heartbeat ⇢ demetri volturi

𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑. 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓.

"𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄, 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐈'𝐕𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍."

Eleanor's laughter danced through the air, a delicate melody that accompanied her graceful movements. "Am I? You must not have seen a lot of girls then."

The boy in front of her shook his head. Eleanor could feel the smell of alcohol emanating from his body. "No. I'm sure. If angels exist they must be like you."

She playfully nibbled on her bottom lip, restraining the urge to break into a wide grin. "You're really drunk."

He shrugged carelessly, his smile quirking sideways, revealing those irresistible dimples once more. "Details," he replied, his words slurring together. "But seriously, how come I never saw you before?" he persisted, his fingers clumsily caressing her cheek.

A soft sigh escaped Eleanor's lips, barely audible over the all the noise that enveloped the surroundings. "I don't know. Maybe you weren't looking right."

His gaze drifted towards the cell phone clutched in her hand, its vibrant screen illuminating with the arrival of a new message. "Please tell me that's not your boyfriend," he implored, his eyes fixated on the wallpaper that adorned the screen.

Eleanor chuckled. "God no. That's my father, actually," she smiled looking at the image of her and Thomas on the little device. 

"But..." his brow furrowed. "He looks so young."

"Ever heard of adoption?"

The boy held up his hands in innocence. "My bad." Eleanor took the opportunity to read the name of the message on the screen. Nessie. "What about your mom?"

She pursed her lips, savoring a sip from her wine glass. It was sweet, like all her favorites. Food, drinks, perfumes. "Trust me, you don't want to hear about that."

"Mommy issues, huh? I've got of those too."

Eleanor doubted that his mommy issues were the same as hers.

"Listen Enzo... It's Enzo, isn't it?" the boy nodded. "I have to answer a friend's message. I'll go to the restroom for a second. Will you wait for me?"

"Are you kidding me? I'd wait an eternity for you."

Eleanor couldn't help but let a soft smile play upon her lips. It was evident that he didn't fully grasp the weight of his words.

But he was really cute, she had to give him that.

Amidst the haze of smoke, the pulsating beats of music, and the scent of alcohol permeating the air, she gracefully navigated her way towards the restroom. In her path, she encountered a sea of classmates, their faces partially obscured by the dim lighting.

"Eleanor!" A familiar voice pierced through the chaotic buzz. She smiled at the petite girl with the short blonde hair. There was something about Katie's energy and looks that always reminded her of Alice. "You look amazing! The black suits you."

"Thank you. You look very pretty too."

The restroom was empty, offering a momentary break from the bustling energy outside. Eleanor released a soft sigh and relaxed her shoulders. 

She shifted her gaze towards the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a sense of quiet confidence. Katie wasn't lying, black really suited her. Or maybe it was just the shape of the dress, which hugged her curves in all the right places. The color also accentuated the enchanting emerald hue of her eyes, which stood out against her fair, porcelain skin.