4
1033 Words
By the time Lucas’ SUV pulled beneath the grand entrance of the Ashford Grand Hotel, the sky had surrendered to a sea of glittering city lights.
Luxury cars lined the entrance one after another.
Men dressed in tailored suits stepped onto the red carpet while elegantly dressed women followed beside them, their laughter blending with the soft music drifting from inside the ballroom.
Aurora stared through the window.
“…This is a birthday party?”
Lucas unfastened his seatbelt.
“It’s a charity gala.”
“You forgot to mention that.”
“You forgot to ask.”
She turned to him.
“I don’t belong here.”
Lucas looked at her for a brief moment before opening his door.
“You belong wherever you choose to be.”
Aurora sighed.
“You always know what to say.”
“No.”
“You just choose the right time.”
A valet opened Aurora’s door before Lucas offered her his hand.
She accepted it without hesitation.
The moment they stepped onto the red carpet…
Conversations around them gradually slowed.
More than a few guests turned to look at Aurora.
Her silver hair shimmered beneath the lights, while the silver gown seemed to glow with every graceful step she took.
The unusual combination of silver hair and piercing grey eyes made her impossible to ignore.
“Who is she?”
“I’ve never seen her before.”
“Is she a model?”
“She’s gorgeous.”
Aurora leaned closer to Lucas.
“I think they’re staring.”
“They are.”
“That’s making me nervous.”
“They’ll stop.”
“They haven’t.”
Lucas chuckled softly.
“Try pretending they don’t exist.”
She looked at him.
“Does that actually work?”
“For me, yes.”
“I’ll try.”
Inside, crystal chandeliers illuminated the magnificent ballroom.
A live orchestra played near the center of the hall while elegantly dressed guests mingled around beautifully decorated tables.
A waiter approached carrying a tray of champagne.
Aurora reached for one.
Lucas cleared his throat.
She slowly looked at him.
“What?”
“One.”
She smiled innocently.
“I wasn’t planning on drinking much.”
“I know.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m not.”
She laughed before taking a small sip.
For the next hour, the two wandered through the ballroom together.
They sampled desserts.
Talked with a few guests Lucas seemed to know.
Laughed over Aurora’s failed attempt to pronounce the name of an expensive French dessert.
At one point, Lucas even convinced her to dance.
“I don’t dance.”
“You do now.”
“I’ll embarrass myself.”
“I’ll survive.”
She rolled her eyes before placing her hand in his.
A few songs later, both of them were laughing.
“See?” Lucas asked.
“I hate admitting you’re right.”
“I know.”
Before Aurora could reply, Lucas’s phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
The relaxed expression on his face faded slightly.
“I have to take this.”
Aurora looked around.
“I’ll wait here.”
“It shouldn’t take long.”
She nodded.
“I’ll be fine.”
Lucas hesitated.
“Promise you won’t wander off.”
She smiled.
“I promise.”
After one last glance in her direction, Lucas walked toward a quieter hallway.
Aurora watched him disappear before turning back to her seat.
She had barely taken a step when a familiar voice interrupted her.
“Well… if it isn’t Aurora Winters.”
Her smile faded.
Slowly, she turned around.
Standing a few feet away were four people she hadn’t seen since college.
Among them…
Was the man she had once dated.
His arm rested comfortably around the waist of an elegantly dressed woman whose left hand proudly displayed a sparkling diamond ring.
The woman smiled smugly.
“Oh, she actually came.”
One of the former classmates laughed.
“I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Aurora forced a polite smile.
“It’s been a while.”
Her ex looked her up and down.
“I heard you’re still single.”
Before Aurora could answer, the woman beside him lifted her hand.
“We actually got engaged last month.”
The diamond caught the light as she admired it.
“We’re getting married in the spring.”
“Congratulations,” Aurora replied calmly.
Her ex frowned slightly.
“…That’s it?”
She tilted her head.
“Were you expecting something else?”
One of the women folded her arms.
“You know, everyone thought you’d never get over him.”
Another laughed.
“I guess they were right.”
Aurora looked at each of them before letting out a quiet sigh.
“If you’ve all gathered just to discuss my relationship status…”
She picked up a drink from a passing waiter.
“…then your evening must be incredibly boring.”
The smiles on their faces disappeared.
Her ex scoffed.
“You’ve always acted like you were better than everyone else.”
Aurora met his eyes.
“No.”
She took a slow sip from her glass.
“I simply grew up.”
Without waiting for another reply, she turned and walked away.
She didn’t let them see the hurt in her eyes.
She refused to.
Not on her birthday.
Not in front of them.
She wandered toward the quieter side of the ballroom.
One drink became two.
Then three.
The music grew louder.
The lights seemed softer.
The laughter around her blurred into meaningless noise.
She stared into the amber liquid swirling inside her glass.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
Or how many drinks she’d accepted from passing waiters.
The room no longer felt steady beneath her heels.
A small laugh escaped her lips.
“I should… probably stop…”
Instead…
She reached for another glass.
A few minutes later, she wandered out of the ballroom in search of somewhere quieter.
The long hallway stretched endlessly before her.
She blinked, trying to focus.
“I’m… definitely lost.”
Holding onto the wall for balance, Aurora continued walking, completely unaware of the figure approaching from the opposite direction.
- Writer
