ten | haunting me forever

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ALIGREER: i love playing dress up

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SILVIODAIR: sexy mami 🔥
     ↳ USER1: ur so annoying
          ↳ ALIGREER: @user1 & ur irrelevant

MIRATIOWOOHOO: i miss youuuuuu

JORDANRIKI: 💚

USER2: god, i wish i looked like that
     ↳ USER3: Fat?
          ↳ USER4: are u blind?

USER5: i hate u stupid bitch u stole my boyfriend
     ↳ USER6: this is why seven year olds shouldn't be allowed instagrams 💀
          ↳ USER5: i'm 14 thanks

IF THERES ONE THING AN INFLUENCER CAN DO, ITS AN EVENT. Ali loved events. She loved wearing a fancy dress and posing for flashing cameras. Getting people to do her hair and makeup brought her so much joy. . . Jordan, on the other hand, did not.

They were standing in her bathroom as her makeup artist applied the finishing touches to the look. Jordan was standing behind her, readjusting the collar of his shirt every three seconds. She tried not to smile as she watched him (couldn't crease her makeup before she even got to the event).

"So, what exactly is the point?" He asked, once again loosening his tie. Ali smacked his hand.

It was a Tik Tok creators event. A chance for Australian creators to network with each other and brands. (Plus, it was a good photo op for everyone's Instagrams.)

Before they knew it, they were walking down the red carpet and more cameras than Ali was used to began flashing rapidly. Journalists shouted questions at the pair from all angles.

Jordan's hand, which had originally been resting on her lower back, snaked around until it was resting in the curve of her waist and hip. "That okay?" He asked under his breath and nodded faintly, leaning into him and smiling widely.

There were many interviewers that pulled them for a chat, pestering them with questions on how they met and when they made it official. Earlier in the night they'd decided to brush off the questions and promote Ali's YouTube video if they wanted answers (marketing geniuses). Ali had to admit, she'd forgotten how fun it was to have someone to go through these things with. Having someone to jump in when she didn't know what to say or just didn't want to speak.

"Yeah, we're just taking it one step at a time—still early days," Jordan had been saying to an interviewer when Ali caught a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye. Her stomach dropped and her body language must've changed drastically because both Jordan and the interviewer asked her if she was alright.

"Just cold," she said, mustering up a fake smile and rubbing her arm.

Within a matter of seconds, Jordan's blazer was draped over her shoulders and she gave him an appreciative smile as the interviewer awed at them. Ali quickly thanked her before grabbing Jordan's hand and leading him inside and off the carpet.

Her hands had gone clammy and she could feel her heart racing as she power walked ahead. She was scared she'd fall through the earth if she stopped moving.

"Ali—? Ali," Jordan stopped walking and pulled her by the hand back towards him. "What's actually wrong?" He stared down at her with genuine concern written across every feature on his perfect face.

She shook her head and looked down at their feet as her lip quivered. Jordan's arm wrapped around her and he pulled her against his chest. Alianna Greer would not cry. She would not. His hug was actually comforting and she slowly felt her breathing return to normal. She eventually pulled away and began delicately wiping the corners of her eyes with her acrylics—an an attempt to smudge her eyeliner.

"We won't talk about it if you don't want to," he said, still watching her in concern.

Ali gave him a small smile and slipped his jacket off her shoulders. "Thank you." She offered him the jumper but he tried to refuse. "I'm more hot then anything, I swear."

"You've got that right," he replied but the joke felt hollow.

She offered her hand out and he gladly accepted and they went on the hunt for their designated table. Safe to say, it was not an easy search. Jordan had the email open with the seating plan and had rotated it about seven times trying to figure out which direction they were facing. It was only thanks to another person coming up them and saying they were excited to be sitting with them did they actually find their seats.

"Thought we'd be sitting on the floor," Jordan whispered to her as they followed.

She snorted at him.

"Look who I found," said Georgia, their 'guide' to the rest of the table as they approached. A few heads looked up and Ali's stomach dropped once again. The organisers were sick and twisted for this.

Myles smirked at them as Jordan pulled out her chair for her. Ali didn't react, unable to break eye contact with her ex-boyfriend. She felt him nudge her and she went into autopilot as she fumbled into her seat, trying to ignore the way her hands shook. "Long time, no see, Greer," he said, his voice not having changed a bit.

"Shame it hasn't been longer," she barely mustered out.

Myles chuckled into his wine glass. "See your humour hasn't changed then."

"Sorry, who are you?" Jordan cut in, his arm draping over the back of Ali's chair. He could've pissed on her and been less obvious about marking his territory.

Myles didn't even look at him though, his smile did widen at his question. "You haven't told him about me, love?"

"Don't call me that."

"You used to love it," he retorted.

Ali downed her glass of wine. She wished she had an entire bottle to herself.

"So, you're my replacement?" Myles asked, though it was more of a statement then an actual question. He looked Jordan up and down skeptically as Ali tensed beside him.

Jordan frowned. "Call it an upgrade."

Georgia, who'd been watching everything in slight horror, choked on her wine. As she tried to play it off, Ali poured herself another glass—if she was drunk enough, Myles would disappear.

Myles laughed in a way that Ali recognised too well. He laughed like that when he hated you. She heard it a lot in the last six months of their relationship. "There's probably more accurate words to use," he retorted, eyes blowing over Ali once again. "Isn't that right, Alianna?"

"Upgrade works," she said softly, staring blankly at the table cloth.

Myles snorted. "You always hates athletes—called them brain dead wastes of money."

Hurt flashed on Jordan's face as Ali looked up at him. "Things change, Myles." She rests her hand on his leg, as if telling him she doesn't think he's stupid.

"You've really let yourself go, haven't you?" The blonde man looked her over. "The old Alianna would hate who you've become."

Memories and promises flashed through Ali's mind as he tore into her. She wished the ground would just swallow her.

"I think you better watch your math, mate," Jordan snapped, back straightening.

Before anything else could be said, Ali shot out of her seat. "I'm going to the bathroom." Jordan pushed his chair out but she shook her head at him. "Just wait here, please."

Annoyed, he said, "fine."

Ali probably stood in front of that bathroom mirror for at least twenty minutes—literally just practicing her smile. They all looked wrong and super fake.

When she finally walked out, she didn't even have a moment to react before being yanked by the arm into a dark corner and thrown against a wall. Tears watered in the corners of her eyes as she locked eyes with Myles. His face was millimetres away from hers and she could feel his hot breath fanning against her nose. "You can prance around Brisbane with that gorilla all you want but—" his grip on her tightened and she worried he'd leave marks "—you will always belong to me. I own you, Alianna. Don't ever forget that." And with that, he let her slump to the floor as he strode away.

She furiously flicked the tears away with her nails and rubbed her red wrists, hoping the colour would fade. She checked herself in the Snapchat camera before wobbly getting to her feet. Jordan had probably been sitting there by himself, waiting for her for god knows how long.

One foot after the other, she weaved her way through the crowds and towards their table. Myles wasn't in his seat and she couldn't have been more grateful. "Hey," she said softly, slipping into her seat.

Jordan, who'd been having an animated discussion with Georgia paused to smile at Ali. "You were gone a while?"

"I—I couldn't find our table, silly me," she shrugged, picking up her abandoned glass and downing the remaining contents.

💌

(@jordanriki via snapchat stories!)

ALI GREER REPLIED TO YOUR STORY!
see
i told u the photoshoot would come
in handy!
thanks for coming tonight btw

JORDAN RIKI
Was kinda fun
You could've stayed at mine instead
of going all the way back to yours
so late

ALI GREER
i really needed my own space
tonight.

☀️ KK SPEAKS!
     so, there was literally a typo on the cover but i made a new one so it's fine. also i added the epigraph chapter — there's a lil playlist for jordan & ali in there. if anyone wants the spotify link lmk

     don't count on an update tomorrow, i've got work