Chapter 72: A Little Too Loud
Merlina’s head throbbed like someone had tap-danced through her skull all night. And not because she hadn’t slept...she had. Barely. But her body felt drained, like every ounce of emotion had been wrung out and left to dry.
The knock came loud, fast, and inconsiderate.
Before she could even groan, Phoebe burst in, sunglasses on, latte in hand, like the sun had signed a non-compete clause against her.
"Okay, okay, okay," Phoebe sing-songed, tossing her bag on the bed like it offended her. "First of all...iconic night. Second, I’m still thinking about that tux. And third...can we all agree Craig’s party absolutely buried Brandon’s?"
Megan shuffled in behind her, yawning as she flopped onto the edge of the bed. "And those macarons? I had, like, seven. Rose pistachio? Game-changer."
Merlina blinked slowly. "It’s nine a.m."
"Exactly," Phoebe grinned, sliding her sunglasses off. "Peak gossip hour."
Her eyes still sparkled with leftover glitter from the night before.
"And don’t even get me started on Conor Lesnar. Like, okay, that guy is dangerous. I see it now."
Merlina’s body stiffened. "What?"
"No, I mean dangerously sweet," Phoebe said dramatically. "Ugh. It’s disgusting. I wanted to hate him. Really, I did. But the speech? The surprise band? The way he hugged Craig like they literally live for each other," She pulled a face. "I hate to say it, but the man might actually have a heart."