Holly Carey POV
Javen stepped into the ballroom, flashing his dazzling smile. He walked straight towards me, oblivious to the fact I had heard everything. He leaned in, his voice a low rumble.
"Holly, my head is killing me," he whined, nudging his face against my neck. It was a familiar, intimate gesture, one he' d used countless times to solicit my sympathy and attention. It felt utterly disgusting now. His breath on my skin made my stomach churn.
"You two are just too cute!" someone shouted from the crowd of laughing friends. "Perfect couple, truly!"
My head snapped up, my eyes darting across the room. The compliments, once sweet, now grated on my nerves. I forced a smile, a mask to hide the turmoil raging inside. Gently, I pushed Javen away, creating a subtle distance between us.
"Where is Darryl?" I asked, my voice a carefully modulated monotone, changing the subject away from us.
Javen straightened up, rubbing his temples. "He went to pick up his cousin, Keely. They should be here any minute."
Just as he finished speaking, Darryl walked in. He led a slender woman in a white dress, her dark hair cascading around delicate features. She looked fragile, almost ethereal. Keely Nicholson. The "sensitive artist."
"Darryl, she' s beautiful!" someone exclaimed.
"Easy there, guys," Darryl said, a hint of awkwardness in his voice. "She' s my cousin. Don' t tease her too much. She' s a bit shy." He guided Keely to an empty seat next to Javen.
My gaze met hers across the room. Her eyes, wide and moist, weren't on Darryl. They were fixed on Javen, a possessive intensity I instantly recognized. Javen, ever so subtly, shifted his body away from me, towards her. A dull ache throbbed in my chest, a familiar pain now laced with a bitter resentment. It wasn't just sadness anymore; it was a burning anger that threatened to consume me.
Keely' s gaze, unblinking, remained on Javen, a blatant disregard for my presence. She looked at him like he was the only person in the room.
My best friend, Bridgett Guerrero, was beside me. She caught my eye, her expression sharp, noticing the shift in my demeanor. Bridgett, with her fiery spirit and unwavering loyalty, always saw through my calm exterior. She didn' t hesitate.
"Someone needs to learn some manners," Bridgett said, her voice cutting through the chatter, her eyes directly on Keely. "Staring is rude."
Keely' s face flushed. She stammered, "I… I have a boyfriend." Her voice was soft, tremulous, designed to evoke sympathy.
Javen frowned, his charm instantly gone, replaced by a sharp edge. "Bridgett, that' s enough. She' s just a friend. You' re being rude." His tone was accusatory.
Bridgett' s eyes flashed. She lunged forward, her hand balled into a fist. "You manipulative little-!"
I grabbed Bridgett' s arm, pulling her back. My voice was low, laced with a cold control. "Stop it, Bridgett. It' s not worth it." I turned my gaze to Javen, my eyes devoid of warmth. "Javen, you want to tell me why you' re suddenly defending 'Darryl' s cousin' so fiercely? Or should I just assume?"
Javen froze. His eyes flickered, avoiding my gaze, then quickly returned to me, a strained smile on his face. "Holly, I' m sorry. I didn' t mean anything by it. Just trying to keep the peace."
I watched Keely. Her eyes, now brimming with tears, were fixed on Javen, a silent plea for protection. She looked like a wounded bird, delicate and helpless. The performance was flawless.
Darryl, sensing the escalating tension, clapped his hands together. "Okay, okay, this is a party! Let' s play a game! Phone roulette! Everyone puts their phone in the middle. We spin a bottle. Whoever it points to, has to share a random photo from their gallery. Last three months, picked by a random number generator."
A few relieved murmurs and laughter broke the silence. The bottle spun, wobbling to a stop directly in front of me.
"Holly first!" someone yelled.
I pressed my lips together. My phone screen, connected to the large projector screen, flashed to life. A random photo from three months ago appeared. It was a collage: a smiling selfie of Javen and me on a beach vacation, followed by a screenshot of a food delivery order.
Bridgett laughed, a little too loudly. "Look at you two lovebirds! That vacation was adorable."
Someone else peered at the screen. "What' s that food order, Javen? Late-night cravings?" A suggestive chuckle rippled through the group.
Javen' s eyes darted to Keely, a flicker of panic in them. "No, no, it was just… cold medicine. Holly had a cold." He forced a laugh, his voice tight.
A cold, malicious amusement washed over me. I looked at Javen, then at Keely, whose face was a mask of confusion. My mouth curved into a chilling smile.
"No, Javen, it wasn' t cold medicine," I said, my voice sweet, but with an underlying steel. "It was after our first time. You said you were so sore, you couldn' t move. So I ordered you pain relief and a heat pack. Remember? You needed a few days to recover."
The room fell silent. Javen' s face turned bright red, a mixture of anger and humiliation. Keely' s head dropped, her shoulders shaking, as if she were crying. It was a small victory, but it felt good.
