Chapter 0463


    Abby


    As Karl and | head wordlessly back into the pub, I’m torn between relief and a whirlwind of emotions. The warmth of the crowded


    room envelopes us, a stark contrast to the cold intimacy of the alley. The lively chatter andughter of the patrons are soothing to


    my ears, but my mind is still racing.


    Karl and | don’t say a word to each other as we head down the narrow hallway, but | don’t think we need to. | can feel his


    presence behind me, and | know he’s watching me. He’s probably confused, just like | am.


    And maybe that’s okay.


    But keeping something like this from my best friend—no, not just keeping it from her, but rather lying to herpletely—isn’t


    right. It’s not right at all, and | feel like the worst friend imaginable in my current drunken state.


    | realize that keeping this secret from Chloe is just going to end up in mes, but | feel trapped. It doesn’t feel like it’s the right


    time to reveal what’s happening with Karl and me. Hell, maybe there never will be a ‘right’ time.


    Besides, we''re just... hooking up. It could end at any moment, and | don’t want to drag Chloe into something that might just fizzle


    out or end in disaster. If it ends in thetter manner, | know she''ll just me Karl, and | can’t have that. Not now.


    As we rejoin our friends at the table, the familiar faces and ongoing conversations provide a temporary distraction. | try to focus


    on the present moment, on the stories being shared, the jokes, and theughter.


    But my thoughts keep drifting back to Karl and the alley, to Leah’s knowing look, and to the looming worry about Chloe’s reaction


    when she undoubtedly finds out.


    To drown out my thoughts, | find myself reaching for my drink more often. One ss turns into two, and then three.


    The warmth of the alcohol fills me, numbing my worries and dulling my senses. The music in the pub blends into a pleasant hum,


    the conversations around me be aforting blur.


    “And so | told him,” John says, his voice sounding warm and fuzzy in my current state, “Anton, if you can’t handle the heat—”


    “Yes, yes, ‘get out of the kitchen’,” Anton says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “And I say to that, to hell with your heat! This


    kitchen is ventted!”


    I''mughing louder now, the weight of the evening’s events feeling lighter with each sip. The sses on the table multiply, and |


    lose track of how much I’ve had to drink. My movements be less coordinated, myughter a bit too loud.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    “Oh, shoot,” | mutter to myself as | reach for my ss and find it empty. “Guess | gotta get another. Another round, everyone?”


    My friends cheer, and many of them are probably just as drunk as | am. Or at least, that’s what | tell myself. | stand and begin to


    make my way over to the bar, but my shoe catches on a raised floorboard and | stumble. | manage to stay upright, but that’s


    almost not the case.


    Karl, who has been watching me with a mix of amusement and concern, finally stands up and makes his way over to me.


    “Alright, Abby, | think it’s time to get you home,” he says, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Sorry, guys. You''ll have to get your


    own round of drinks.”