The bar was a cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses, a perfect backdrop for drowning out the weight of overthinking. Dim lights hung low, casting a warm, golden glow that flickered like old memories. Sticky tables bore the remnants of countless nights, and the jukebox in the corner stubbornly played the same outdated anthems from their early college days, the sound warped yet nostalgic.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyIhzrp8rg
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Marley, with the confident flair of a practiced bartender, slid two shots across the table, her eyes glinting with mischief. “What the actual hell took you so long?” she asked, hopping onto the stool beside Iona with an energy that was almost palpable.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1wYKKSa0P
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Iona smiled, a warmth blooming in her chest like a burst of sunlight breaking through clouds. “You know... just thriving in emotional neglect,” she replied, a hint of sarcasm lacing her words.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRMpg7gpuk
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As soon as Iona crossed the threshold of the bar, Marley had thrust two shots into her hands along with a bright, fruity mixed drink as a chaser. The burn of the alcohol coursed through her veins, loosening the tight knot of anxiety in her chest and spilling forth the emotional turmoil she had kept pent up for too long.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tv1y1blUP
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Marley rolled her eyes and slammed her shot back with a theatrical flourish. “Jesus. That man doesn’t deserve to hear your voicemail, let alone have your time.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ59HaRe0B
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“He’s not… bad,” Iona started, but even to her, her voice was lacking the conviction she desperately wanted to project.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtD8w9P6Wx
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Marley arched an eyebrow, her expression a mix of disbelief and annoyance. “No. He’s just never there. Big difference.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB2Hst3d1h
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Iona swirled her drink in contemplation, watching the way the vibrant colors mingled together like her jumbled thoughts. “It’s like… I kept thinking I was asking for too much. Like wanting attention made me clingy and needy. I don’t know when I started apologizing for existing,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, the weight of those words heavy in the air.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqirxyYzjW
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Marley’s face softened, the fierce protector in her shining through. “You used to be the wild one, remember? The one dragging me out, the one who wore glitter to the 10 a.m. brunch. You haven’t been you in a long time.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYtFHSrTJy
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Iona blinked, the memories washing over her like a nostalgic tide. She hadn’t thought about that version of herself in ages—the carefree Iona who could laugh without inhibition, who threw caution to the wind and seized every opportunity for joy. That girl had lived for spontaneous adventures, her heart unburdened by regret. Now, sitting in this bar, she felt imprisoned by her own hesitations, trapped in a loop of what-ifs and lost time.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfTmp0TB3h
“I miss her,” she admitted quietly, the admission tasting bittersweet on her tongue.
“Well,” Marley said, leaning in closer, a mischievous glint lighting up her eyes, “you know what she’d do?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHKDATQWSz
Iona raised an eyebrow, curiosity piquing her interest. “What?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYOvMhYSZC
“Something wild! Something she’s never done before!” Marley paused, tapping a finger against her chin in exaggerated thought. “She would get a tattoo. Right now.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAUgeTrkyr
Iona choked on her drink, laughter erupting unexpectedly. “You are not serious,” she said, half in disbelief, half in amusement.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUlUXdWaNp
“I’m deadly serious. You owe that version of you a little reckless joy. You want to feel alive again? Let’s do it. One tiny bit of forever. On your skin. For you. Not for a man. Not for anyone, but you.”
The words hung in the air, electrifying and dangerous. Iona hesitated, her mind caught in a tug-of-war between the echoes of her old self and the cautious pragmatism that had settled into her life.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTanbFmkDOG
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Marley whipped out her phone, fingers flying across the screen like a determined pianist. “I already texted the shop. Reza’s working tonight. Let’s go!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oj9N1qixe
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“Wait, what if I—”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuObJZQHFe
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“Too late. We’re doing this,” Marley declared, a fierce grin plastered on her face, the kind that promised adventure.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnkw58lXH3
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Iona stared into her half-finished drink, the vibrant colors swirling as if mirroring her chaotic thoughts. The noise of the bar, the heat enveloping her like a warm embrace, and the rhythmic bass of the music seeped into her bones, awakening something within her. It felt like a heartbeat, a pulse urging her to break free from her constraints.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMZajuWrpM
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Maybe it was the intoxicating urge to be free, or simply the effects of the alcohol, but suddenly, Iona made up her mind. Mustering the last of her courage, she downed the rest of her drink in one swift motion, the liquid fiery and exhilarating as it slid down her throat.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WUoPAo4Oy
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“Fine,” she said, her voice steady and resolute. “Let’s do something stupid.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nc50Yh7JD
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Marley whooped loud enough to earn incredulous glances from the bartender, her excitement a whirlwind that swept them both along. And just like that, the girl Iona used to be, the one who dared to live fully, began clawing her way back to the surface, ready to embrace a night that promised to be anything but ordinary.
