The DJ music gets wilder each passing minute. I'm about to comment on how utterly ridiculous Felix and Theo are being—like two wolves circling each other with their teeth politely hidden—when a familiar voice cuts through the noise.
"Liora, you're here?"
The drink in my hand suddenly feels too cold. My heart skips a beat, then stumbles as I turn slowly. Elliot. Oh gosh.
He's standing just a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes locked on me like I've betrayed something sacred. Like I was cheating. His dark hoodie is too casual for this crowded place, but somehow, he still manages to look like the sharpest blade in the room.
"You came to a club," he says flatly, as if it's the most shocking thing he's ever seen. "You? A club?"
I open my mouth but no sound comes out at first. The weight of his presence slams into me harder than the bass vibrating under my heels. He knew I would never go to this kind of place. "Julia dragged me. But anyhow I came here, it wasn't your business. I'm an adult now."
Elliot looks at me with unreadable gaze. Maybe I offended him a little. "Of course," he says bitterly, gaze flicking to the two men beside me. "Did she drag them too?"
Oh no. Here we go. Elliot is being Elliot.
Felix lifts his glass with a lazy grin. "Hey, if it isn't the ex. How long has it been? Since you left her in the cold or ...?"
"Shut up," Elliot snaps, his voice cold enough to kill the mood around us. He steps closer. "You don't get to speak like you know anything."
Theo, who's been silent until now, tilts his head, his eyes shadowed. "Maybe none of us should be speaking like we know anything."
I feel their tension clawing at my skin. The storm is here. I'm the lightning rod in the middle. The party turns into ... whatever this chaos called.
"I didn't come here for this," I say, barely above a whisper. "I came to unwind. To try relax after midterms."
Elliot's expression softens for a split second, then hardens again. "This isn't you. We know that."
"And you don't get to decide who I am anymore," I reply, sharper than I expected.
His jaw clenches. Felix whistles softly. Theo simply watches me like I've said something vital. "I'm not here to fight," Elliot says after a pause. "But seeing you like this? In a beach club? Drinking? Laughing with him?" He nods toward Felix. "It's ... weird."
"Maybe because you only remember the version of me you controlled," I shoot back, the words slipping before I can stop them.
His breath hitches. "Is that what you think?"
I shake my head, looking away. The silence is deafening even with the music thundering around us.
"I think I just want a night off from being your regret," I say.
Elliot's shoulders tighten, and for a moment, I see the same war in his eyes—love and hate, constantly colliding. And I hate how part of me still aches at the sight of him.
Felix raises an eyebrow. "Awkward ex drama. I'll give it a six out of ten. Even five. Geez. Not at the party at least, please."
Theo sighs beside me. "Not helping."
I let out a breath, suddenly exhausted. "Can you all stop? I'm overwhelmed. We just got through midterms. I wanted one night to feel okay. And here we are—again—like I'm a prize in some twisted competition."
That shuts them up. All three.
I step away from them, weaving through the bodies on the dance floor, the lights swirling around me like fireflies. I don't go far, just toward the edge where the lights don't reach as much. I need some peace. Even though I'm not sure if I can find one in party.
Seconds later, I hear footsteps behind me. Not one set. Three. Of course. They just have to do that, don't they? I really wonder what made them suddenly so interested in me. Three of them. At the same time. Universe really is playing with me right now.
Elliot is the first to speak. "I didn't mean to ruin your night."
"You didn't," I lie, "but you also didn't help."
Felix folds his arms. "In his defense, this place does suck unless you're drunk."
Theo just watches me. Quiet, steady, unreadable.
"Why are you all here?" I ask finally. "Really. What's so interesting with me?"
Felix smirks. "I like the chaos." No surprise, coming from a musical theatre major.
Theo says, "I was curious. About you."
Elliot's voice is low. "Because I still care."
And there it is again—the pressure, the ache, the weight of three pairs of eyes and too many emotions I don't know what to do with.
I cross my arms. "I'm not a problem to solve. Or a ghost to chase. I'm just ... trying to figure things out."
They're silent.
Then Felix steps closer, leaning in just slightly. "You don't have to figure it all out tonight. Just ... dance. Laugh. Drink. Let yourself feel alive."
Theo follows suit, his voice softer. "Or don't. Just stand here with us. Talk about anything you want. We'll keep the noise at bay."
Elliot stays still, then takes a single step forward. "I didn't come to argue. I came because seeing you in that painting room, so alive, reminded me what I lost."
The words hang in the air like smoke. I don't reply. I can't. How can I?
Instead, I look out at the water in the distance, past the party, past the lights. The ocean isn't far. The waves are always pulling, aren't they? Just like these three men—each a tide in their own way.
I don't know what to feel. Tonight is too much. Too many truths hiding in glances, too many hands reaching for the same thread. But I know I'm not ready to walk away just yet. For now, I let the wind whip around me, pretending I can untangle it later.