Soulmates & Twin Flames

23 - A Drunken Smile

Where am I and what the hell happened?

My sticky eyelashes flutter against each other. I'm blinking, and it seems like the only thing I can do while I try to make sense of the blurry world around me.

A pair of silver-framed glasses are perched on an arched nose and a long face—Dad.

"Abby," I read his lips. The authority he is radiating makes me blink harder. Where is the shy, anxious man I've known my entire life?

"Dad?" My voice sounds weird, as if we're underwater. I reach up to touch the spot under my ear where my jaw meets my skull, then wince in pain.

I'm sitting in a chair. Have I walked here? How? One of my high heels is missing. I kick the other one off too, and take in a deep breath. The carpet isn't as soft as it seemed afterall. Feels like my soles are resting on a bed of cheap, steel dish scrubbers.

The ballroom lights are on, shimmering into my eyes. The party must be over... There's a loud ringing in my ears and people talking in the distance.

Dad's stern face is getting clearer in front of me. I try to focus on his gray eyes as they examine my blues. He gently lifts my chin to inspect my jaw, and ear.

"What happened?" I blurt out. "Is Nate okay?"

"He is with Dean Pitri." Dad nods over his shoulder toward the dance floor. I follow his gaze to the dean and his wife who are huddled around Nate, blocking him from my view. A first aid kit is wide open between them. I grip my chair to stand, but Dad grabs my hands and holds me back. "He'll be fine. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," I reply, fixing my gaze on Nate's shiny black shoes. If only the crowd moved so I could see his face. "Is he... Does he need stitches? Should we take him to the hospital?" I crane my neck to catch a glimpse of him, but a waiter gets in the way this time and bends over to hand Nate a bag of ice.

Move, dude! He doesn't! All I see is the waiter's ass crack.

Great. Now a couple of ladies have joined the group too, and I can't even see Nate's feet.

Is that blood on the floor? "Why isn't anyone calling an ambulance—"

"He's okay, Abby," Dad assures. "We are in a room full of doctors. He doesn't need stitches, but he might need to see a dentist tomorrow."

I let out a sigh of relief and sink back into my seat. My head still feels foggy. Why does my jaw hurt so much? Did Roman... Did he really...hit me? My heart throbs in my chest. It was an accident, right? I swallow hard, licking my dry lips. "Where's... Umm... Is Roman...?"

Dad lowers his head. "I'm not sure. I heard someone say his mom and fiancé took him home."

Before I can nod or say anything, the crowd around Nate clears, and I finally see his swollen face. Without losing another second, I jump up, run to him, and kneel by his side. "Are you okay?" God, please let him be okay...

My fingers gently graze his neck. He is holding an ice pack over one eye, trying to focus on my face with the other. His lower lip is puffed and getting bigger by the second. There's a dark bruise on his cheek, and blood stains around his shirt... But he seems fine...

...until he turns his head and gives me a lopsided grin.

I gasp and cover my mouth. He is missing a front tooth!

"Hey, Abby," he says, sparks dancing in his eyes. "Where were we?" His gaze falls to my lips as he slowly leans in for a kiss. "Ouch! Ow!" Nate jerks back and touches his lip. He's scowling at his fingers as if they're to blame.