"Well," I said as we sat in Lottie's idling car, still not having left the university car park.

"Yeah... That's pretty close to my thoughts when I first heard it," she replied.

My eyes narrowed as I turned to look at her. "Not 'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Frazer Young is so dreamy!'"

"Firstly, those were only my thoughts on the second listen."

"Of course she's listened to it more than once," I muttered to myself.

"Secondly, you cannot judge me. You were his first fan, potentially bigger. If he didn't love you, you'd have been considered a stalker."

"What?"

"Thirdly... he is dreamy. And you know it."

I hated that she was right on that account... not that I was going to admit it. What I did admit instead though was, "I think I need a drink."

And so Lottie put the gear in reverse, saying as we took off, "That can totally be arranged."

◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷

I felt like I was laying on a plush cloud. Drowning in the most luxurious linen, the pillow beneath my head moulded me perfectly. The blanket tucked around my body caressed my bare flesh so delicately. I almost cuddled back into the bedding until a thought had me doing the opposite.

Wait... bare flesh?

Eyes snapping open, I jolted to a seated position, pausing only to wince at my throbbing head. Though pushing my pain aside, I took stock of the foreign room.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows lined the wall opposite the bed, with the vertical blackout blinds in front of it shielding me from the sun.

The room was sparsely furnished—though purposefully, like it was going for a minimalist design. I sat on the large beige and white bed sitting in the middle of the large room. Chunky bedside tables were nestled on either side. But then there was mostly open space around me, cluttered only by the large wardrobe pressed against one wall and the almost barren desk tucked against the other. While simple, every item in the room screamed luxury.

I didn't recognise a thing, but that fact had my stomach knotting more with its reality.

What are the chances I met some rich person when we were out...

Unlikely. Very unlikely.

Which means it could be...

No.

Impossible.

He'd never have been there. And I've blocked his number.

So whose place is this?

C'mon, Em... remember something. Remember...

◁◁

Loud bass reverberated through the basement room, forcing Lottie and I to almost shout at each other across the booth we had tucked ourselves in. We both had a cocktail in hand—me on my third already.

"I still don't know if I like this place," I admitted to her, eyes taking in the groups of people crowded around the pool and air hockey tables, the pinball machines, the jenga towers, and the Nintendo 64.

"It's a weird club," she agreed before slotting her red token into the Connect Four game on our table.

"Like, on the one hand, I feel like these people are the closest to my type of people at a club... but is this even a club or just an arcade you can drink at?" I dropped another yellow token in.

"I'm... not really sure. And I don't think I can form a coherent opinion on it right now." She placed another red token, officially winning the game.

"That's fair... Sorry, I'm waffling. I'm just... trying to not talk about him, y'know?"

"Yeah... I know. But, Em, there's nothing wrong in talking about him if it helps get it off your chest."

"What if someone overhears?"

"Just don't say his name and they'll be none the wiser. Besides... everyone is too drunk to remember if you do slip up."

"Yeah... I guess."

I couldn't remember what happened next, though I know I didn't rush into gushing about him. It took at least another drink before I started to rant. But when I did... "I just don't understand why he won't give up on me. Like, officially."

"Because he loves you."

I was shaking my head quickly at her. "He doesn't."

"He does. You may not approve of how—"

"But he—"

"Abandoned you when you needed him. Doesn't mean he didn't love you all the while."

"No. He didn't."

"You're just in denial because it's the easiest way to justify it all."

"You don't know shit."

"I know that the reason you're running from him is because you're scared of realising you were wrong. That he did love you, and it was all a big miscommunication."

I hesitated, unable to compute whether a part of me really did fear that. But I quickly slurred back in the silence, "Miscommunication or not, he's still a dickhead for ghosting me. He should have been there."

"Yeah... He should have been there," she conceded.

▷▷

Another blank was in my memory, my mind struggling to find what happened at the end of last night that led to me being here.

My fingers rubbed at my temples as I tried to pry it out.

◁◁

"No... No! Stop playing his stupid music," I screamed at the speakers.

A few other patrons turned to look at me in shock. All the while Lottie was slouched over the table, barely present.

Despite my protests, his voice continued to warble through the club, causing one group to start belting along with the words. "You look good tonight, no! You look beautiful, no! You're a shining star. When you're in a room all I see is—"

"That's it," I grumbled before pulling out my phone.

▷▷

No... I didn't, I pleaded as the memory slowly came back to me.

◁◁

"How do I unblock... Settings... Contacts... Ah-ha!" I fumbled with my phone.

▷▷

Please... No... I'm surely misremembering!

◁◁

The line rang. And rang. And rang. Until a sleepy voice answered, "Em?"

"You!" I growled through the line.

▷▷

No... My face planted into the bed, my body flailing in protest, wishing it could will away the memories of last night. But they were steamrolling back in now in full mortifying glory.

◁◁

"Me?" he replied.

"You are a big, big weenie!"

"Weenie? What... Wait. Have you been drinking?"

"Whether I have or have not is beside the point. It doesn't change that you're a jerk head who—"

"Are you still out drinking? I can barely hear you over the background noise."

"That's none of your business. Stop interrupting me while I try to insult you!"

"Where are you right now?"

"You're as rude as ever; only caring about what you want."

"I care about your safety. You sound concerningly drunk, and I want to know if you're safe, okay? Are you with someone?"

"Yes."

"... Who?"

"What's it to you?"

"I just... I'm not trying to be jealous... I just want to make sure you're safe."

My lips worried together before I reluctantly confessed, "I'm with Lottie."

"Okay... Okay. Good." He sounded relieved. "How is she?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because one of you needs to be sober enough to ensure you both get home safely."

"I'm sober."

"No you're not."

"You're insufferable."

"So I take it Lottie isn't fairing well?"

"... I think she's asleep." I poked my friend, now well and truly slumped over the table.

It seemed my actions also caught the attention of others, as one of the bartenders came strutting over.

"I think it's time you get your friend home," she told me.

"Yeah, yeah," I waved my hand back at her.

"I'm serious... Is she okay? Do we need to call a—"

"She's just tired."

Frazer's voice rang from the speaker, but I kept the phone away from my ear as I bickered with the bartender, still trying to politely kick us out.

"You can't expect me to be able to carry her home," I argued.

"You need to plan your ride home more carefully if you're going to go out and drink. Be responsible," she lectured.

"Bite me," I stupidly replied.

Not long later, Lottie was shaken awake by one of the security guards and then both of us were nudged out of the establishment.

It was only then I finally responded to Frazer's voice all but screaming at me for answers. "Gosh, do you ever shut up?" I whined at him as Lottie blinked at the street.

"You can't cut me off for not caring enough and then scold me for caring, Emilia," he retorted, voice still on edge.

"I can do whatever I want. Also, can you stop writing songs about me? I'm sick of it. Move on."

"... We can have this discussion when you're sober. Where are you?"

"Nunya."

"Please, Em. Tell me."

"Why?"

"So I can make sure you get home safely."

"And just how are you going to do that?"

▷▷

I whimpered into the bed for a few moments, letting my grief over the death of my pride consume me. Though eventually I sat up, took a few deep breaths, and attempted to think rationally.

I just need my clothes... Put them on... then maybe I can somehow... sneak out and pretend this never happened.

Ever so gently, I climbed out of bed, as if any loud noise or creak would alert him of my awakeness. Stumbling around in the dimly lit space, I eventually located my clothes from last night, slipped them on, grabbed the remainder of my things, then tip-toed to the door.

As quietly as I could, I pried open the door, peaking around the corner first to ensure the coast was clear. When I saw no sign of anyone, I exited the room, shuffling down the hallway in the direction I hoped led me to the exit.

With no sound in the house, no ambient noise alerting me of anyone, I thought I was safe. I assumed I was in the clear. He had to still be asleep, wherever he was—which I pleaded wasn't in the same room with me last night and he was just showering or had stepped out or something...

But as I rounded the corner of the hallway to the foyer, almost in the clear of the front door, a voice through the neighbouring doorway brought me to a chilling halt.

"Are you really going to leave without a word?"

Jumping with a yelp, my head slowly turned to take him in, sitting at a dining table in the adjacent room, the front door in clear view from his spot. The table was adorned with all sorts of foods—freshly scrambled eggs, breads, deli meats, juice, coffee—and a place set for me, waiting for me to take it.

But, looking at him, I couldn't force myself to not recall how the night ended... how I got here. My face quickly ignited with flames as I remembered it all again.

◁◁

Lottie snatched the phone out of my hand, bringing it to her ear as she demanded, "Who is this?"

There was a pause as I heard his voice reply, the words unclear. I reached for my phone, ready to take it back from her.

But she dodged me. I expected her to let me down, to crumble at Frazer and his requests the moment she learned it was him. But she surprised me when she barked, "Leave Em alone already... I don't care if she called you. If you knew she's drunk then hang up... We're fine. We know how to get home... She needs you to back off so she can feel better... Well, she's ready for it to be over... Gosh you're the stubborn one... Hey?... The nearest chemist? I don't think there's any here... Uh... There's a woolworths nearby... Mad Cow? No, we're not there."

My hazy brain wondered why she was talking about another club, the cogs struggling to turn to realise where this was going.

"Flinders? No! We're not there either. Why are you asking?... No we're not at... No.... No... Hey! You finally got it."

My eyes widened as my brain finally figured it out. Hand flying out, I snatched the phone from her and ended the call. Though it was definitely too late. "We should go."

"Go where?" she asked, eyes half closed.

"I don't know. Away from here..."

"We should go home."

"Yeah, but let's go home from elsewhere."

"Elsewhere? Why? That doesn't make sense."

"Lottie!" I all but screamed, feeling myself sobering a little. "You told him where we are! He's going to come here!"

"Oh... Oh. Oh!"

"Yeah, numpty!"

"Shit... Well... At least it's a free ride home?"

"Earth to Lottie, I'm avoiding him, remember?"

"Yeah... but what's going to happen? He'll just drop us home right?"

"If I let him drop us home, I'll feel I owe him."

"You don't have to owe him. You can just take it as something he owes you."

I shook my head. There was no point reasoning with her. So instead, I linked my arm through hers and started dragging her away from the club. "Let's go elsewhere and order an Uber."

"Can't we order an Uber here? I'm tired and don't want to walk."

"Too bad, Lottie. You ruined that."

Though my efforts were to no avail. As we stumbled down Flinders Street East towards the night club strip where Lottie said we definitely weren't, a car came to a slow beside us, the window rolling down.

"Em, Lottie," his familiar voice called out.

My body froze over as I tried to pretend he wasn't there. Though Lottie was already affording him all her attention. "Oh my gosh, he found us!" she gushed.

"Shut up," I hissed at her before turning to him. "We've got somewhere to be."

"Yeah. Home sleeping. Get in and I'll drive you."

"That's okay... I've ordered an Uber."

"Em... get in."

I bounced on my heels, wishing I had a more coherent brain that could think of a solid excuse. But I was coming out blank. Desperate, I approached his window and whisper-shouted, "Someone is going to see you if you keep hovering."

"So get in!"

"No! I don't want to."

"It's just a ride, Em."

"I don't want to. I'm not going to get in a car with someone I don't—"

"You'd rather get an Uber? With a stranger? While you both are intoxicated? How's that safe for either of you?"

I didn't have a comeback, so I stayed silent this time.

"Get in," he insisted again.

"Please... just go before someone—"

"Stop worrying about me and let me worry about you. Get in."

I said nothing again.

"The sooner you get in, the sooner—"

Cutting us both off was Lottie, opening the back seat door and clambering into his vehicle. "C'mon, Em," she shouted from inside not much later.

I heaved a groan and climbed into the back with her.