The confirmation brought a tilt to Odileās lips, a snort falling from her lips, although it fell flat. āWhy donāt we throw a couple of dangerous shots in there too, yāknow, just because no fucks are going to be given once Iāve sank a coupleā¦ā or one too many. She laughed, head falling backwards as she attempted to match the energy,
Her tone wasnāt the same tempo as her usually light, high-pitched, excited voice. This was a party after all, wasnāt it? Where she flourished and excelled. Instead, it came out lower, less enthusiastic. But the comfort of her hand intertwined with Lisetteās allowed her to keep her head high.Ā
Odile had been brought up in a socialiteās spotlight; she knew how to work a crowd. Her ability to mask had been one of her strongest skills. But this? It felt off-kilter, different from what sheād moulded herself too. She wanted to be the spit of Laurent, but even she had limits. She was still struggling to put the pieces together.Ā
Walking, she didnāt realise how tightly she held onto the woman who was her family. But there was something in the way Lis commanded herself that it rubbed off on the blonde. Odile felt confidence bloom in her where itād otherwise lacked moments ago.
Reaching the bar was a blur. Lisette talked, and Odile turned ā staring back towards the ring. Before she snapped herself out of it, and came to look at the man who now looked flustered under the star of a St. Clair. Donāt worry, my dude, it happens to most people, she wanted to say. āSame, uh, please,ā she managed, though her face had paled once again.
This is when she wished they could leave. No phones, no exitā¦stuck.Ā
āNope,ā she hadnāt, and she wondered if itād been for the best. āI always avoided it, honestly. I just thoughtā¦my image, there were certain things I should stay away from.ā And itād always made sense for her to do so. But Laurent being hereā¦after everything heād been through. āMaybe I thought I could handle more than I canā¦ā Maybe she wasnāt as strong as she thought, though she didnāt voice that out loud.