Project Daddy || a.i

Epilogue || Part 2

- Pandora -

"That's a massive fucking ring." Evie comments, her eyes wide in a drunken stupor as she examined the large rock that sits precariously upon my finger, a glittering reminder of my permanent lack of romantic freedom; a binding obligation to Chuck.

We are hidden within a darkened booth, limbs sprawled out in a messy display of our inability to comprehend our limits, and I feel myself slowly becoming one with the shadows that consume me. Sinking deeper and deeper into the feelings I had come here to escape. Alcohol courses through my tainted veins and I am weak, my ability to filter my thoughts quickly diminished.

"I know," I grumble, twisting the weighted band around my finger uncomfortably, unable to relieve the pressure it caused - not only physically but mentally "it's too big, I don't like it."

"I'll take it." She snorts, pouring us some more drinks as I surveyed the sea of bodies before us, drowning the club in noise and sticky liquor. They moved as a uniformed entity to the music playing and I found myself encapsulated by a whirl-wind romance on the dance floor, watching the couples' sensual exchange unravel.

"You can take Chuck as well."

"Ew, no." Evie groaned, placing my drink before me "I'd rather die. Now take a shot with me."

Examining the brimming glass of wine, I raised an eyebrow, pausing to assess the situation before shooting Evie a puzzled glance.

"That's not a shot."

"Anything's a shot if you chug it." She winks, giggling lightly to herself before raising her glass to awaiting lips "Now drink!"

Before I can even grab my glass she has begun, the deep red liquid flowing endlessly down her throat as though a fountain of joy, consuming her body and mingling in her bloodstream - a pleasurable corruption. Eyes clenched shut, she is concentrated, yet, even with minimal chance of succession, I find myself beginning to follow suit.

And as I choke down my sense just as I do my drink, Evie slams her glass down on the table.

"I won!" She exclaims, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before pouring another drink, pushing it lightly towards me "For you."

I shake my head adamantly as I finally finish, my eyes struggling to focus beneath the pulsating lights.

"No."

"Yes."

"Evie-"

"Yes." She grins, tapping her fingers eagerly against the worn table, stained by the memories of nights that were not remembered "I won, so you need to. That's the rules."

"Stupid rules."

"Hey, I didn't make them." She defends, holding her hands up to an invisible force, as though to prove her innocence through mime "I just assert them. Don't hate the player, hate the game."

"I hate both." I grumbled, begrudgingly giving in.

And the drink vanished just as quickly as the night did, leaving me soon sitting alone in a darkened booth, watching Evie dance with an attractive male within the middle of the heated club. Her body moving fluidly with his own. I was jealous and bored and ultimately unamused, fidgeting uncomfortably with my engagement ring as I struggled to keep myself awake.

And I felt eyes watching me from within the confines of the club, predators shadowed by their unspoken desire to get laid. I was trapped by their glares, an easy target, my lips stained with liquor and my booth painfully empty. And an underlying community of support governed the busy dance floor, people looking out for people who just wanted to fuck. It was animalistic, it was frightening, and I just wanted to go home.