Chapter 14 I don't hate you
Alex
At first, I didn’t think much of Cecilia’s sudden disappearance. She practically fled the dance floor like I was about to confess my love to her or something. Which, to be clear, absolutely was not happening.
It had been almost fifteen minutes since she left and I couldn’t help but wonder if anything had happenedm
I had busied myself by absentmindedly scrolling through my phone, but my attention kept drifting toward the hallway she disappeared into and it was so annoying.
A guy beside me laughed loudly after taking a shot while two girls argued about something. The party had gotten even more chaotic over the past hour.
I pushed myself off the counter with a sigh. Maybe she fell into the toilet dramatically. I wouldn’t put it past her.
I had barely taken two steps when I heard a group of girls talking loudly nearby.
“Did you see that fight?”
“Rachel literally pulled her hair!”
“No! because Cecilia Evans is insane! She was literally winning.”
My stomach dropped instantly. I moved before my brain fully processed it.
“What fight?” I cut in sharply.
The girls looked startled and the first one replied quickly.
“The one near the girls’ bathroom…”
I was already walking away before she finished speaking.
The hallway leading to the bathroom was crowded. Students stood around recording with their phones while yelling loudly.
“Move,” I snapped while shoving through the crowd.
That was when I saw them.
Rachel and Cecilia were on the floor near the bathroom entrance in what looked less like a fight and more like attempted murder.
Cecilia definitely had the upper hand. Which honestly surprised me considering how drunk she was.
Rachel’s hair was a disaster while Cecilia looked seconds away from committing an actual felony.
“Are you insane?” Rachel shrieked.
“You pulled my hair first!” Cecilia yelled back.
“You called me pathetic!”
“Because you are a pathetic bitch!”
Several people oohed dramatically.
I muttered a string of curses under my breath.
“Cecilia.”
Neither of them heard me. Rachel tried shoving her again and Cecilia immediately lunged back towards her.
I grabbed Cecilia around the waist before she could tackle Rachel into the wall.
“What the hell?” she snapped while struggling instantly. “Let me go!”
“You’re drunk and you look like you're about to kill her.”
“She started it!”
Rachel pointed at her furiously. “She’s crazy!”
“Oh shut up,” Cecilia snapped. “Nobody even likes you!”
The crowd collectively gasped. Cecilia tried lunging forward again and I tightened my grip around her immediately.
“Okay,” I muttered. “We’re leaving.”
“No, we are not!” she argued.
“Yes, we are.” I said firmly.
“She attacked me!”
I ignored her continuous yelling and dragged her away from the crowd while Rachel continued screaming insults behind us.
Someone yelled, “Gomez, control your girl!”
Cecilia immediately twisted in my arms. “I am not his girl!”
“Trust me,” I muttered. “I know.”
She glared up at me and then stumbled slightly because of the alcohol.
“Where’s Amber?” I asked while scanning the crowd for her two best friends.
“No…dunno...”
“Luke?”
“I’m going…going to..sh…uhhh…going to kill that… bitch!”
I ran a hand through my hair. She was too drunk to even form a coherent sentence. Leaving her at the party wasn't the greatest idea. She would probably get into another fight in minutes.
“You have to go home.”
Cecilia blinked slowly and then shook her head. “Noo…”
“Yes.”
“No.” She pointed dramatically toward the living room. “I’m partying.”
“Yes. You are too drunk to even stand.”
She pulled herself away from me and tried to stand straight, but instead wobbled and then she chuckled.
“See…I’m fine.”
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head. She was obviously not fine.
I guess I was going to have to take her home. Good thing I know my way around. All thanks to the countless parties she’s thrown in the past.
“Let’s go,” I said, leading her out of the room.
The walk to the parking lot was the longest experience of my life, because Cecilia fought me the entire way there.
“I think Rachel’s obsessed with you,” she informed me while I unlocked my car.
“She’s not.”
“She absolutely is.”
I opened the passenger door. “Even if she was, I'm sure that's over now. You punched her.”
“She pulled my hair.”
“You still punched her.”
“She deserved two punches honestly.”
I snorted despite myself.
Cecilia pointed at me accusingly. “And why would you even date someone like that anyway?”
I paused slightly and furrowed my brows.
Date?
Rachel and I definitely weren’t dating. But I was too tired to explain that to drunk Cecilia.
So I just said, “Let’s get you home.”
She pouted. “I don’t want to go home. I was enjoying the partyyyy.”
Drunk Cecilia was definitely more fun than sober Cecilia.
I helped her into the passenger seat before walking around to the driver’s side.
The second I started the car, she pointed at the dashboard dramatically.
“You drive aggressively.”
“You’ve said that before.”
“Because it’s true.”
“You vandalized this car, remember?.”
“You deserved that too.”
I laughed quietly under my breath while pulling out of the driveway. The ride was strangely quiet for almost three whole minutes. Which was impressive for Cecilia.
“This alcohol feels weird,” she said suddenly, making me turn around to face her.
“Mhm.”
“You’re annoying.” she huffed.
“You keep saying that like it’s new information.”
She huffed again and crossed her arms dramatically. A few minutes later, her voice got lower.
“My house is just right there.”
“I know.”
Her head turned slowly towards me. “You know where I live?”
“You threw half the school’s parties there before you...” I stopped myself quickly, realizing what I was saying.
Cecilia went quiet.
Shit.
I glanced at her quickly. Her expression softened slightly.
“I hate how everyone pitied me.” she whispered
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “I don’t pity you.”
She looked down at her hands and muttered something I couldn’t quite grasp.
By the time we reached her neighborhood, she looked half asleep already. The huge Evans estate came into view quickly. Lights glowed from enormous windows.
The place looked more like a luxurious hotel than a house. I parked near the front entrance and turned towards her.
“Celia.”
No response.
“Cecilia.”
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. “You finally said my name right.”
“You’re drunk.”
“You’re avoiding the compliment.”
I rolled my eyes slightly. “Can you walk?”
“Probably not.”
“Fantastic.” I sighed.
She smiled sleepily.
Then suddenly her expression changed. “I’m trying really hard, you know,” she muttered softly.
I frowned slightly. “At what?”
“My family.” The words came out slurred and sleepy.
“I keep trying to fix everything.” She blinked slowly. “But they’re always fighting and pretending things are okay and I just…” Her voice cracked slightly.
Something painful twisted inside my chest.
“I don’t know how to make them happy again.”
For a moment, she looked different. Not the same intimidating Cecilia Evans or the sharp-tongued girl constantly fighting me. She looked tired.
I reached over before thinking and tucked a strand of hair gently behind her ear.
“If anyone can do it,” I said quietly, “it’s you.”
Her eyes lifted to mine slowly.
“With all our fighting…” she murmured sleepily. “Do you hate me?”
I brushed my thumb lightly near her temple. “I could never hate you.”
Her eyes fluttered shut before I even finished speaking. I stayed there staring at her longer than I should have.
She probably wouldn’t remember shy of this when she wakes. But I meant every single word.