Chapter 9 – Don't Back Down
The bar was dimly lit, a haze of soft neon casting glows on half-empty glasses and slumped shoulders. Nosi sat alone in the farthest booth, nursing her third drink. She didn't usually drink—never liked the way it made her head feel hollow—but tonight was different. Tonight, she needed the numbness.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen.
Ivan Calling.
She sighed and answered. "Hey."
"Nosi, where are you?" Ivan's voice came through, calm but firm. "Please don't tell me you're drinking at home alone again."
"I'm not at home," she mumbled, swirling her glass. "I'm at Redstone Lounge."
There was a pause. "Good. Stay right there. I'm coming."
She didn't argue. When Ivan said something, she usually meant it.
Twenty minutes later, Ivan walked in, her long braids swaying as she scanned the room. She spotted Nosi instantly and slid into the booth across from her.
"You look like hell," Ivan said, raising a brow.
"Thanks," Nosi muttered.
Ivan flagged down a waiter and ordered a mocktail before turning her full attention back to Nosi. "Talk. What happened?"
Nosi hesitated, but the alcohol had already loosened her tongue. "It was Joy."
Ivan groaned. "What now?"
"She accused me of stealing her man."
Ivan blinked. "Fred?"
Nosi nodded, feeling shame and anger twist inside her. "She said I don't deserve someone like him. That he's supposed to be with her, not me."
Ivan scoffed. "And what has she done to deserve him? Besides being a walking designer label with the emotional maturity of a teaspoon."
"I didn't even do anything," Nosi whispered. "Fred and I… it's complicated. I didn't plan any of this. He just—he keeps showing up. And every time he does, it's like the world fades."
Ivan smiled knowingly. "That sounds a lot like someone who's falling."
"I'm scared," Nosi confessed. "What if Joy's right? What if I'm not enough for someone like him?"
"Enough?" Ivan leaned in. "Nosi, listen to me. That man looks at you like you're the only person in the world who matters. I've seen it. I've felt it. And if you let Joy's jealousy push you away, you'll regret it."
"But she was so angry," Nosi murmured. "She said he's hers because he's rich and powerful, and that I'm just a phase to him."
Ivan rolled her eyes. "Fred doesn't strike me as the kind of man who chases 'phases.' And if he's really all that, don't you think he'd know how to walk away if he wasn't serious?"
Nosi was quiet, replaying Joy's words again in her mind. The bitterness. The accusation.
"You're not just anyone," Ivan continued. "You're strong, kind, and for once, someone actually sees you. That terrifies Joy, because for all her flash, she knows deep down that she can't compete with real."
Nosi's eyes welled up. "I didn't ask for this war."
"No, but it found you anyway," Ivan said gently. "So now you decide. Are you going to run? Or are you going to fight for something that finally feels right?"
The words hit hard, cutting through the alcohol and the doubt.
"I don't even know if Fred wants me to fight," Nosi whispered. "What if I'm just imagining it?"
"Then ask him," Ivan said. "Face it head-on. But don't walk away just because your sister is throwing a tantrum. You've been surviving your whole life, Nosi. Maybe it's time to start living."
Nosi stared into her glass, the ice melting into watered-down liquor. She didn't want to live in fear anymore. She didn't want to let Joy dictate her worth.
"Thanks, Ivan," she said quietly. "I needed to hear that."
Ivan smiled, squeezing her hand. "Anytime. And next time you feel like drinking alone, call me first. I'll bring the better wine."
They both laughed, and for the first time that night, Nosi felt something other than pain.
Hope.