23. Violet
TWENTY-THREE
VIOLET
It’s the night before Everleigh leaves to head home for winter break. Her parents are a couple hours away, and it’ll be a drive for her, but she’s looking forward to getting away and putting more distance between her and Tristan. Unfortunately, he’s one-sixth of our friend group, which means there are times we’re all together. Like tonight.
All of us, minus Sylvia, are at Lucy’s. Olive is here, too. It’s our end-of-the-semester celebration as a group before we go our different ways for a few weeks.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” I admit to Everleigh over drinks at the bar. It’s less congested than normal since a lot of students wasted no time leaving campus.
Everleigh pulls me into a side hug and squeezes me. “I’m so glad we’ve had the chance to bond these last few weeks. It’s made things easier.” She means her break up with Tristan. As much as she likes to play it off that she’s not bothered by it anymore, I know she is. She’s longed for a meaningful relationship ever since I’ve known her, and she put so much time and effort into the one she had with Tristan just for him to push her to the side.
Now isn’t much better, not when we can see him on the dance floor, flirting and groping a leggy blonde in a halter top two sizes too small.
“I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do without you.” That’s not a lie. “This stuff with Colson would have been grueling without you around.”
Olive, who’s on the other side of me, butts into the conversation. I don’t mind. I like having her around. It’s making the fact that Everleigh is leaving easier. “When was the last time you talked to him?” my sister asks, her gaze swinging from the dance floor to our drinks on the bar top. She hasn’t had any alcohol tonight, and I plan to keep it that way since, last time I checked, she was taking antidepressants.
I’ve kept her in the loop where Colson is concerned, texting her with the latest updates. I’ve leaned on Sebastian and Everleigh, too, and it’s been one of the smartest things I could’ve done, especially after the situation with my dad.
It’s so much harder keeping things to yourself when you don’t need to. I learned that lesson the hard way. In such a short amount of time, I’ve done a complete one-eighty in how I operate. All because of Colson but also because this feels better than what I put myself through for months keeping Dad’s infidelity a secret.
“Not since the night his mom was laid to rest.”
Olive blows her fringed brown bangs out of her face. She has her hair pulled back, but they’re too short to fit into the ponytail or stay tucked behind her ears. They give off these Zooey Deschanel vibes, and I’m here for it. “I don’t get why he’s being so difficult about it. If he likes you, why not lean on you for support?”
“Some people have a hard time doing that,” I tell her, giving her a glance that hopefully reminds her that I was no different just a few weeks ago.
“Yeah, well, I guess you two are a match made in Heaven then.”
“We’re not together anymore,” I remind her, pretending like it isn’t a shock to my system every time I think or speak about it.
Everleigh frowns and sips on her straw. “I hate that it has to be this way for you guys. You two were so good together. I mean, I wasn’t even with you half the time, but I could definitely feel it whenever he spent the night and would hang around even if it was primarily in your bedroom.”
I felt it, too. How right we were for each other. But then it all went up in flames. I’m learning that death makes a person reevaluate everything in life. It causes wedges. Massive craters the size of the Grand Canyon.
“Sorry,” Everleigh apologizes with a sad tone when I don’t reply. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I should keep my trap shut.”
“Believe me.” I huff out somewhat of a laugh. “Nothing you say is going to make me feel any worse than I already do.”
“Which is why we need to party it up,” Olive declares, lifting her arms and shaking her shoulders. “Do you know how hot we are? There has to be a couple of guys who want to show us a good time. Maybe buy ya girl an alcoholic bev-er-age .”
I give her a look. “I said you could come with us if you didn’t nag about booze.”
We both know I would’ve let her come regardless.
She waves her hand in my face. “Fine, fine.” She looks over at Everleigh. “She’s killing my vibe. We need to loosen her up. Shimmy those titties and get that bartender over here so this one can knock back a shot or ten.”
My friend cackles as if I’m not sitting next to her. “I think I’m in love with your sister.”
“While I think you’re absolutely gorgeous,” Olive compliments, “I’m definitely in it for the dick.”
“Olive!” I shriek.
“What?” She smirks. “I’m just saying. I’m flattered but also no thank you.”
“Please ignore her,” I say to my friend as I feel someone come up behind me.
Sebastian’s voice falls over my shoulder. He reaches forward, grabs one of the waters on the bar top, and chugs it. “Who are we ignoring?”
“Apparently me,” coos Olive, visibly gawking at Sebastian like it’s no issue at all that she’s checking him out. I’ve never seen her flirt as hard as I have tonight. It’s actually kind of entertaining. That, and I know Sebastian isn’t about to cross that line. “Want to take me out there and show me how to get jiggy, Sebby?”
Everleigh catches my eye, a smirk testing the corner of her lips as she mouths, “ Sebby ?”
“Ah sorry, Olive. I’m all danced out. I was just coming over for a bit of a break. Pretty sure Webber wouldn’t mind if you interrupted him, though,” he taunts back in jest.
She nearly gags. “Ew.” Then she realizes Sebastian is just trying to rile her. “That was wrong on so many levels.”
He cracks a cheeky grin. “Sorry. Had to after you pulled the ‘Sebby’ bit.” He shudders. “Never say that out loud again.” His hand settles on my shoulder, and he squeezes. Ever since things have gone awry with Colson, he’s gone the extra mile in checking in with me when he’s around. “You good, Vi?”
“I’d be better if this one didn’t always have something outlandish coming out of her mouth.” It’s true. My sister has been on another level since she arrived. I’m not sure if I should be happy about it or concerned. Instead of worrying, I’ve opted for going with the flow and not putting too much thought into it. I trust that if something was up with her, she’d tell me.
“Afraid I can’t help you with that.”
I softly press my elbow into his ribs. “Shame,” I joke lightly.
“Man, you don’t want to know how handsy some of those girls are getting. The second you step away, they pull you back in for more. One even pulled the invisible rope move out of her back pocket.”
Everleigh lifts her brow at him. “I hardly think that’s a problem for you guys.”
“It’s a problem when I need to get the fuck away because my throat feels like an overcooked piece of chicken.”
She looks out into the club’s dance floor, ignoring Sebastian’s odd analogy. “Tristan and Webber don’t seem to be having an issue with it. You being a softie tonight, Seb?”
He gives that lazy grin of his. The one that has my sister looking at him like he’s a delicious red apple. Too bad he’s dangling from the Tree of Knowledge and is off limits. “If you want to talk dirty, Ev, just give me the heads up, and I’ll pluck softie right out of that vocabulary of yours. Show you exactly what it means to be hard.”
She smacks him in the chest with a flush on her cheeks.
All of us laugh.
The three of us girls head out to the dance floor and move with the music after that. We dance to songs like Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’” in Love and Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl” . The air is extra warm even with the overhead fans misting us with water. Sweat coats my skin under the knotted crop top I’m wearing. My free-falling hair swishes over my shoulders. And my body feels more and more weightless with each song change.
I grind back into Everleigh, ignoring the few guys who linger close behind. Olive eventually grips one by the collar and drags him over to dance with us. He’s respectful with his hand placement. I’m enjoying how carefree it feels to wiggle my hips and let my hair fall back.
We spend what feels like forever like that. Just letting loose and having a blast until we’re like Sebastian and need to break away from the crowd to replenish our energy. I switch to water after downing a shot with Everleigh, and we spend more time out on the floor. The guys do their own thing, too.
We allow for distance between us, and I think it’s important we do it. It’s been an eventful semester. Two breakups in our group. Another friend who has distanced herself so much that I’m not sure how to help her. It’s clear, more than ever, that we need this night. To unwind and be free.
Our time at Lucy’s ends not much later. The DJ calls out the last set list. We decide to wind down and head out before it’s closing time, and it’s a pain in the ass to get out the door. We head out as a group, Everleigh on one side, Tristan on the other. Sebastian’s arm is slung over Olive’s shoulder, and she laughs at something he says. Somewhere through the night, her eyes switched from lovey-dovey to something calmer with him. Like friendship. And I can understand why. Sebastian is an easy person to connect with. It’s so uncomplicated falling in sync with him. To talk to him and feel like you’re being heard. He has this natural ability to make everyone around him feel important.
We form a circle out on the sidewalk to figure out our plans. Webber looks down at his watch, and I already know he’s not ready to call it a night. “I know a dude from my Econ class that’s having a rager tonight. Anyone down?”
Tristan’s finger immediately shoots up. “You know I’m always in.”
I feel the invisible dig in his words as it rides the breeze like a wave and crashes into Everleigh. Always being out and not prioritizing his relationship with her is part of the reason she ended it with him.
Webber’s eyes turn to Sebastian in question. “What about you?”
Sebastian checks his phone and sucks air through his teeth. “It’s still early. Fuck. Okay, fine.”
It’s nearly midnight, but the guys always have an easier time pushing the limits than us girls.
Olive nudges my arm. “Are we going?”
“Not tonight, sis.”
For a second I think she’s going to complain, but then she nods. “I’m kind of tired, anyway.”
“Same,” says Ev. “You guys have fun.”
The guys hail down a cab for us, and we squeeze into the back seat. We ride the short distance to Spring Meadows. Everleigh slips the driver some cash, and we file out of the back. We’re relatively quiet as we head for the main entrance, Everleigh already prepared to swipe her keycard. She mistakenly drops it on the ground, and when she bends to retrieve it, I spot movement out of the corner of my eye.
It immediately puts me on edge.
Spring Meadows is only a couple blocks from campus, and security around Chatham Hills is always top notch.
Cigarette smoke wafts over to us, and for some reason, my brain links it to the guy with tattoos up down his arms and dark hair that approached Colson.
A bad feeling swoops low in my stomach. The door beeps, letting me know that Everleigh finally scans her card for access. The shape I thought I saw out of the corner of my eye walks out of the shadows, a tiny orange glow at the brightest point of it.
And I just know it’s him.
I can’t explain how I know, but it winds through my body and settles low in my gut. It amps up my heart rate and causes the slick of sweat that appeared on my back at the club to return.
I look over my shoulder to see Everleigh and Olive holding the door open for me, not at all concerned about the strange guy coming out of the shadows so late at night. But maybe that’s because they haven’t seen him yet.
“Vi? You coming?” Olive asks over her shoulder.
I don’t know what to tell her, but suddenly it’s as if I’m being tugged in two directions. Maybe neither of them mean for it to happen that way, but it’s like I’m divided, in a bind over staying with Stranger Guy or following my sister and friend up to our safe apartment.
“Violet?” My sister’s voice rings in my ears, and I decide on telling them that I’ll be a minute since I have a visitor.
“It’s late. And dark,” she points out.
“I know, but it’s safe. I promise.”
“It really is,” Everleigh adds, backing me up. “Campus security is always circling the first couple surrounding blocks.”
“I don’t know.” Olive's gaze cuts to the side, finally catching sight of the guy who makes himself more known by taking a couple steps closer. He clears his throat, and in a low voice, she says, “I don’t like this, Vi. It’s giving me bad vibes.”
“It’s fine.”
Her tone remains low, like she doesn’t want Stranger Guy hearing her. “Do you even know him?”
“Yes, he’s, uh, Colson’s friend,” I reassure her even though I’m lying through my teeth. I don’t know Stranger Guy at all, but what I do know is that he’s connected to Colson, and it’s been far too long since I’ve heard from him. “You want to stay with me?”
She said she was tired at Lucy’s not even twenty minutes ago, so taking a walk with me after midnight isn’t at all what she’s interested in. I know her answer as soon as she looks past my head and takes in the dark sky.
“You better not be lying to me. How long are you going to be? I’ll wait up.”
“I don’t know, but I’ll be up soon.”
She sighs. “I swear to God, you better come up. If you disappear, I will beat you into a grave when the search team finds you.”
I give her a soft smile. “I love you. Be up soon.”
They give me one last glance before the door clicks shut, and I watch them disappear into the apartment building’s foyer. When they wrap around the bend in the hall where the elevators are located, I turn back to the man in the shadows illuminated by the soft glow of a cigarette.