Page 2 of Ava After Midnight

“Ava, this isn’t how we do things.”

I whisper the words aloud, mimicking Matthew’s tone, that careful mix of patience and condescension. “You know better. You don’t want to embarrass yourself, do you?”

Zoe raises an eyebrow from across the room. “Wow. That’s eerie…”

Jade scoffs. “Of course he says stupid shit. That’s the voice of a man who thinks he’s doing you a favor by letting you marry him.”

I take another shot. Let the warmth settle in. Let it quiet the voice. Somehow it feels louder… suffocating, even.

“Earth to Ava!” Zoe waves a hand in front of my face. “Stop overthinking and keep drinking. Tonight isn’t about him, and this liquor wasexpensive, so enjoy it while it lasts.”

She’s right. Tonight isn’t about Matthew, or the wedding, or the perfectly planned future waiting to suffocate me. It’s about the part of me that still knows how towant.

“What Matthew doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Jade purrs, applying yet another coat of blood-red lipstick.

The words knock something loose inside me, something I’ve been trying to ignore. I grab the tequila, letting liquid courage drown out any voice of reason. I don’t bother with a shot glass.

“Slow down,” Mia cautions, but there’s a glint in her eye that says she’s hoping I won’t.

A vibration rattles from inside my purse. Matthew. Again—right on schedule. Probably calling to remind me about his rules for tonight:

1 No male strippers.

2 No excessive drinking.

3 No embarrassing photos.

Most important of all: 4. Basically no fun.

Mia moves before I can, reaching for it. I snatch my purse away, pulse hammering.

Silence stretches between us for a beat too long.

Slowly, deliberately, I press Ignore.

Zoe whoops, clinking her shot glass against mine. The thrill of victory sizzles beneath my skin.

“That’s my girl,” Zoe grins, wicked and encouraging. “Now let’s go find you sometrouble.”

Mia exhales sharply, setting down her empty glass with a little too much force. “Right. Because ignoring your fiancé is a smart idea.”

Zoe throws her an exasperated look. “God, Mia. Just admit you’re mad he picked Ava and not you.”

“I just think Ava should be more careful, that’s all.” Mia’s smile is tight, practiced. “Not everyone gets handed something good and acts like it’s disposable. Must be nice to have a night off from being perfect.”

Jade hums, swirling the last sip of her drink in her glass. “Right. Some of us just pretend to be happy for our friends while secretly thinking they deserve less.”

Mia’s eyes flick to her, sharp, but she recovers fast. “Whatever. The Uber’s here,” she announces, standing up like the conversation never happened. “Let’s go.”

The Uber is waiting downstairs, ready to whisk us into a night of possibility. City lights blur past the window and my ring sits heavy in my lap, colder than the air outside, like a warning I don’t want to heed.

I could take it off.Would that be a betrayal, or the first honest thing I’ve done in years?

Instead I settle for running my thumb over the band, pressing it into my skin like an anchor. I love Matthew. Right? I’m getting married tomorrow. This is just fun. Just one last night to let loose with my girls, where I can pretend this ring doesn’t weigh me down.

“Ready?” Jade asks as we pull up to the first club, the bass thrumming through the sidewalk.

Before we step out, Mia reaches into a shopping bag and pulls out a set of white satin sashes. "Almost forgot," she says, her voice light, but there’s something pointed in the way she hands them out.

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