DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 132

Chapter 132

Scarlett

10 such

I hugged her back stiffly, then watched as she climbed into a waiting cab. The car zoomed off into the night, leaving me standing alone on the dimly lit street.

The moment the taillights disappeared, the tears came.

–

I bent down, hands on my knees, and cried harder. Big, ugly sobs that shook my whole body. This wasn’t the life I wanted Not for me, and definitely not for my sister. The debt, the scams, the secrets, the double life it was all too much. I cried because I felt like I was failing everyone, including myself.

When the tears finally slowed, I stayed crouched there on the sidewalk for a long moment, breathing shakily. The street sely too quiet, too exposed. I couldn’t go home like this, not with my mind still screaming and my chest this tight. I needed something stronger than tears to dull the noise.

Wiping my face roughly with the back of my hand, I flagged down the first taxi that passed.

“Please, take me to any decent bar nearby,” I told the driver, my voice hoarse. “I don’t care which.”

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror but didn’t ask questions. As the car pulled away from the curb, I leaned my forehead against the cool window and closed my eyes, already tasting the burn of the first drink I was going to order.

The taxi dropped me off near a small, dimly lit bar a few blocks from home. I got out and paid before heading inside the bar. I needed something strong to quiet it all.

I slid onto a stool at the bar and ordered the first drink. Then another. And another

The bartender watched me with growing concern as I downed the third shot in quick succession. “Hey, lady… you’re drinking way too much. Maybe slow down?”

I slammed the empty glass on the counter and glared at him. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. “Just keep them coming.”

He raised his hands in surrender and poured the next one, but I could feel his eyes on me the whole time.

A couple of men tried their luck, sliding onto the stools beside me with sleazy smiles and cheap pickup lines. “Not in the mood,” I muttered each time, waving them off without even looking at them properly. I just wanted to drink until the noise in my head dulled.

I drank and drank until the world started tilting pleasantly. When I finally decided I’d had enough, I paid my tab and stumbled out into the night air. Instead of calling another taxi, I started walking – trekking the whole way home on unsteady legs. The cool night breeze did little to sober me up.

By the time I reached my apartment building, my head was spinning and my feet ached. As I approached my door, I saw Viktor stepping out of his apartment with the same girl I’d seen hin with before the one from that might atter the private session. They were laughing about something. He looked like he was walking her out.

I didn’t say a word. I just slipped into my own apartment and shut the door behind me, leaning against it as everything crashed over me again – Martha on the street, the loan sharks, the endless payments, Viktor’s clumsy kiss this morning, and Vee’s thick cock on my screen while I fingered myself for him. It was all too much.

Then I heard the soft click of the main door opening again. Viktor must have come back after seeing the girl off.

Something reckless and drunk took over. I quickly ran out of my apartment just as he turned toward the stairs.

He stopped when he saw me. He still wasn’t wearing his glasses, just like earlier today. His eyes looked softer without them.

08:50 Mon, Jul 13

Chapter 132

his face more open.

10 voucher-

I smiled at him, the alcohol making everything feel warmer and fuzzier than it should. “You still haven’t gotten new glasses?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose awkwardly. “They said they’ll bring one for me tomorrow.” His gaze lingered on me. “You seem drunk. What happened?”

I laughed, the sound coming out louder and freer than usual. “Who is that girl? I keep seeing her with you.”

He opened his mouth. “Oh, she’s my—”

I didn’t let him finish. I stepped closer and pressed my finger gently over his lips, the alcohol making me bold. “Can I come in for a minute?”

Before he could answer, I pushed past him and hurried inside his apartment.

The place was shockingly neat — everything perfectly organized, surfaces spotless, books aligned on shelves, not a single thing out of place. It looked expensive and well–cared for, nothing like the messy chaos of my own life right now. I looked around appreciatively, then walked straight to his bed and sat down on the edge of it.

Viktor stood near the door, watching me with obvious concern. “Do you want something to drink? But first… I think you should really go back to your place. You seem out of it.”

I tilted my head, studying him through the pleasant haze of alcohol. “Why did you kiss me on my lips this morning when I asked you to kiss my cheek? Do you really like me that much?”

He swallowed hard, staring at me. For a moment he looked almost scared. “I think you should leave. You’re drunk, and I might do something wrong. Just leave.”

“You just asked the fucking question, boy,” I said, laughing again.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “This is embarrassing… but the thing is that I actually couldn’t see you this morning. Like, without my glasses, I can’t see. So I kissed your lips thinking it was your cheek.”

I looked at him for a second, then burst out laughing- loud, genuine, alcohol–fueled laughter. “Oh my God, you are so funny and so cute.” The words slipped out easily. “This makes me want to kiss you right now.”

“Huh?” he whispered, eyes widening.

I crooked my finger at him in a slow, seductive “come here” gesture, my voice dropping into something low and teasing. “Come here.”