Chapter 10 Chapter 10
Hailey’s POV
They both stared at each other, wide-eyed and stunned.
“Did you just…..” Benita started, but I cut her off.
“I threw up,” I finished weakly, my voice barely audible. “Yeah, I know.”
My body still felt hot, like I was burning from the inside out. Sweat dripped down my temples, and my hands were clammy.
Benita sprang into action, grabbing towels and cleaning supplies. “Okay, okay, don’t move. Just stay there.”
She carefully helped me onto my bed, positioning my head on the pillow like I was made of glass. Then she rushed to the bathroom and came back with a damp towel, folding it and placing it gently on my forehead.
The coolness was instant relief.
“Better?” she asked, hovering over me anxiously.
“A little,” I mumbled, closing my eyes.
“I’m calling a doctor,” she said, pulling out her phone.
“No,” I protested weakly. “I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep.”
“Hailey….”
“Please,” I whispered. “Just let me rest.”
She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen, then sighed heavily and put the phone down. “Fine. But if you’re not better by morning, I’m dragging you to the hospital myself.”
I nodded, too exhausted to argue.
Sleep came quickly, pulling me under like a heavy blanket.
When I woke up the next morning, I felt… normal.
No fever. No nausea. No dizziness.
It was like nothing had happened.
I sat up slowly, half-expecting the room to spin, but it didn’t. My head was clear, my body felt fine, and the towel that had been on my forehead was now lying beside me on the pillow.
“What the hell,” I muttered, pressing a hand to my forehead. It was cool to the touch.
Benita was already awake, sitting at her desk with a cup of coffee in hand. The moment she saw me sit up, she nearly dropped the mug.
“You’re up,” she said, rushing over. “How do you feel?”
“Fine,” I said, genuinely confused. “I feel completely fine.”
She pressed the back of her hand to my forehead, then my cheeks, checking for any sign of fever. “You’re not hot anymore. That’s… weird.”
“Tell me about it.”
She pulled back, crossing her arms. “Maybe it was just stress. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Maybe,” I said, though I wasn’t convinced.
Still, I wasn’t about to complain. Whatever it was, it was gone now, and I was grateful.
We got ready for class together, and Benita refused to leave my side the entire morning. Every few minutes, she’d glance over at me like she was waiting for me to collapse.
“I’m fine,” I kept telling her.
“I’m just making sure,” she’d reply.
By the time we settled into our first lecture, I was starting to feel smothered. But I appreciated the concern, even if it was a little overbearing.
Halfway through the class, Benita’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, then her eyes went wide.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, leaning closer to me.
“What?”
She turned the screen toward me. It was a message in the school’s group chat.
Party at the Rosewood Estate. Exclusive guest list. RSVP if you’re on it.
“I got an invite,” she said excitedly.
I glanced at the message, then back at her. “That’s great.”
“Wait, did you get one?”
I pulled out my phone and checked. Nothing.
A strange, unexpected pang of disappointment hit me.
“No,” I said, trying to sound indifferent.
Benita frowned. “That’s so weird. Everyone in our circle got one.” She scrolled through her phone, typing quickly. “Hold on, let me fix this.”
“You don’t have to…….”
“Too late,” she said, grinning. “I just got you added to the list.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yep. But fair warning,” she said, lowering her voice. “These parties get wild. Like, really wild.”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Because last time someone said that, they ended up waking up in a fountain.”
I laughed despite myself. “I’ll be fine.”
The rest of the day passed smoothly. I went from class to class without incident, and for the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe.
I hadn’t seen Damien all day.
And honestly? I was relieved.
Maybe he’d finally gotten the message. Maybe he’d realized I wasn’t interested and had decided to back off.
That thought should have made me happy.
But instead, it left a strange, hollow feeling in my chest.
By the time evening rolled around, I’d almost convinced myself to skip the party. I wasn’t much of a party person to begin with, and after everything that had happened, the idea of being in a crowded room full of drunk college students didn’t exactly sound appealing.
But I’d promised Benita.
So I pulled on a black dress, simple but flattering, and let Benita do my makeup. She went all out, lining my eyes with sharp wings and painting my lips a deep red.
“You look hot,” she declared, stepping back to admire her work.
I glanced at myself in the mirror. I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“Now let’s go before you change your mind.”
The party was already in full swing by the time we arrived. The Rosewood Estate was massive, all glass windows and marble floors, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling like something out of a movie.
Music pounded through the speakers, and people were everywhere, dancing, drinking, laughing.
Benita grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, weaving through the crowd until we found a spot near the bar.
“This is insane,” I shouted over the music.
“I know, right?” she yelled back, grinning.
For a while, I actually started to enjoy myself. The music was good, the drinks were strong, and for the first time in days, I felt like I could forget about everything.
But then the music suddenly cut out.
A wave of confused murmurs rippled through the crowd as everyone turned toward the entrance.
And then the cheering started.
Loud, deafening cheers, like a celebrity had just walked in.
I turned, my stomach already sinking, and saw exactly what I’d been dreading.
Sophia.
She stood in the doorway, flanked by two of her friends, wearing a skintight gold dress that practically screamed look at me. Her hair was perfectly styled, her makeup flawless, and she had that signature smug smile plastered across her face.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides as she strutted into the room, soaking up the attention like she owned the place.
Benita leaned over, her expression dark. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”