Chapter 4: Wine and Wounds

Nadia’s POV

Jasper had always been good with computers—too good, if you asked me. His talent for hacking was something that could have easily landed him in a lot of trouble if he wasn’t careful. But today, I needed that talent. I needed him to dig up some information I wasn’t sure I wanted to find.

“Jasper, can you look up some stuff on Daisy’s girlfriend?” I asked, leaning against his doorframe. His room was a mess, cluttered with cables, computer monitors, and discarded snack wrappers. Jasper was hunched over his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard, his face lit by the eerie glow of multiple screens.

He glanced up at me, his expression skeptical. “Why do you want to know about her girlfriend?”

“I think she’s hiding something,” I said, crossing my arms. “I saw a wedding ring on her, Jasper. She’s married, and Daisy doesn’t know. I’m worried she’s just messing with Daisy’s feelings.”

Jasper sighed, his shoulders slumping. “And what exactly are you planning to do with this information? You can’t just invade someone’s privacy like that.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, torn. “I know it’s not my place, but Daisy’s my best friend. I can’t just stand by and watch her get hurt.”

Jasper shrugged, turning back to his screens. “It’s your call, but you know meddling like this usually backfires. Just be careful, Nadia.”

I watched as he pulled up a few screens, typing commands and codes I didn’t understand. Within minutes, he had what I was looking for. “Looks like you were right,” he said, not sounding surprised. “Daisy’s girlfriend is married. And it doesn’t look like she’s planning to leave her husband anytime soon.”

My heart sank. I knew it. “I have to tell her.”

Jasper leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Do what you think is best, but just know it might not go the way you think. People don’t like having their secrets exposed.”

---

Late the next evening, I was jolted awake by the thudding beat of music blasting through the walls. I groaned, rolling over in bed and trying to block out the noise. I could already tell it was going to be one long night. I dragged myself out of bed, walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtain.

The view took me by surprise. The pool area behind the house had been transformed into a full-blown party scene. Giant speakers flanked the edges of the pool, pounding out a deafening rhythm. Everywhere I looked, people were gathered—draped over lounge chairs, splashing each other in the pool, laughing loudly, and holding brightly colored drinks. It was like a scene from some rich kid’s Instagram feed, all glamour and excess.

My stomach churned at the sight. I felt completely out of place, a stranger looking in on a life that wasn’t mine. This wasn’t a family; it was a circus. A quick scan of the crowd found my mom down by the pool, draped over Aiden’s arm like she belonged there, her laughter carrying above the music. She was wearing a flowy maxi dress, her hair done up in loose waves that looked way too styled for a casual pool party.

It was like she’d completely forgotten the life we had before. The life we were trying to move on from. And she seemed fine with that.

I turned away from the window, frustration and a creeping sense of loneliness settling in. I didn’t want any part of this. I didn’t want to be here, pretending to fit into a world that wasn’t mine. I sat back on the edge of my bed, trying to block out the noise and focus on something else, anything else. I picked up my textbook, but the bass thumping from the stereo downstairs was too loud, and I could barely think.

A knock on my door made me look up. I didn’t bother to answer, knowing exactly who it was. Mom pushed the door open anyway, not waiting for an invitation. “Nadia, why aren’t you downstairs?” she asked, her voice full of forced cheer. “The party is in full swing! You should come down, meet some people.”

“I don’t want to,” I replied, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice. “This isn’t my scene.”

Her smile faltered, a flicker of frustration crossing her face. “You can’t just hide up here all day. You need to make an effort to fit in with the family, Nadia. This is our new life.”

I shook my head. “No, Mom, this is your new life. You’re the one trying to fit in. I don’t want any part of it.”

She sighed, clearly exasperated. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult? You’re being selfish. This is a good opportunity for us, and you’re wasting it.”

I felt the anger rise up in me, hot and overwhelming. “I’m being selfish? You’re the one who’s forgotten about everything we went through. You’re just pretending like none of it mattered!”

Her eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a colder tone. “I’m trying to move on, Nadia. You should try it too.”

That was it. I’d had enough. I pushed her out, slamming the door shut behind me and locking it. I heard her sigh in frustration on the other side, but I didn’t care. I leaned against the door, trying to calm down, but the music from downstairs kept pounding, each beat pushing my anger higher.

I couldn’t concentrate on anything with that noise. I grabbed my phone and earphones, deciding I needed to get out, even if it meant braving the chaos downstairs.

When I finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, the scene was even more chaotic than I’d imagined. The living room was packed, filled with people laughing, dancing, and spilling drinks. The whole place smelled like chlorine and alcohol. I tried to weave through the crowd, avoiding contact, but there seemed to be more people everywhere I turned.

Mason and Ethan were at the center of it all, commanding attention like they were born to do it. Mason leaned casually against the wall, watching everything with a calculating gaze, his easy grin never faltering. Ethan, on the other hand, was moving through the crowd, his lanky frame cutting a path through the throngs of people. He looked bored, but there was a certain intensity in his eyes, like he was observing everything and everyone.

I tried to avoid them, but it was impossible not to feel their presence. They were the stars of the show, the reason everyone was here. Even though I wanted to disappear, it was hard to ignore the pull they seemed to exert.

Jasper, of course, was in his element. I spotted him near the bar, deep in conversation with a woman I recognized as Mason's cousin. She was also our math teacher, which made it even weirder. I made my way over, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside. “Jasper, what are you doing?”

He looked at me, clearly amused. “What does it look like? Having a conversation. You should try it.”

I frowned, glancing at Mason's cousin, who was smiling at Jasper like he was the most interesting person in the world. “Be careful. These people aren’t exactly our friends.”

He rolled his eyes. “Relax, Nadia. Not everyone here is out to get you. Go find Daisy or something. Let me enjoy myself.”

I wanted to argue, but he’d already turned back to his conversation, clearly uninterested in anything I had to say. I sighed, feeling more out of place than ever.

……

I wove through the throngs of party-goers, and then spotted Daisy. She was tucked into a secluded corner of the garden, the shadows cast by the flickering lights over her face. Her laughter floated across the cool night air, and beside her was the middle-aged woman I had seen her with at the supermarket—the one whose secret I had uncovered.

They were sitting too close, their intimacy on display. It wasn’t just their proximity; it was the careless way their hands touched, the soft glances, the lingering smiles. And then I saw it—their shoes, carelessly swapped on each other's feet, a playful yet intimate gesture.

My heart pounded as I threaded through the party-goers, feeling the weight of what I had to say. “Daisy,” I called out over the noise, my voice tight with urgency.

She turned, her smile fading when she noticed my serious demeanor. “Hey, what’s up? You look like you've seen a ghost,” she said, her voice mixing concern with confusion as I pulled her aside to a quieter corner.

"It’s about her," I said quietly, nodding toward where her girlfriend was, the laughter of the crowd mingling with hers. I noticed the silver ring on her finger, shiny and conspicuous. "Daisy, she’s married," I finally let the words tumble out, watching her face closely for any sign of recognition or pain.

The color drained from Daisy’s face, her eyes widening in shock. “That’s none of your business,” she replied coldly, her voice rising as her body tensed up.

“It is my business when my best friend might be getting hurt,” I insisted, feeling my own temper flare. “What can she possibly offer you, Daisy? Happiness? She's married. If she really loved you, she'd get a divorce, but she doesn't. Don't you understand? She just wants to sleep with you!"

Daisy's expression twisted with anger, “You don’t get to judge my life or my choices, Nadia! Control your cheating mom and yourself.”

Sure enough, we are best friends, and she knows what stings me most.

"I'm worried about you," I try to make my voice sound smooth. "I almost got a contagious disease once, and you were with me all night. Some upperclassmen bullied me, so timid you would rush ahead of me. I knew that you were the best for me. I couldn't bear to see you get hurt."

Daisy's face softened for a moment, her anger pausing at the sincerity in my voice. "Nadia, I understand it all. The reason why I know it all too well is why I'm doing this."

"Why?" I echoed, incredulous.

"Because what you think you're doing to help me seems to me to be just a display of your superiority," she countered, her voice firm and defensive.

I froze.

Daisy’s hands clenched at her sides before one shot out, grabbing a wine glass from a nearby table. “Get out!” she yelled, smashing the bottle on the floor.

I felt like something was broken between Daisy and me, too, and tears ran down my cheeks. "Good. We'll never see each other again."

I turned away from this place of wrongdoing. My friend of over ten years, my best friend, and I knew that from then on, I had lost her.

The party was still very crowded, and it was very lively, with people drinking and singing. I hid in a small corner with no one around to drink. In a few short weeks, my parents divorced, and now I lost my best friend. People thought I was a phoenix, but in fact, I was going from one hell to another. I laughed at myself and cried as I laughed.

My vision was blurred by both the alcohol and the sharp sting of betrayal. As I reeled from the impact, I bumped into someone unexpectedly. A firm grip caught me, steadying me against a solid chest. Catching my breath, I blinked the sting away and looked up into the dark, amused eyes of Mason Gray.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into quite the mess, Warner," he drawled, his voice low, laced with an edge that resonated strangely within me, sending a shiver down my spine.

He tightened his grip slightly, unsettling me further, his face inches from mine. "What’s the matter, princess? Can't handle a little heat? He teased. “You should just run back home where you belong. It's clear you can't do anything right out here.”

"Is being rich a big deal? You think I want to stay in this shithole? I've had enough of this for a long time. I've had enough!"

Manson Gray's eyes flashed with surprise; probably no one had ever dared contradict him like that before.

"I'm not like those people who need your help." I straightened up and looked him straight in the eye, and though my heart was pounding with nerves, I was going to say it anyway, "I don't need to look at anyone. You're nothing but a pathetic parasite in my eyes, and away from your family, you're nothing, understand? Asshole."

I slipped away at Manson's shocked and bewildered expression. Good looking, but still an asshole. I muttered, stumbling toward the door of the house, carrying my bottle.

I found myself back in my room, slamming the door behind me and sliding down against its cool surface. The thumping bass from the party seeped through the walls, a relentless reminder of the chaos outside. I didn't even remember walking here: my emotions had carried me away from the fray.

I tried to block out the noise, yearning for peace in the solitude of my sanctuary, but it was futile.

Sprawled on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, the party's pulse echoing like a persistent heartbeat. Sleep eluded me, chased away by my turbulent emotions and the haunting image of Mason's intense gaze. It was going to be a long, restless night.