Iris:
"We should keep our eyes on the road. We are all dressed up with masks on, so just in case we trip," Lara remarked, obviously because she had noticed that Kash was staring too hard at .
He slipped inside the car, and I sat in the back seat with Luca.
Lara was the one in the passenger seat.
As I sat down, my dress slid up my thigh a little, and I noticed Luca glance at before fixing his posture and quickly looking away as if he was forcing himself not to look.
But then I looked up and noticed Kash adjusting the rearview mirror to look at , and he was bold about it.
Even Lara caught it. I saw her fingers curl into tight fists.
I only adjusted my mask and shifted my legs away from Luca’s side toward the door, looking out the window and pretending not to notice anything.
But inside there was a fire going on.
I did not know what had happened, but Kash’s stare made feel all sorts of things, and I knew in my gut that tonight was not going to be simple.
Not for , not for them, not for any of us. And I wished I had listened to my instincts.
The car ride was quiet at first. Then Lara started talking very loudly about all sorts of things as if she was on a stage and had to give a speech.
I was behind Kash’s seat, so I could see Lara from my side.
She kept twisting her hair around her finger, laughing at her own comnts, pointing at buildings outside the window.
Kash barely responded to her. He kept adjusting the rearview mirror again and again.
Every ti I was out of the reflection, he fixed it.
Our eyes t quite a few tis, and it beca awkward.
Each ti he was the one who snapped his gaze away as if he had not been staring.
I sat with my legs crossed, hands in my lap, pretending I had not noticed anything.
But I was noticing soone else. My boyfriend Luca.
I had been with Luca long enough to tell if he was being playful or if he had worries going on.
At this mont he was anxious. He kept cracking his knuckles.
He rubbed his neck until it reddened.
He bounced his knee up and down, checked his phone, looked outside the window, then leaned back.
It was odd, and at this point I had to question what was going on with him.
"You okay?" I whispered under my breath.
He turned to almost as if I had startled him by giving him attention.
"Hmm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," he replied too quickly, licking his lips once before looking outside the window.
Liar.
But I did not push because I could not.
Kash suddenly turned on the music so loud that I just stared at him through the mirror, and I did not hide my stare.
I was giving him a look because I knew what he was trying to do.
And then Lara started singing enthusiastically. I looked out at the road, wishing the car would stop so I could jump out.
Finally, the car pulled into a large courtyard in front of a grand stone building lit in blue and purple lights.
A golden sign hung above the road,
The masked mistakes.
That was obvious or maybe a hint toward the future.
I rolled my eyes, noticing how many masked guests were pouring inside.
So of them wore dramatic velvet gowns, while others looked like they had stepped out of fantasy books.
It seed more like a fancy dress competition or Halloween than a simple masquerade bar.
We all got out, and I noticed the way Lara quickly rushed to Kash’s side to grab his arm, claiming him.
"Isn’t this stunning? You’re gonna enjoy it," she chirped, posing like soone being photographed.
Kash only humd and turned again to look at .
Luca had pulled himself closer to because there was too much crowding.
I walked behind the couple, ignoring Kash’s stare.
Once we were inside the bar, I realized the interior was even darker.
Masks were everywhere. Couples were dancing in the center, already getting so wasted and intimate.
The bartenders also wore black gloves and gold masks. They mixed drinks while dancing along with the music.
Luca and I took a seat at the bar. Well, I sat, he hovered.
"You seem like a good dancer," I remarked lightly, trying to start a conversation because it was getting awkward.
"Why aren’t you enjoying the bar?" I asked him.
It was not like he could lie to . He was the biggest party guy ever.
Whenever there was a bar, Luca would be there, getting wasted after dancing around with every woman at the bar.
I knew him from back ho, but he kept his eyes fixed on the wall, steadily cracking his knuckles again as if there was still sothing left to crack.
He glanced over his shoulder, almost like he was looking for soone.
"No reason," he uttered, peeking at the corner of his sleeve, "just not in the mood." Sothing was up with him, and now he was making anxious too.
After another few awkward minutes, soone arrived.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kash hovered over from my right side. His voice was so low that goosebumps spread across my skin. "Because it looks like you’re babysitting him," Kash added, and I turned slowly to him, giving him a look of obviousness.
"He’s not feeling well," I responded to Kash, talking about Luca.
"Of course he isn’t. He arrived and drank half the bar," Kash muttered under his breath, pointing toward all the drinks Luca had ordered in the last fifteen minutes.
"That is not what happened." Before I could finish, Luca suddenly stood up, holding his stomach.
"I need the bathroom," he whispered, shaking slightly.
Well, Kash was not wrong. He did drink a lot.
As Luca rushed away, I realized I needed to go after him.
He was too wasted. I got off my stool imdiately.
"Luca, wait!" My words trailed off, and Kash clicked his tongue behind , sounding annoyed.
"Let him go if he’s going to vomit—" Even Kash’s words cut off when I ignored him and went after Luca anyway, weaving through the crowd.
User Comments
0 comments from readers