Veronica's POV

Alexander's party (a week later)

When Alexander invited me to his party, I was hesitant then I remembered the reason why I should go.

Cocaine.

After everything, this is my only friend.

I have never been to Alexander's house before but it's quite spacious, not as much as Shanice or James' house.

My favorite thing is that I don't know anyone here, besides Alexander.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Alexander asks while I pour another glass of tequila.

"I could enjoy it more..." I say with a playful tone and he immediately understands what I meant.

"Besides cocaine?" he flirts back as he bumps his elbow into mine to grab the tequila bottle.

"No. Don't even try."

I have no desire to ever do anything with Alexander again.

"What happened with your boyfriend?"

I roll my eyes and I ignore his question for a few seconds.

"He isn't my boyfriend," I say through gritted teeth and he shrugs.

"Whatever you two were. I haven't heard from him lately."

"Maybe I should invite him..." he continues and I almost smack him in the face.

"Fuck off," I spit and he laughs.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you Olivia is coming too."

I roll my eyes and I sit on his couch, the only one that isn't occupied by hormonal young people.

"Why would you invite her?"

"She is my friend, kinda." He laughs and I immediately understand what he means by friend, and I also think about Derek being with her... touching her-

Stop, Veronica, get it together.

Alexander searches into his jacket pockets and after countless searches, he throws me two small plastic bags filled with cocaine.

I catch them with my free hand and I smile.

The first genuine smile of tonight.

"Aww, so sweet. The drug addict reunited with her addiction." Olivia jumps on the couch and sits next to me.

I roll my eyes and I look at Alex, he is staring at her deep cleavage and I roll my eyes again.

"This is quite funny, Derek fucked me on a couch too!" she says enthusiastically and I look at her.

She is patiently waiting for me to give her a reaction and I'm not going to give her that pleasure.

"He probably didn't think you were worthy enough for the bed," I say relaxed despite how jealous this situation makes me.

"Oh, no, the complete opposite. He just couldn't wait," she brags and I fail to hide the shift in my mood and she smirks.

"We would have fucked at your home but we figured it would be too mean," she finishes and gives me a fake pout, and without even thinking I just throw my drink at her.

An almost full tequila glass.

Olivia gasps and she stands up furious and I laugh.

She is going to smell like shit for the rest of the night, and frankly, she deserves it.

She comes towards me and she slaps me harshly before I can even process what is her intention. I look at Alex shocked.

I stand up and I push her as hard as I can while my cheek feels like it's burning.

Alexander stands between us and he stops me from slapping her back.

"You ugly bitch," she screams and I laugh.

She can do better than this.

I try to release myself from Alex's hold but he is keeping me tight and Olivia walks away.

I realize everyone was staring at us and it annoys me even more.

"Now I regret that I invited her," Alex admits and I push him away, but shortly after I come back to get the plastic bags I dropped.

Alex follows me as I try to look for a quiet place to snort some cocaine and I turn to him annoyed.

"What?!"

"Come to my room, there aren't many rooms in this house- besides my parents' bedroom."

"Classic move," I spit and he laughs.

"Don't flatter yourself, I never sleep with the same girl twice," he says and it surprises me more than it should.

Once we get to his room, I realize Dominic didn't come to the party, which is quite unusual.

"How come Dominic isn't here?" I ask him.

"They already had a party at Shanice's house."

"Oh." So they just throw separate parties? What's even the point?

What if Olivia leaves and goes to Derek instead...

Suddenly I'm happy she is here.

He lays on his bed and takes off his shirt while I give him a disapproving look.

"What? It's hot here," he excuses himself and I roll my eyes. I sit on the desk chair and I throw the cocaine bags on the desk.

"You still wear that necklace?" Alex questions me and I hide my face, embarrassed.

I didn't take off his gift because I like it and I also couldn't. If I can't talk to him, this is the closest thing I'll have to his presence.

"You are so in love with Derek," he mutters and I turn to him, shocked.

What did he just say?

"Don't look at me like that, it's true."

"I'm not. Not at all. We were just, I don't know- friends with benefits?" I try to excuse myself but I know it's not what we were.

"Bullshit." He laughs in denial and I scoff.

"Prove it." Alex finally speaks up.

"What?"

"Prove me that you aren't in love with Derek."

I puff. He is tripping. Totally tripping. We were just two people sexually attracted to each other, nothing more.

But if it was only that, why do I keep him away? I didn't have any problem fucking random strangers.

My subconscious thinks before I do and I shake my head.

It's not true.

"I don't have to prove anything," I spit and Alex laughs.

"He isn't even worth your attention. That guy is no good," he mutters and I look at him confused. Derek is amazing, too good for me. How could he ever be 'no good'?

"But I guess... it's better for me," he finishes and I stare at him still confused by what he meant earlier.

My eyes accidentally look at Alexander's bare chest but I look back at my cocaine and he chuckles.

I chop the cocaine and I snort the first line, not before taking a last look at Alexander.

"Aren't you gonna try it too?"

"No. I still have a hangover from yesterday," he explains and I sip from my drink.

Cocaine with some tequila, perfect combination.

"I don't understand love," Alexander speaks again after a long silence and I look at him but he is staring at the beige wall.

"There isn't really anything to understand," I murmur and he finally looks at me.

"My parents were never in love. My mom married for money and my dad married for looks," he says and I can feel he is upset, being raised in that kind of environment does make you different, it makes sense.

My family was too good... I ruined everything.

I snort the third line and I get tingles in my body but I try to ignore them as I process what Alexander is talking about.

"I care only about myself, it would be too much heartbreak to think about other people as well," he continues and I give him a sympathetic look despite the euphoria taking over my body.

"I try to be like this, I fail every time," I admit while walking to his bed with my drink in hand, laying down near him.

"We can all tell..." he jokes and I playfully shove him while I lay on the bed near him.

"Don't fall in love, Veronica Reeves. It's going to be the death of you," he says in a dramatic tone and I laugh as the cocaine and tequila take over my mind.

"Oh, don't be dramatic," I say and he chuckles while snatching the drink from my hand.

He gulps it all down and I cross my arms annoyed.

"I wanted to finish that."

"You had cocaine, isn't that enough?!" he teases me and I lay back on the pillow.

The whole room is spinning and his voice sounds farther and farther away.

I quickly sit up as I cough and gag a few times.

Alexander is saying something to me but his words seem confusing and I can't process them.

I stand up quickly and before I can reach the door, I throw up all over the floor.

Alexander is standing behind me and I try to walk again but I'm so lightheaded and confused that I almost trip over the trash can.

He grabs me and helps me stand up but as I let my whole body weight on his, my eyes slowly drift off.

I fall into a deep sleep before I even know it.

~

I slowly open my eyes and I sit up as fast as I can.

Why the fuck am I still in Alexander's room?!

I look around and the sun is already up, the curtains are open and the sunshine is shining through the curtains, hitting my face.

I cover my face annoyed and I look down at my body. I slept in his bed...

He slept in bed with me.

The room still smells of strong tequila and I lift the blanket as I slowly stand up. I have a headache and I'm feeling heavily dehydrated.

I hate myself for combining alcohol with cocaine. It's always the worst but I never learn.

I see my clothes on the floor and I realize in horror I'm not wearing them, I'm not wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday.

I'm in a big t-shirt with some baggy pants and I look at myself horrified...

Do I just not remember anything? Because I can't remember much after I talked to Alexander.

What if- what if we had sex?! Fuck, no. I hope not.

He wasn't even intoxicated, but I was.

The door opens and Alexander is standing there while staring at me.

His hair is messy and he is wearing some boxers, his chest is bare just like yesterday and I stare at him in shock.

"Did- did we sleep together?"

"Yes?" he murmurs and I hate myself. I didn't want this to happen again and I also hate not remembering what I did.

"You threw up and passed out, so I cleaned up the room and changed your clothes," he says and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I meant- did we have sex?" I ask again and he laughs.

"God, I'm not that bad, Veronica. You were passed out," he reassures me and I feel my shoulders relax and my heartbeat slowing down.