Hailee POV
Cira and I had barely stepped inside when I already felt a rush of something I hadn't felt in years, freedom. The kind that wasn't loud or wild, just freeing.
"Come on!" Cira shouted over the music, her eyes sparkling like she was a kid again. "Let's get drinks!"
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "You're still the same."
"And you still think too much!" she teased, dragging me toward the bar.
The bartender smiled the moment he saw her, clearly recognizing a regular. She winked at him and ordered two glasses of something that shimmered gold under the club lights.
"Here," she said, sliding one toward me. "Drink it before you change your mind."
I hesitated, then sighed and took a sip. It was sweet, smooth, and stronger than it looked.
Cira raised her glass. "To lost youth."
I smiled faintly and clinked mine against hers. "To second chances."
We drank, we talked, and slowly the music began to feel less like noise and more like energy.
