***POV ISABELA***
"Do you know what my greatest strength is? And, at the same time, what is my biggest weakness? Being intense. Being intense makes you want to live every moment to the fullest, and sometimes we fail to realize they're just fleeting moments. Being intense makes us care too much. (Not that it's a bad thing, but sometimes I care so much, more than I should, and it breaks me.) Being intense means being strong and at the same time losing strength, as expectations can be disappointed. And no matter how much I try to tell myself, It's okay, this storm will pass. Sometimes, I am the storm itself. Being intense is... Being too deep. Too immense. Too alive..."
I hit 'enter' on my notebook's keyboard as I finish the last line of the blog post. Yes, I have a blog. A successful blog, I would say. 1 million people follow me on this blog, but of course, no one knows I'm the owner. I just enjoy writing, and with my love for writing, I combined my loneliness in my marriage and created this blog. Where I write about feelings...
In just a few minutes, I can already hear the notification sound from my electronic device, indicating that people are already liking and commenting on my post for the day.
My phone rings on the desk. I sigh tiredly and pick up my phone, seeing Alex's name flashing on the screen.
"Hi, friend," I say as I answer his call.
"You were inspired today," he says excitedly. I forgot to mention that Alex is the only person who knows about my blog and always reads everything I post. If I have a fan, that person is Alex.
"Nothing special," I say casually, taking off my glasses and rubbing my eyes.
"Woman, I loved every line of that post. I identified so much. You know I'm an intense person!"
I smile at the compliment.
The good thing about Alex knowing about my blog is that he always gives his opinion, and that helps me a lot.
"I'm very tired, Alex. I'm going to bed," I say.
"That's a shame; I wanted to ask you out to a bar," he grumbles.
"Fortunately, I'm ready for bed now," I say, closing my laptop and getting up from the chair. "You need to stop trying to ask me out. You know I don't like it..."
I can hear him sighing on the other end of the line.
"You need to go out and have fun, Isa," he says firmly. "Now that you're single, you need to enjoy life and try to make up for the 15 years you spent with that idiot."
I roll my eyes at his words.
"What's your problem with Daniel, anyway?" I ask, genuinely wanting to know the reason for all this hatred. Alex never liked my ex-husband, and before, I didn't pay much attention, but now I want to know.
"I don't have a problem with him. I just hated the way he treated you, and then? Then I got annoyed, and once I got annoyed, my dear, there's no turning back. He annoys me just by breathing in the same room as me," he says all at once without pausing, then takes a deep breath. I can hear the noise of him opening and closing a door.
"Are you going out?" I ask curiously.
"I am. Are you coming?" he asks.
"I don't have the energy to keep up with you," I say.
"Here you go again, saying you're old," he scoffs, and I'm almost certain he must be rolling his eyes and itching to scold me. "You, at 35, look wonderful and perfect. You put many 18- to 19-year-old girls to shame. You know you're beautiful, Isa. Time has only been good to you, and I'll say more; you're in your prime."
I smile at the compliments.
Everyone should have a friend like Alex; he's just perfect. He always puts me on a pedestal.
"Come with me, please!" he complains. "I'll stop by your house!"
"Alex, I'm exhausted! I want to sleep.” I grumble.
"Sleep when you're dead! I'm coming over," he announces.
"I'll get ready," I say, giving in.
I needed to go out, I think.
It's now exactly 11pm and I feel alone in this huge house. I'm feeling lonely...
My daughter doesn't want to go home without her father, so she stays at my parents'.
And I stay alone in my house.
To avoid falling into a terrible depression, I bury myself in work. But there are times when there's nothing else to do, and I find myself here, alone...
"That's the spirit!" he shouts excitedly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"See you soon!" I said, ending the call. I smile, thinking about my friend. He's crazy, but he's my friend.
(...)
"Wow!"
Alex leans away from his black car and walks towards me.
"You look perfect, Isa!" he says, taking my right hand and spinning me around. "If we weren't friends, I'd be with you without thinking twice."
"Thank you, Alex. Where are we going?" I ask curiously.
I didn't know where we were going, so I opted for something very basic. A black dress with an opening in the back and some shiny details. It fit perfectly, accentuating my curves.
"We're going to a nightclub. A friend's opening," he informs me, holding my hands and guiding me to the car. He opened the door for me, and I got into his car, feeling his perfume lingering in it. Alex closed the door once I got in and walked around the car to get in his seat. "I'm glad you agreed to go out a bit. You know I hate seeing you alone at home."
"Thank you for being the wonderful friend you are," I say, holding his hand. "Maybe, just maybe, I needed to go out."
"I know you needed to," he says, winking at me and looking ahead, turning the ignition key to start his car.
Alex parked the car in the nightclub's parking lot, which was bustling with people. There were still many people outside, and I'm sure it's even worse inside.
"It's packed, huh?" I comment when he opens the car door for me to get out.
"Opening nights are like this. But we'll stay in the VIP area without the crowds."
"We won't be able to get in there until tomorrow with this line," I say, looking at the line of people turning the corner.
I barely arrived and already wanted to go home. I didn't imagine it would be as crowded as it is.
"Who said we're going to wait in line?" he asks, crossing his arms. "I'm friends with the owner." He boasted, pulling me towards the security guard at the main door.
Alex talked to the security guard for a few moments; the security guard said something on his radio, and soon he authorized our entry. I could hear some people complaining, and it's no wonder...
Inside the nightclub, I observe its interior; it's beautiful and well-decorated. Its colors are in black and red tones. The dance floor is completely crowded, and I highly doubt that the crowd outside will be able to get in here. Alex intertwines our fingers and starts walking among the people; we go up a staircase towards the less crowded VIP area.
"Do you want something to drink?" he asks in my ear.
"I do. I'll let you choose the drink tonight."
"A mistake to trust me like this," he chuckles wickedly. "I'll be right back," he informs me.
I nod, watching him walk away to get our drinks.
I walk around the VIP area, looking for a quieter area, and find one. There was a small red sofa there, and I immediately sat down to wait for my friend. I observe everything around me, noticing people drinking, dancing, having fun...
I feel like someone is watching me like I'm being watched. I sweep the area with my eyes, looking for someone, but I don't find anyone.
I shake my head. I'm going crazy...
I take my phone out of my small purse and check the time. It's past 1:00 in the morning.
When did I imagine going to a nightclub at this time?
For God's sake, if Daniel finds out, he'll say so many things in my head.
I take my eyes off the phone's screen, looking up-and-coming face-to-face with the reason for my recent untimely thoughts.
Noah Coopers.