Lana's gaze flicked with disappointment, but she masked it quickly, turning her attention to him as if nothing had happened. The interruption hit Hyacinth like a cold slap, the moment stolen before it could turn into anything more. She swallowed the frustration, forcing herself to stand there, to watch Lana slip back into her role with Andrew, laughing at whatever joke he was telling as if she hadn't just been inches from her lips.
It took everything in her not to turn and leave, but she refused to give Andrew that satisfaction. Instead, she waited until Lana's gaze met hers again across the room. It was a brief look, scarcely a second, but she caught the unspoken apology, the way Lana's eyes eased, as if she knew exactly what she had put her through.
Hyacinth took another long sip of her drink, trying to drown the jealousy clawing at her insides. Every laugh Lana shared with him, every touch between them, felt like salt in a wound she hadn't realized was so deep. She didn't know when her feelings had twisted into something this powerful, but now, seeing her with someone else, she couldn't deny it any longer.
When he left her side once more to grab another round of drinks, Lana slipped through the crowd and found her way back to Hyacinth. The smile she wore was slightly different now, tinged with a hint of mischief, as if she knew the effect she had had.
"Enjoying yourself?" She asked, her voice low enough that only Hyacinth could hear.
"Hard to say." Hyacinth's tone was sharper than she intended, but she couldn't help it. "Seems like I'm the third wheel here."
Lana chuckled, and that sound, soft and teasing, sent a rush of conflicting emotions through her.
"You don't have to be."
She felt her heart throb. There was a promise in Lana's words, a suggestion that she couldn't ignore.
"What are you playing at, Lana?"
"Maybe I just like having your attention," she replied in a casual tone, but her stare held something much deeper, a hint of vulnerability.
Hyacinth opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Andrew's voice interrupted once again.
"There you are," he said, slipping his arm back around Lana's waist, pulling her closer to him. Lana's expression faltered, just for a second, but she composed herself quickly, turning her attention to him with that same effortless smile.
Hyacinth's patience snapped. She couldn't stand by and watch this charade any longer.
"I think I'll head out," she said, hoping Lana would hear the finality in her voice.
Lana looked back at her, a flash of regret passing across her face.
"Leaving so soon?"
"Yeah," she replied, keeping her voice firm, though her chest tightened. "I don't think I belong here."
She turned and made her way through the crowd, ignoring Lana's gape on her back. The cool night air hit her as she stepped outside, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her. She narrowly made it halfway down the path before she heard Lana's footsteps behind her.
"Hyacinth, wait!" She called out to her, with a voice carrying a note of desperation.
Hyacinth stopped, her hands placed at her sides, struggling to contain the frustration that had been building all night.
"What do you want from me, Lana?"
Lana hesitated, her stare dropping to the ground for a moment before she looked back up, her eyes filled with something raw, something real.
"I don't know… I didn't mean to hurt you. I just… I didn't expect this."
"Didn't expect what?" Hyacinth demanded in a racking voice. "Didn't expect me to feel something? Or didn't expect to feel something yourself?"
Lana's silence was enough. She took a tentative step forward, reaching out as if to touch Hyacinth's arm, but stopped short, her hand hovering uncertainly.
"I thought I could keep things simple," she muttered inaudibly. "I thought I could just… enjoy your company without it meaning more."
Hyacinth's heart twisted, torn between anger, and the undeniable pull she felt toward Lana.
"And Andrew? Is he part of that plan?"
Lana shook her head, frustration showing in her eyes.
"Andrew and I… we're complicated. It's not what it looks like. But I… I don't know how to explain it without making it worse."
Hyacinth took a shaky breath, her anger relaxing into something more vulnerable, more exposed.
"Then stop playing games with me. Because this—whatever this is between us—it's not fair. Not to me. Not to him. Not to you."
Lana took another step forward, this time her hand finding Hyacinth's, fingers brushing softly, tentatively.
"I don't want to play games with you," she said, "I just… I didn't expect to care this much."
The confession hung between them, raw and unguarded, and Hyacinth felt the anger begin to melt away, replaced by something deeper, something terrifyingly real. She didn't know if she could trust Lana, didn't know if this would end in heartbreak, but at that moment, with Lana's hand in hers, she didn't care.
Slowly, Lana leaned in, her eyes never leaving hers, as if seeking permission, waiting for any sign that this was what Hyacinth wanted. And then, without another word, their lips met in a kiss that was soft, hesitant, but filled with every unspoken feeling that had built between them.
For that brief moment, everything else faded— the party, the complicated mess of feelings, even Andrew's shadow lurking in the background. It was just them, wrapped in a connection that felt both fragile and unstoppable.
But as they pulled apart, the reality of their situation rested over them like a cold wave. Lana's gaze dropped, a hint of guilt passing over her face.
"I… I should go back. To the party. To Andrew."
Hyacinth's chest tightened, the painful reminder that Lana's life was still tangled with someone else. She forced herself to nod, even as every part of her wanted to beg her to stay.
"I get it."
Lana hesitated, as if she wanted to say more, but instead, she stepped back, giving Hyacinth one last, lingering look before turning and walking back into the house, leaving her alone under the stars, her heart pounding, and her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
She stood there for a long moment, replaying the kiss, Lana's confession, the unbearable tension that still remains. She didn't know what would happen next, didn't know if this was the start of something real, or just another layer of confusion.
But as she finally turned to walk away, she couldn't help the small, hopeful smile that tugged at her lips, a spark of something warm amidst the chaos. For better or worse, she was caught in Lana's world now. And part of her couldn't wait to see where it would lead…