Luna Awakening

Crashed party

Aria's POV

"Chloe. I hate that I'm a fvcking sidepiece." Her eyes narrow in on me and I can see the confusion in them.

"What could you possibly mean by that?" She draws in closer.

I catch my breath. "This is all Lucien's fault. He uses my ideas to please his brat of a girlfriend. He calls my ideas brilliant, great; you name it. My taste for high-class fashion impressive, but only when it has to do with her."

My whole body is coursing with anger at this point, my veins twitching, my heart pounding so hard in my chest. My feelings for Lucien might cost me a lot this time, but I couldn’t care less. Chloe’s eyes are filled with sympathy; she takes my hands into hers.

"Oh my God, Aria. I'm so sorry, I had no idea Lucien would ever do that to you." I try to lock in my anger, but it only grows worse. I can’t really tell if it’s the intoxication of the alcohol that keeps fueling it. My eyes steal a glimpse of Lucien with Mara and that infuriates me even more. I squeeze Chloe’s hands, forcing her attention to stay on me.

"That’s not all you know. That birthday dress she has on. I point in Mara’s direction, shifting Chloe’s focus to the dress. "Guess whose idea that was?" Chloe’s face wears a puzzled look, but I don’t allow her to say a thing before voicing out again.

"Me. The purse, guess who? And if you’re thinking it’s me, yes, you are correct. It’s all me. Everything was my idea all along." I slam my fist repeatedly onto the table.

It makes a sound that captures a few people. They flash both of us scrutinizing looks. But I couldn’t care less what is going through their minds at the moment.

Chloe grabs hold of my hand, trying to get me to stop. "Take a chill pill, Aria. Everyone is staring," she says, her voice low and rushed.

"I can’t take a chill pill, Chloe. I feel like an endless fountain of ideas that he taps from whenever he runs out of ways to impress his so-called girlfriend." My hands curl up against my face in a frustrated gesture, like I could strangle the surrounding air around me.

"And the truth is that I let him. Jeez, I always fvcking let him, because of my stupid..." I break off midway, scared that I might spill the secret about my feelings. I take a deep breath, eyes closed, and as they flicker back open, I sight a waiter serving a tray containing glasses of whiskey. I snatch a glass from the tray.

I gulp it all down, dodging Chloe’s protest to take the drink from me. She manages to grab hold of the empty glass. "Oh no, you don’t. You can’t have any more drinks, Aria."

I rise to my feet, trying to help myself to another drink. Suddenly, my distaste for consuming alcohol has long gone, and I want more of it. Chloe steps in front of me, blocking me from taking another step.

"No more drinks, Aria. Not another this time. Anger and alcohol aren’t a very nice combo."

I rub against my temple in frustration. My head is pounding, and I can hear the thumping sound of my heart. I feel wasted. Is this what love looks like? Every time I think about it, I only wish Lucien could see how much I’ve grown to love him, wish he could be mine. A drop of tear trickles from the corner of my eye, rolling down my cheek. I dab the corner clean.

My mind flashes back to all the sacrifices I’ve made for him in the past. My heart hurts, it hurts so badly that he might never know my reasons for doing such. I glance at Chloe; I know she can see my frustration right through me.

"Chloe," I say, my hands cupping hers in mine. "I don’t want to be a middleman anymore. I can’t be a shortcut for Lucien to go about impressing Mara. I just can’t do it anymore." My voice catches a sob while my eyes close shut.

By the time they are open, I feel dizzy. My legs suddenly feel wobbly, I try to keep my balance but end up tugging hard on the table carrying the champagne tower, sending the entire thing crashing to the ground.

The sound of shattering glass fills the air. Gasps cut through the room. I shake my head in a bid to clear off the hazy feeling inside. My eyes snap shut, the room erupts into more gasps, and people start whispering.

"Aria!" I hear Chloe scream at the top of her voice. The hall suddenly observes pin-drop silence. I can feel my head spinning while I tug harder on the table, my whole weight resting on it for support, preventing me from falling flat on my face.

"Aria..." Lucien’s voice cuts through the air. Chloe and Lucien close in on me in time. Lucien takes me into his arms. I’m too weak to give any response. My hands dangle in midair, weightless, as if lifeless.

"Oh my God. My champagne tower; it’s all ruined," Mara cries out in frustration.

"What happened to her?" Lucien questions Chloe.

"She had a lot to drink, Alpha Lucien. I feel that’s why she passed out."

"She’s drunk," I hear Mara’s voice once more, and then she scoffs. "That’s it. She ruined my party, and now she’ll just pretend as though she is drunk. That’s really it."

I wish she could just stop her whining already.

"Mara, this is not the time for all this. You can see she is not herself," I hear Lucien protest against her complaints. Suddenly, I feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Please, Alpha Lucien, we need to hurry." I can sense the fear in Chloe’s voice as she pleads.

Lucien readjusts me in his arms and rushes through the crowd.

"Aria, Aria, what happened to her?" Mum’s voice pierces through the air, curious and troubled as she closes in on us.

"Aria. Is she alright?" Dad also asks, making his way toward us.

"We need to get her home. She is feeling nauseous," Lucien says, not slowing down for a second.

As we get into the car, I hear Chloe’s voice. "Hang in there, Aria, you’ll be alright," her tone is subtle, and the other voices I hear in the background start to grow faint.

I slowly fall into a trance of haziness. Even the sound of the engine starts to fade out in my mind, and as I slowly black out, I hear Lucien’s voice last, rimmed with distress.

"Hang in there, Aria, stay with me. You’ll be just fine," he utters before I slowly black out.