𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐢'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

i woke up with a pounding headache, the kind that made every beam of sunlight slicing through the curtains feel like a dagger to my skull. groaning, i reached for my phone on the nightstand, squinting at the brightness of the screen.

several missed calls and a flurry of texts from jasmine. i felt a wave of guilt wash over me as i slowly began to piece together the fragmented memories of last night.

i even had to call trenice over to help me get skai home when she fell asleep, completely forgetting how skai would always fall asleep when she gets too drunk. i decided not to go with trenice as i already had several offences under my name.

i remembered the party, the drinks, the drunk moments with skai that stirred up more emotions than i cared to admit. the nightclub, dancing too close to the edge of control, touching way too much for someone in a relationship. i shut my eyes tight, trying to push away the regret that was clawing its way to the surface.

my phone buzzed again, and i sighed, answering it this time. "hey, jas."

"morning, bebe. how are you feeling?" her voice was soft, concerned.

"like i've been hit by a truck," i admitted, rubbing my temples.

"i figured. you didn't call yesterday so i'm just checking on you."

"thanks." the guilt doubled, twisting in my stomach. "sorry i didn't call or text last night, the night was pretty...hectic"

"it's okay," she replied, but her tone held a hint of something else, something unsaid. "just... try to take it easy, okay? when are you coming back to LA?"

"as soon as i can. i promise." i meant it, though the words felt heavy with the weight of my past mistakes.

"good. i miss you so come back quickly."

"yeah, will do." i paused, feeling the regret seeping deeper. "i'll call you later, alright?"

"alright. take care, dani."

i hung up and lay there for a moment, letting the silence envelop me. my thoughts drifted to my previous relationship before jasmine, kehlani, who i rushed into a relationship with after skai and i broke up. the random cheating, the lies, the heartbreak. 

i had promised myself never to fall back into those old patterns, to be better, to be honest. but last night had felt dangerously close to slipping into the person i used to be.

i had no business being so close to her, but it felt so intoxicating, like the type of high you get from a cigarette, you just keep yearning for more.

i couldn't shake the memories of the way she looked up at me in the club, how low her eyes were and how angelic her face looked underneath the multi-coloured neon lights. 

i don't even know why i sat next to her at the bar, she was clearly trying to be respectful and keep a distance. i could have sent any of my friends to go and get her since i hate it when people feel left out, but without thinking i felt an urge to speak to her.

i was keeping tabs on her all night without realising it, she just seemed like she needed to be taken care of. maybe if we were friends i wouldn't think too much about our interactions, but due to our history and the fact that i felt an undeniable pull between us, an urge to be in subtle physical contact at all times even in the most innocent ways...my behaviour was dangerous.

is it really innocent if your intentions were dark? I brushed my hair upwards into a bun and head into the bathroom to freshen up.

after a long shower and several glasses of water, i felt somewhat human again. my friends were already up, gathered around the breakfast table, laughing and talking. i joined them, trying to push away the lingering shame and guilt. thankfully no one seemed to remember my risky behaviour with skai yesterday so i sat between sebastian and cine.

"morning, dani," cine greeted me with a knowing look. "rough night?"

"you could say that," i mumbled, staring into space.

we ordered breakfast, and i sipped on my coffee, letting the caffeine work its magic and tucked into my breakfast quiet in thought. skai walked in a little later, carrying a small gift bag. i pretended to listen to ralphy and phi's debate, so i didn't seem to awkward whilst i completely aired skai.

"hey, trenice. here's the gift i promised." she handed over the bag, her eyes barely flicking in my direction.

"thanks, skai!" treee beamed, pulling out a beautifully wrapped present.

skai stayed for a few minutes, making small talk with everyone. i avoided her gaze, focusing on my breakfast, the tension between us palpable. after what felt like forever, she finally excused herself, informing us that she had a busy schedule ahead.

i tried to be sly and attempted to sneak a glance, i looked at her only to be quick, but our eyes managed to sync and lock. i averted my eyes instantly and focused back on eating as if nothing happened.

"alright, i've got to run. see you all later." she waved, her smile not quite reaching her eyes before walking off. it's for the best.

𓏲𝄢 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝!