2: Single And Clubbing


    Addison


    That night, after Marco and Aisha introduced all their friends together— seventeen in total, someone suggested that we all hit the club to have some fun. They all sat in twos since everyone came with a date, except me.


    “Sounds like a good idea, however, Addi might not wannae, that’s not her scene. Addi is undoubtedly the most boring person out of everyone gathered here, and despite trying hard to help improve her social life in the past, it hasn’t improved much.” Marco spoke up from his spot in the middle of the room and I blushed furiously as everyone turned to stare at me.


    “That’s in the past, Marco. Clubs are my scene now, and my social life is fine, thank you very much.” I forced myself to respond and I was d that my voice was stable this time.


    Damn Marco and his dumb jokes!


    “Are you sure?” He asked before everyone again and I nodded firmly, refusing to drop my gaze despite feeling flustered underneath his gaze.


    “Club it is then! Everyone, go get ready!” He called out with an enthusiastic p while everyone went off to get ready.


    ~~~


    I was dressed in a short jumpsuit. It was loose around the hips andfortable, and I paired it with afortable pair of converse. I realized my mistake when I came out and realized every other girl was dressed in daring dresses and tall heels.


    The only heels I packed was for the wedding ceremony itself!


    I didn’t go back to change because I didn’t have anything more ttering to wear to a club. When Marco passed me, he called my outfit ‘cute’, and I instantly felt mortified.


    I want him to see me as attractive, hot or sexy… and not cute.


    But I actually wasn’t supposed to want him to see me as anything— since I was supposed to be working on getting over him.


    Ugh.


    I rode to the club with one of the couples— Nathan and his cherry girlfriend named Lisa, and they were surprisingly a very greatpany… till they brought up my dating history with Marco.


    And I spent the rest of the ride feeling annoyed till we arrived at the club.


    In the club, I wanted to leave shortly after we got there.


    Everywhere was too loud and too tight, and I felt incredibly alone and left out, because everyone had a partner except me.


    The drink that got handed to me by one of Marco’s friends smells horrible but I knocked it back anyway. As everyone danced around me, I awkwardly stood around before slipping through the crowd till I was at the back.


    Despite being at the back, I watched everyone happily dance with their partners, looking so in love or lust drunk.


    Marco and Aisha were rocking each other seductively, their eyes closed and they looked so perfect together as they swayed. As I watched Marco’s hands dragged over Aisha’s waist and stomach to lightly graze over her boobs, then wrap around her throat, I forced myself to nce away before the lurch of jealousy within me ended up tearing out of my chest.


    “Damn, you gonna squeeze the poor red cup to death?” A voice drawled beside me and I whirled around, gaping at the grinning stranger who wagged his brows at me as he leaned down to speak against my ear cause it was loud around us.


    “That’s your man? Someone you’re pining for? Or someone you once had but lost?” The man drawled and I stiffened as it felt like I got doused with cold water.


    Was that how I looked like to him?


    Fuck.


    That was a big problem, because to everyone who sees me, I’m supposed to look like I’ve gotten over him or never had a thing with him to begin with, and not like I desire him.


    I raked my hand through my hair, feeling embarrassed at being so obvious, while I focused on the stranger again.


    “None of that, just here to have fun.” I responded as I made a show of sipping on the horrible alcohol.


    The stranger leaned close again, his hand settling over my hip.


    “So… what if we have fun together then?”


    I wrinkled my nose as I stared up at him. He didn’t have beautiful, wavy brown hair. He didn’t have eyes that looked like chocte chips. He didn’t—


    My thoughts came to a crash within me on realizing that again, I wasparing this man to Marco.


    My throat suddenly felt tight and I felt so dumb and pitiful, especially on ncing over at the dance floor and catching sight of Marco and Aisha practically making out on the dance floor.


    When I nced over at the stranger, I cleared my throat as I stepped back.


    “I’m not interested, sorry.”


    Before the stranger could respond, I turned away fast and moved through the crowd, heading for the restroom, when what I actually wanted to do was to leavepletely.


    In the restroom, I closely regarded my reflection there, feeling low and unimpressed as usual. I hadrge eyes, a small nose and full lips. My hair was ck in color, and my skin was very pale. My facial features weren’t bad and I wasn’t ugly, but I guess I still wasn’t good enough for Marco, especiallypared to Aisha who looked like a perfect blonde doll.


    Exactly two years ago today, Marco texted me apologizing for the past and asking if we could be friends again. I didn’t forgive him at first cause he hurt me so much by his actions in the past. Surprisingly, he pressed on and begged so much for weeks till I finally forgave him. Then slowly after that, we became friends again. I had stupidly hoped that he wanted to date me again and wanted to use the ‘friendship’ as a stepping stone. But that hadn’t been the case at all because he was apparently still with Aisha then.


    And so far, seeing Marco and his fiancee together wasn’t really helping my feelings much like I had hoped. Because I had convinced myself that attending this wedding would finally help me move on from this one side love I still harbor for him.


    Unfortunately, so far, none of this was helping. Instead, I was still very much in love with him.


    A dejected sigh left my throat.


    I really shouldn’t havee to this wedding.


    I was leaving the bathroom when my breath hitched at the sight of Marco waiting right outside.


    “Addi?”


    My heartbeat elerated and my brain began to make up different scenarios of him pinning me against the wall right now in order to kiss me passionately…


    The train of thought instantly ended as soon as I noticed the man standing beside him and that was when I realized he had an arm slung over the dude‘s shoulder.


    “What do you think of him?” He asked as he grinned down at me, eyes twinkling and I frowned in confusion.


    “Huh?”


    “For you to mingle with, duh. That’s better than you being the only one without a date in our group.”


    I sighed as I pushed my hair out of my face, feeling embarrassed to the core.


    “Marco, thank you very much, but I have a boyfriend and don’t want to mingle with a stranger.” I mumbled and the stranger rolled his eyes at me.


    “You’re not even my type.” He rudely announced before leaving and I bristled with anger as I asked him to go fuck himself.


    “Were you being serious? You really have a boyfriend?” Marco asked, pulling my attention back to himself and when I nodded, he frowned as he stepped closer, making my heart stutter a little.


    “Who is he?”


    I folded my arms, wishing we could end this conversation already.


    “You don’t know him.” I responded tly.


    “I don’t know why, but I find it hard to believe that you have a boyfriend.” He pointed out slowly and I flushed, feeling thoroughly insulted and mortified.


    “Why? Because you still believe that I’m yet to get over you?” I snapped in irritation and he sighed.


    “You know what I mean, Addi. You might still have a little feelings for me, and there’s no shame there.”


    A scowl settled on my face. “But I don’t have any feelings whatsoever for you. That’s all in the past, why do you keep bringing that up?”


    He shrugged. “I don’t know… You told me you now love to club, yet tonight you were awkward as hell back in on the dance floor, and you barely drank. Which means you lied, and what’s the odds that you’re not lying about having a boyfriend andpletely getting over me?”


    My cheeks burned furiously at being called out and I folded my arms and held my head up. “I guess I’m just not in the mood to party tonight, and I’m here because I want to support your wedding. If I was still in love with you, I definitely wouldn’t be here right now. Stop being a dummy, Marco.”


    I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly as I spoke while waving him off.


    He silently regarded me for a moment then his eyes wandered around before focusing on a man at the far end of the hallway we’re currently speaking in.


    “I dare you to go kiss that guy.” He dared, eyes gleaming and I frowned at him.


    “What? Why would I do that? I have a boyfriend and that’s technically cheating,”


    He rolled his eyes. “But it won’t hurt your make believe boyfriend. It’s just a kiss.”


    Having had enough, I grabbed his hand and dragged him outside the club where I red at him.


    “What is your problem?” I demanded and he shrugged as he pocketed his arms.


    “I’m just trying to help you move on from me. How is that a bad thing?” He asked and this time, I was too angry to blush or feel hot all over.


    “You’re so ridiculous and delusional, Marco. We’re now friends. Why the fuck would I still be into you?” I demanded frustratedly, ring up at him.


    I didn’t notice Aishaing out till she stepped between us and roughly shoved at my chest till I stumbled.


    “Some social distance, please.” She snapped as she pressed up against her fiance while ring at me.


    “Please don’t dare entertain any funny thoughts.” She said in a sharp voice and I stiffened, feeling confused and irritated all over again at the clear implication in her voice.


    “What? I was only here warning your boyfriend to stop trying to hook me up.” I tly informed her but she clearly didn’t believe me, because she didn’t bother to respond and just wordlessly dragged her fiance back into the club.


    As I remained in the same position, I felt hollow all over. This wasn’t how I imagined this wedding vacation going at all.


    And why was Marco still insisting that I still loved him?


    Logically, it made no sense to me, because I try very hard to not appear lovesick around him. Instead of blocking him when he reached out to me years ago, I responded and agreed to forgive him, because I was still head over heels for him.


    And now, I was starting to regret doing that, and also regrettinging here. I should have listened to everyone who advised me againsting to this wretched wedding.


    I turned to head back into the club, because I didn’t even know the way back to the private ind even if I had a car present.


    And so I went back into the club, and sat by the bar this time.


    As the music sted around me, I was content to just watch other people dancing while I slowly lost myself to my thoughts till whenever the couple I rode with decided that they were ready to stop being shameless on the dance floor and finally leave for the ind.


    “What’s a gorgeous little thing doing all by yourself here? And are you always this gloomy in a club?” A deep voice drawled from behind me and I stiffened in shock before turning around, ready to tell the person off because I had no zeal for that at the moment


    However, my breath caught in my throat as I blinked in surprise, my mouth falling open at the sight of the man standing right before me right now.


    It was Zane, my fake boyfriend!


    I instantly recognized that smirk in all his pictures. Although he looked hot in those, in real life, he looked like a literal Greek god. His jaw was so sharp and outlined, his nose was perfect, his eyes were a gorgeous blue and his long hair was ck and in a man-bun, which finished up the sinful look.


    A re ended up settling on my face as I looked him up and down onest time.


    “You’rete.” I stated in an unimpressed tone.


    My eyes were drawn to his face again as he began to speak.


    Indeed those pictures were not good enough because they didn’t do his face any justice at all.


    Who knew he was this… HOT?!


    No wonder Gregg, my best friend, called him Mr. Hot pants.


    “I had a few things to take care of, and I’m sorry for the dy. But now I’m here, and we can finally get this party started.” He drawled, deep voice washing over me as he spoke. I shivered and swallowed emptily when his eyes briefly raked over me, then I cleared my throat.


    I was about to say something when his hand suddenly mped on my wrist, making me almost jump out of my skin as I red up at him.


    “What the—” I began but he cut me off.


    “Is that anyway to wee your boyfriend?” He crooned in a loud, teasing voice and my mouth fell open as I blinked at him in confusion.


    “Your ex is approaching.” He announced quietly and I instantly stiffened, eyes widening from panic.


    “We should act like a couple, quick.” He breathed out fast, lips barely moving and I blinked at him in confusion, my brain short circuiting.


    “Huh?”


    What he meant clicked right after and my heartbeat elerated fast as I rose my feet, blinking up at him as I awkwardly stepped forward to shorten the distance between us.


    From the side of my eyes, I realized that he was right. Marco was indeeding over, weaving through the crowd.


    This is the part where I was supposed to make it believable that I have a rtionship with this man.


    As I exhaled slowly, I awkwardly attempted to shake his hand first, before realizing that a handshake would make our lie very obvious, which prompted me to go in for a light hug.


    However,rge hands settled over my waist, and I was firmly being pulled right into his wide chest, knocking a startled squeal from my throat, which was mostly drowned out by the music around us.


    Before I could recover from the sudden close proximity or get a word out, Zane was leaning down and capturing my mouth with his.


    My eyes widened and my brain short circuited. I couldn’t breathe and my knees wobbled, just as Marco’ voice echoed from my side.


    “W- hat the…? The fuck? what’s happening?!” He sounded not only bewildered, but shocked and very confused.


    This handsome devil still didn’t break the kiss, nor did his hold on my waist loosened. I was forced to let my eyes fall close from feeling too flustered, then a small tremor glided down my spine as his lips briefly moved over mine.


    When the kiss finally broke, I was gasping for air and staring up at Zane with my cheeks ming and my heart racing fast.


    Marco’s voice pulled me to the present and I turned around when he sharply called my name.


    Marco had a stoney expression on, as he looked between me and my fake boyfriend.


    “Addison, w- why are you kissing my… brother?” He demanded, sounding lost, confused, and furious, his eyes filled with shock as he kept looking between us.


    My eyes turned into saucers as an immense amount of shock engulfed me at once.


    “W- what?!”