?
But deep down I didn’t believe that. Not for a second. The last party I’d attended with him ended badly. He had permitted a man to dance with me, knowing how handsy he was, then he waited for me to react before he showed up. The next morning, the man was dead and everyone knew why.
Hopefully, this wasn’t another plot of his to show me off to more of his associates. I wasn’t in the mood to start explaining every part of my life to Sophia.
Sophia was still rambling on about themes and playlists. One would think it was her party instead. Ryan was busy texting someone, likely his so-called friends.
I should have told them not to bother. I should have cancelled everything before it spiraled.
But as I looked at Sophia’s bright smile, I couldn’t say it. Instead, I nodded at her question and lied through my teeth. “Yeah, it’ll be fun.”
- Writer
