CAREFULLY CURATED ─── jj maybank

𝒊. 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆

"Bottoms up Sterling," Rafe placed a Mai Tai in my hand and sent a wink my way.

Oh boy, he wasn't subtle at all, was he?

The sweetish drink made its way down my throat before I delicately sucked on the orange cigarette butt. "I hate all of you."

"When's the bonfire this year?" Chris asked completely ignoring my statement, after snaking his hand around my waist. "We should all go together."

Instead of an answer the loud ringtone of my phone filled the atmosphere. Automatically I took a brief look at the lock screen.

Mom

Unwillingly a knot in my stomach appeared. "I'll be right back, it's my mom."

"Tell Mrs. Sterling that she's hot," Rafe and Chris laughed, as I walked away from them.

I rolled my eyes, and stood a few feet away so that they couldn't hear the conversation I was about to have. Cautiously I slid my finger over the phone. "Mom? What's wrong?"

The other end of the line was quiet, yet a lot of static was audible. "Mom?" I repeated myself.

"Sage, where are you?" the tone of voice was more familiar than I'd like to admit, and immediately I knew I had to make my way home.

Quickly I turned around and looked over at the three of them blissfully drinking and laughing. "I'm at the pier right now, Mom."

"Come home, let's have glass of wine together," she drunkenly giggled. "I haven't seen you all day."

An exasperated sigh left my mouth. "I'll be home in a minute Mom." I ended the conversation and made my way back to Hazel, Chris and Rafe.

"Guys, I have to leave," I grabbed my Dior handbag off the floor and took another cigarette out of the pack.

I needed one right now.

Shielding the lighter from the wind, the flame briefly warmed my hand, before a wave of nicotine flooded my body.

"Oh come on Sage," Rafe whined. "The hour isn't over yet."

This time I wasn't up to having a silly little debate. "I'll text you guys. Hazel, you coming?"

Hazel gave me a guilty look, which I'd seen enough times to know exactly what it meant. "It's fine, just text me when you get home."

She mouthed a thank you and mumbled an 'I will'. Chris stood up and made his way toward me, pulling me into a kiss by the back of my head.

He was a good kisser, I had to admit.

Nevertheless, there was no passion in our kisses.

No fireworks or anything.

My mind was always somewhere else when I was with Chris, but that was fine. I didn't need to have fireworks with him, he was a means to an end for me, and I was a means to an end for him.

A win-win, one might say.

He pulled away from the kiss and gave my shoulders a squeeze. "See you later, babe."

"See you later, babe," I answered and walked away, the heels of my Louboutins echoing throughout as they collided with the wood beneath me.

As soon as I got to my car I carelessly threw my bag onto the passenger seat and quickly started the engine.

My freshly manicured hands gripped the beige leather steering wheel of my Porsche as I sped down the streets of Figure Eight at one in the morning. The top was down and my hair flew in the wind, yet nothing about this was enjoyable.