Music pulsed from somewhere deep inside the apartment, shaking the door beneath Leon's feet.
The party was already in full swing—neon lights, bass heavy music, people dancing in every corner like the night had no rules.
He wasn't supposed to be there. Not really. But when Jack had called and said, "Come on, man, you need this" Leon hadn't argued. He'd needed noise—something loud enough to drown out his thoughts.
"Leon!" someone shouted from across the room. He turned just in time to see Kunle pushing through the crowd with that wide grin of his. "You've made it! Finally decided to stop brooding."
Now, standing in the middle of it all with a red plastic up in his hand, he almost believed it was working.
Leon smirked. "Yeah, figured I'd remind you all what fun looks like." They both laughed.
They bumped fists, laughing as someone passed another round of drinks. Kunle raised a glass. "To always surviving bad decisions."
The group cheered. Tequila down his throat again, warm and sharp, and for the first time in weeks, Leon laughed—the real kind.
The DJ switched songs, a new wave of energy swept through the room. That's when he saw her—Tomiwa—in a silver top and black jeans, dancing with a group of friends. She caught him watching, smiled, and sauntered over like she already already knew how the night would end.
"Didn't peg you for the party type," she teased, her voice smooth under the music.
"Guess I surprise people sometimes," he said, grinning.
They talked, they danced, they laughed—it all blurred together in the haze of flashing lights and too much tequila. Somewhere between the jokes and the music, the ache in Leon's chest dulled. He didn't think about Charity. Didn't think about Felicity. Didn't think about what he'd broken.
Hours later, when most people had stumbled out or passed out on the couches and floor, Leon and Tomiwa slipped away. He didn't plan it; he just didn't stop it.
The next thing he knew, he was at Caesar Hotel, his familiar escape when the world got too heavy. By morning, sunlight crept through the blinds, and Tomiwa was laid asleep on the bed half naked.
He sat up slowly, head pounding, a faint grin on his lips when Kunle's name flashed across his phone.
"Brooo," kunle's voice cracked through the speaker. "Tell me you didn't end up at Caesar's again?"
Leon laughed, leaning back against the headboard. "I swear I can't remember anything."
"You're a menace," Kunle said between laughs. "Player of the year, man. You need an award."
Leon chuckled, rubbing her eyes. "What I need is to get out of here. I'll call you later."
But when the call ended and the room fell silent, he stood up and opened the curtains, staring out at the morning light for a long while—until the grin faded and all that was left was quiet.
On the other side of the city, felicity's morning began differently.
She was sitting on the campus lawn with Victoria and Gwen, sunlight warming her skin, her laughter mixing with theirs. Victoria had just finished telling a story about accidentally emailing a lecturer a meme instead of her assignment.
"Stop, I'm serious," Victoria said, clutching her stomach. "He replied. What is this Victoria?"
Felicity nearly choked on her drink "You didn't!"
"I did!"
"You're chaos in human form" Gwen said, falling over.
They laughed until their sides hurt, the kind of laughter that healed something small inside her.
Her phone buzzed, and when she looked down, a smile slowly curved on her lips.
It was a message from Imran.
Wow! you aced the test. I knew you'd kill it. Proud of you, Fel
Her heart warmed. She hadn't even remembered she told him.
She typed back quickly:
Thank you. That means a lot
He replied a minute later.
When I'm back in town, we're celebrating. Restaurant of your choice.
Felicity laughed softly to herself, tucking the phone away before Gwen could peek over her shoulder.
"What's on your phone that's making you blush so hard," Gwen said immediately, narrowing her eyes. "That's suspicious."
"It's just Imran," Felicity said, trying to sound casual.
"Oh, just Imran," Victoria teased. "Girl, you're glowing."
Felicity shook her head, but her cheeks betrayed her. She didn't care though—not today.
For the first time in a while, the world didn't feel heavy. It felt open. Like maybe things could fall apart and still come back together to just how it was or even better.
That evening, Leon drove back through the city with the windows down, music loud, sunglasses hiding tired eyes.
He told himself it was just one night and he needed it. Nothing more.