Playing Heart Games

Level 48: Hate Yourself

AXEL

Fifteen minutes earlier

Dear Violet,

I wish you were here.

Love,

Axel

I glanced up from my phone. The glass wall opposite where I sat looked out at the garden, and the bodies dancing within it. Brielle had rented out this mansion for the 'get to know Axel's friends party'. There were hundreds of people—filling the living room, the garden, the pools.

I didn't give a sh*t about any of them. I knew the names of maybe five people at this entire party.

"You okay?"

Asher stood on the other side of the kitchen island, watching me.

I forced a smile. "I'm fine."

Pretending I was happy was becoming exhausting. I didn't know how I'd done it before Violet.

Asher nodded, scanning the party. He shrunk ever so slightly. "I think I'm going to head home."

"Okay."

He gave me a quick hug before he left.

I stared after him. The hugs had been more frequent since I'd gotten back from rehab. It meant he felt guilty. A prickle of worry ran down my spine.

He'll be fine.

Besides, it wasn't as if I could follow him. Brielle insisted that I stay for the entire party. I couldn't see the point. Besides initiating PDA, she'd left me alone.

A group of girls passed me, releasing a drunk shriek along the lines of 'happy birthday.'

It wasn't my birthday.

I stared at the drinks at the centre of the table, my eyes fixing on a bottle of whisky. I stared at the message on my phone. Still unsent.

The sound of a knock on the glass made me look up. Standing outside was a man in a delivery uniform, hauling a large crate of alcohol. He gestured to a clipboard and a pen.

I scowled. How had he gotten into the garden?

When I didn't move, he knocked on the glass again.

I debated not doing anything, but dealing with Brielle's threats wasn't worth it.

I had to walk through the living room to reach the doors to the garden. People screamed half-drunk congratulations at me as I passed them.

Congratulations for what? Having an evil b*tch for an ex?

When a drunk girl stumbled into me, I wondered why I'd ever liked parties.

"This is a real rager," the delivery man commented as I signed for the drinks. "The girl said I should get the guy with the white hair to sign. Is it your birthday or something?"

Brielle.

It was just like her to screw with me.

"Is that it?" I snapped.

He blinked. "Yeah."

I pushed the trolley inside the house.

The delivery man trailed after me. "Uh...I need the trolley..."

I stopped. "Take it."

I walked away before he could respond. Already, people were moving towards the crates, plucking out bottles.