32. Helen
Chapter 32
Helen
“I look ridiculous,” I whined as I looked in the mirror at the high-waisted jeans and dark blue flowery top.
“Jeans can stay. They look stunning,” Lizzy replied. “But I agree. The top looks good, but not for tonight.”
I huffed out a sigh. “Can’t we forget about tonight?”
“No, you said you’d come to this club opening. We have VIP tickets.”
“I’m not feeling it. It’s been the worst month.”
“I know, sweetie, which is why we’re going. You need shots, dancing and to forget about everything.”
I slumped to the floor of the dressing room, Lizzy sitting next to me. “Do you know it’s been a month since Thomas died? I mean, we've not even had a funeral for him yet. When we first found out I was convinced he’d faked his own death.” I rolled my eyes at my stupidity. “And then there was Jax. I believed that this man could want someone like me.” I let my head fall against the wall and closed my eyes, fighting to hold back the tears. “I thought I didn’t know myself when Gary and I got divorced, but now I feel like I don’t know myself and I can’t trust myself.”
She took my hand in hers. “You lost a friend, and you were looking for alternatives to the horrible way he died. That’s not a bad thing. I think, in terms of grief, it’s probably normal. And Jax was a lying prick who didn’t deserve you.”
“I miss him,” I whispered. “Both of them. I’m so sick of hurting.”
“I know, so let’s go out tonight. Have some fun. Leave all this shit in the past.”
“Do I have to wear these jeans?”
She chuckled as I rolled my head to look at her. “Yes, they look hot as hell around your curves, but I’ll find you something else to wear on top. We want you looking drop-dead gorgeous tonight, so you can show Jax Cartwright what he’s missing.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure he’d care.”
“Twit twooo,” Vee laughed out as she walked around me, taking me in from all angles. “I feel like we created a monster… a hot, curvy, beautiful monster. You look hot as hell, Helen.”
I blushed, batting her away as I took a shot off the table and knocked it back, the burn sliding down my throat making me grimace.
“And now she’s back… our boxtroll,” Becks joked as she took in my expression.
I stuck out my tongue, grateful that my friends were here. “Thank you all for taking care of me since Jax broke my heart. I really do appreciate you all.”
Lizzy topped up my glass and handed out the other drinks so everyone had one. “To forgetting about the assholes, getting horribly drunk, and making bad decisions.”
We clinked our glasses together before knocking back the lemony drink, Becks coughing loudly as she swallowed hers. “Gross,” she cried, shaking her head, making us all laugh.
“Come on, our ride is outside,” Vee announced, staring down at her phone.
They all left as I locked the door and as I turned, they all stood at the end of my driveway, grinning, while a bright pink limo sat idling in the road.
“What did you do?” I asked, wide eyed.
“Well, you look like a rock chick, so we thought you deserved to travel in style,” Vee informed me.
“And we wanted to make you smile again. We hate how sad you’ve been,” Becks added.
I grinned at them, feeling the love they were showering me with.
Lizzy wrapped her arm through mine and led me to the car. “And there it is. Now come on, he’s taking the scenic route to the club so we can stick our heads through the sunroof and pretend we’re twenty again.”
Forty-five minutes and a bottle of Prosecco later, we pulled up outside the club. Stepping out, I glanced down at my outfit, running my hands over my leather-look trousers Lizzy made me swap the jeans for, regretting my red sparkly top and matching shoes she also made me buy for tonight.
Vee handed me my purse. “You look stunning. Now come on.”
We bypassed the long queue because of our apparent VIP status and gave our names to the bouncer who ticked us off a list before he lifted the rope. As I was about to step inside behind my friends, my phone rang. When I saw who it was, I signalled to Becks that I would follow them in.
I answered and a familiar voice said my name, bringing down the fabric of my reality with a resounding crash.