Page 108 of Lush

“Stay. I want to celebrate with my girls.”

For a moment, she hesitated, her eyes scanning my face like she was searching for something. Then, with a sharp breath, she nodded. “Alright.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the sound of muffled voices on the other side of the door broke the moment.

“Ugh, why’d you invite her?”The door swung open and Gigi’s arms were crossed, her glare aimed directly at Serena.“I’ve got three hours to make everyone in this room look presentable and make a flight. And that’s includingher.”

“We’re all back together!” Noelle grinned, looking like she wanted to cry.

“Shake ass first, cry later,” Gigi snapped.

And for once, I was happy to obey.

The bass was thumping so hard, you could feel it in your chest. The strobe lights, a dizzying kaleidoscope of color, bounced off the bar’s sleek surface, illuminating the crowd’s rhythmic swaying, the air thick with the smell of sweat and alcohol. A chilled bottle of champagne sat before us, and I was surprisingly enjoying myself.

“This place is poppin’, right?” Gigi stated.

Noelle grinned while filling our glasses. “Let’s make a toast! To Laurene and her last night of freedom? Or let’s cheers to the men I’m adding to my roster?”

“Don’t you have a harem already?” Serena arched a brow.

“Don’t be jealous. It gives you crow’s feet.”

Was Reese having a bachelor party? The thought of him being surrounded by women made my stomach curl. I could still feel him, on me, within me, but his final profession to me still rang in my ears.

“I’ll give the toast,” I said. “Here’s to letting go and, in G’s own words,shaking ass.”

Gigi raised her glass with a loud laugh. “Shaking ass!”

I clinked my glass against theirs, and we downed the drinks before Gigi clapped her hands.

“Let’s dance!”

She grabbed Noelle’s hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. Serena and I exchanged a look, and I was surprised when she just shrugged off her jacket and followed.

Secrets and guilt kept me in survival mode for too long. Tonight, I decided to forget it all. I went with the flow, not recklessly, but gently. Maybe trust. Or hope.

The bass shook me to my bones as I hit the dance floor. Gigi whirled around, her hair sparkling. Serena went with Noelle, their arms raised, howling with laughter over the music. The four of us moved together in a tight circle, the rhythm pulling us in.

I let my head tilt back and felt the heat of the moment press against my skin. Lights flashed above us—neon pinks and greens strobing through the smoky haze.

Everyone was packed in tight, moving together like one big wave. But then, the space around me shrank. There was another brush of skin, shoulders jostling mine, strangers’ voices too close, too loud in my ears. The lights that had dazzled now seemed to blur, their colors bleeding into a disorienting kaleidoscope. My breath caught, shallow and quick, as the warmth of the crowd became stifling.

All of a sudden, the memory of the spa slipped into my mind. My chest tightened.

I scanned the sea of faces, searching for Gigi, Serena, or Noelle.

The press of bodies seemed less accidental now, less friendly. The air buzzed with something more than music. Something heavier.

I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched.

I focused, trying to stay calm, but the loud noise and moving crowd made me stumble.

“Gigi?” I yelled, but my voice was swallowed by the music. “Noelle! Serena!”

No answer. Just the crowd, the heat rising. I tried to push through the sea of bodies, the sweat on my skin turning cold.

I needed to find them. I needed to get out.

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