Chapter 1 A Night Of Laughter, Drinks, And Dancing

• Ambre
• "Please take care of yourself!"
• After waving goodbye, my stepmother drives off at breakneck speed, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
• "As talkative as ever", it seems, my friend Holly teases me next to her.
• I shake my head gently, amused by the moment we just spent in the car. Mia, my father's new partner, has little free time to spend with her family, always holed up at her publishing company in downtown San Francisco. We don't see her very often, but when she does, we can't keep her from talking.
• "For once, she's taking her head out of her books", I reply with a laugh. I'm not going to complain.
• It's true that the moments I spend with her are few and far between. She moved in with my father more than three years ago. At first I was a little reluctant to let her into our family, but she quickly found her place. Partly because my little sister was starting to feel the need for a motherly presence, but also because she's such a lovely woman - despite her fondness for her professional life. Either way, she's taken the place my mother left behind many years ago, and for that I'm grateful.
• I grab my friend's arm and pull her toward the entrance of Echo, the bar where we work on Fridays and Saturdays. It's by far the best paying job we've had since we were old enough to work. The tips on the weekends are all more exorbitant than the others, and with the summer holidays approaching, the bar's parties and private parties are multiplying.
• "Hi, girls."
• With a cash register in his hands, Austin, our boss, smiles as he passes us. After saying hello to the whole team, we sneak into the dressing rooms.
• "Esther will pick us up at one o'clock."
• With her nose buried in her phone, Holly taps vigorously on it, barely lifting her eyes in my direction as I change.
• "Is she taking us home after the club?" I ask, pulling on my T-shirt with my name in all caps and the establishment's logo.
• "Yes, she has a family dinner tomorrow and wants to avoid drinking," she replies, putting her phone in her purse and pulling on her fitted black skirt, just like me.
• "Thanks to her, we'll get home safe and sound!"
• I put the rest of my things in my assigned locker and lock it.
• "Let's go!"
• In two steps she pushes me towards the exit and we meet the rest of the staff in the large room.
• ***
• It is well after midnight when we finally meet Esther in the parking lot. The third member of our trio is waiting patiently, leaning against her red Ford Focus.
• "Why are you the only one with nights off again?" Holly asks, panting heavily. Her heels click against the concrete, and with every movement of her legs, a pleasant floral perfume wafts from her hair.
• "Because I wanted to enjoy the beginning of summer and not have to work during the holidays!" Esther scoffs and comes to take us both in her arms. "Was it that bad tonight?"
• "It was a bachelor party," I say exhausted. "They never stopped screaming and singing and drinking at the bar." I put my backpack in the trunk and sit in the back seat.
• "My feet are killing me," I complain, massaging my ankles.
• "That's why you're wearing sneakers?" the driver jokes, apparently wearing four-inch heels like Holly.
• "No. It's so I don't lose a toe," I reply, seeing her roll her eyes and smile through the rearview mirror.
• "Will you let me manage your outfit sometime?" Holly asks me from the front seat.
• "Why bother? I'm fine the way I am," I reply, a little jaded.
• It's the same old story every time. I'm the kind of girl who doesn't bother with too much when she goes out. I can't understand those who have to sit on stilts. In a nightclub you should be able to stand on your feet all night. With eight-inch heels on your feet, that's not an easy task.
• "You're very beautiful," Esther reassures me, "but you'd be even more stunning with some nice shoes."
• "How are you going to find a guy when you're dressed like you're going to high school?" the brunette to her right criticizes.
• "I don't need to find a guy," I cut in before muttering to myself, "The last one was enough for me."
• It was barely six months ago and his memory is still fresh in my mind. The fact that we run in the same circle of friends doesn't help to erase it either.
• "So what about you and Tyler?" the driver asks playfully.
• "What about Tyler?" Holly answers in my place. "Ambre, I forbid you to get back together with that idiot."
• "Calm down!" I say, mocking her reaction a bit. "It's not on the agenda."
• "You say that now, and when you've had a few drinks, you'll be looking for each other again, and we all know how that ends!" she lets out a gruff sigh.
• "Stop giving her ideas," Holly grumbles.
• "I like him," I defend myself. "But I'm not stupid. I left him, not to run back into his arms."
• Or he'll have to suffer a little before that happens. On principle.
• After a twenty-minute drive, we park quickly and join the rest of the group outside Jerry's. It's a nightclub frequented by young people and we go there almost once a month. We're lucky to have more or less lax parents, which allows us to enjoy a few evenings with friends. Although my father sometimes wants me to stay with the family on Saturday nights. "It brings people together," he likes to say. Well, it mostly allows him to spend time with his wife, so I play along.
• Staring down the long line, I keep my eyes peeled for Cameron, my half-brother. When my eyes fall on a brown bush, I immediately notice the perfectly coiffed blond hair standing next to him. A small smile creeps across my face as I recognize him.
• "Look who's here..." Esther whispers in my ear, nodding in the direction I was looking a few seconds ago.
• I give him a teasing wink before bursting into laughter with Esther - leaving Holly to roll her eyes and give me a disapproving look.
• "We've been waiting for you," Cameron greets us with a smile.
• His two best buddies with him turn to face us, looking just as tipsy as my half-brother. I can't help but let my eyes linger on Tyler. The black t-shirt he's wearing brings out the blond in his hair, perfectly styled the way I like it. He gives me a crooked smile, one of those only he knows how to give, and comes to stand beside me.
• "How was work?" polite Garret, the quietest of the group, asks us.
• "Endless," Holly groans.
• "Time to relax then," Tyler adds next to me, the vibrations of his voice echoing off my skin.
• Letting him fight... easier said than done, but he deserves it. Cameron comes over and puts an arm around my shoulder. Wafts of alcohol waft from his breath as he brings his face closer to mine.
• "So, sis, I hope you're ready because tonight I'm going to get you drunk."
• Since we live under the same roof, this is the only nickname he calls me and I love it. I've always dreamed of having a brother and with Cameron it couldn't be better. He's really kind, outgoing, and I know that no matter what happens, he'll always be there for me. We were friends before we were siblings. The fact that we're the same age really allows us to have a brother-sister relationship, unlike the one I have with his so-called older brother... I instinctively furrow my eyebrows as this thought crosses my mind. This is clearly not the time to think about him; the further away he is from me, the better off I'll be.
• After several minutes of waiting, we finally pass through the doors of Jerry's entrance. The smell of sweat mixed with the choking smoke is already present as we enter. We each drop off our belongings at the cloakroom, trying to fit everything into as few bags as possible. Once we're sorted, we head straight for the bar, taking several steps in time with the music while trying to avoid the dancers in our path. The few tables in the room are already occupied. Some girls are even dancing on them, wriggling with enthusiasm as the DJ mixes a Kiiara track.
• "You girls have some catching up to do! First round's on me."
• Tyler, being a true gentleman, takes out his credit card from his jeans pocket and orders a yard of shots for the group. The night is off to a great start with alcohol, music, and friends. Time to have fun!