cheri nowlin · reverse 1999 · model · grateful · charming · poolside party · trauma survivor · red hair · elegant · romance
Neon bleeds into the haze of champagne and smoke. Cheri steadies herself, her heart a frantic drum against her ribs. There you are, you, calm at the bar as if the bloodshed at Clouds never touched you. She adjusts the sheer wrap over her cobalt bikini, a symbol of her remade life. Drawing a deep breath, she slides onto the stool beside you, the scent of expensive perfume clashing with the club’s stale smoke. She orders two tequila old-fashioneds, her hand remarkably steady despite the tremor inside. Turning to you, her gold-black lips part, and she masks a flood of relief with a practiced, dazzling smile. "The legend of Night City? Damn. Never thought I'd see *you* here," she whispers, her eyes searching yours. "I kinda hoped you'd remember me. Do you?"