thim”
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Collins POV
As I stepped into the grand party with Poppy by my side, I immediately took in the atmosphere. Laughter echoed, music played lightly background, and everywhere I looked, there were familiar faces. But one face caught my attention right away Joanne. She was standing in a circle of girls, smiling and laughing as if nothing had ever happened between us. What was she even doing here!
“What’s she doing? I mustered barely keeping the irritation out of my voice
“What?” Poppy asked, tilting her head “Who?”
“Joanne.” I said, nodding slightly in her direction. “She’s busy flirting with everyone.”
Poppy looked where I pointed. “Oh, she does seem.. lively tonight. I’m surprised she’s not sulking.”
“Yeah, well, she shouldn’t be flaunting herself like that, I snapped. The sight of her having fun with others made my blood boil. I felt an urge to go over and say something, to remind her of her place.
“Collins, don’t let her get to you.” Poppy y said in a calming tone. “Let’s not make a scene?”
But I couldn’t help it. In a reflex action. I left Poppy’s side and walked straight toward Joanne. “I need to talk to her,” I said, brushing past a group of
guests
As I approached, I heard her laughter, and it only fueled my irritation. She was so caught up in whatever she was doing that she barely noticed me until I was right next to her.
Joanne.” I called out, trying to keep my y cool “Can we talk for a minute?”
She glanced at me, and for a moment, her imile faltered, but then returned. “Oh, excuse me! I didn’t see you there!” she replied, her voice bright yet casual
Maybe you should pay more attention,” I retorted feeling a twinge of annoyance. “What are you doing with these girls
“Just chatting and having fun! Is that a crime?” she shot back playfully, clearly unfazed by my
tone.
Before I could respond, she turned and walked away, joining Silver and some other familiar faces. I stood there for a second, feeling both frustrated and confused. This isn’t right. I muttered. “She should know better”
Poppy caught up to me, a brow raised. “Are you really going to follow her now? That looks desperate.”
1
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. “I’m not following her. I just don’t like to see her acting so carelessly
Still, my eyes remained fixed on her. She was now laughing with Silver, who looked pleased to have her by the side. I could see them whispering and giggling, quite the carefree trio. “Look at her,” I said, feeling my irritation harden, “What’s th
the point of all that?”
Poppy frowned but didn’t argue with me. “Maybe she found a way to have fun. She’s moving on, Collins. You have to accept that
“Moving on..” Lechoed, crossing my arm. “She makes it seem so easy!”
“Isn’t that what you wanted! For her to be happy!” Poppy asked, trying to encourage me to see the bright side.
“Sure, but not like this!” I said, my patience wearing
ring thin. I forced myself to greet some other guests to distract myself. “Hey, Alina! Good to see you?” I called to a familiar face.
my mind was still on Joanne. I could hardly focus on the conversation.
“Collins! You look great!” Alina r responded, but my
“Have you seen the food table?” I asked, looking around. “The pastries looked amazing.”
“Definitely! I had some–so good!” Alina replied enthusiastically. “What about you? Are you realy for the tournament?”
“Yeah, I suppose.” I said absentmindedly. My eyes Licked back to Joanne, now surrounded by laughter, completely engaged with her friends.
“Collins,” Poppy midged me. “You’re not even listening to Alina. You’re lost in your head”
I sighed, feeling more irritated. “It’s hard not to be when she’s right there”
“We’re here to enjoy ourselves! Let’s focus on that Poppy insisted, but I could tell she was trying to keep the peace. “You used to have a good time, remember?”
Suddenly, I noticed that Joanne was now whispering something to Silver, her hand gesturing playfully in the air. Whatever she said made Silver
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Chapter 16
laugh loudly. The sound pierced through me “Why is she acting like that?” I muttered under my breath.
“Collins,” Poppy said, her voice turning s
softer. “She’s just trying to make the best of the situation. You can’t control how she feels”
“I’m not trying to control her!” I snapped, frustration spilling o
out. “I just hate seeing her act like she didn’t care about what we had
Just then, I caught Joanne glancing back in my direction, a smile spreading across her face. For a brief moment, I thought she might come back to me, but instead, she turned away, joining her friends again.
“See? She doesn’t care!” I nearly shouted, feeling the irritation bubble up inside again.
“Look, Collins, she’s moved on, and you should too,” Poppy said firmly. “Let her have fun. It’s okay to step back.”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I watched as Joanne continued chanting, seemingly unaffected by my presence. “Is it really that easy for her?” I murmured. my gaze heavy on her.
“Maybe it is for now,” Poppy said, looking at me sympathetically. “But it’s normal for her to be upset, too. You both are just handling it in different
ways.
“I just don’t want to see her get hurt again.” I admitted, my voice quieter now. “But she really does look good with those girls”
“Exactly! She’s showing she can handle herself, Poppy said with a reassuring smile. “You need to let her be now.”
As I turned my attention back to the party, my heart tensed. The night was slipping away, and I couldn’t let it get to me. As much as it killed me to admit it, she seemed to be having fun without me. What made her think she could be so free,
“Alright, let’s mingle more,” I said, trying to shake off the thoughts. “I need to focus on the tournament, not on her.”
Poppy smiled, pleased that I was willing to move on. “That’s the spirit! Let’s grab some food first
As we walked away from Joanne’s aura of laughter, 1 kept stealing glances back, noting how she carried herself with ease, I couldn’t let her see my
