CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 164

Olivia’s POV

The moment we stepped into the club, I knew it. I just knew this was a terrible idea.

The place was fully packed. Bodies pressed against bodies, the bass so loud I could feel it vibrating in my chest. The air was thick with alcohol, making it hard to breathe.

And suddenly, I was right back there. Right back at that concert where I’d first met my stranger. Where he’d appeared out of nowhere, and fucked me senseless.

What if he’s here?

What if he came? Besides, this is exactly the kind of place he’d approach me? What if he’s watching right now, waiting for the right moment?

He loved me. He’d said it. People who didn’t love you wouldn’t constantly check on your wellbeing.

So he’d come. He would definitely come.

Please come. Please forgive me for yelling at you. Please...

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Kira was already moving, her body swaying to the beat, her face lit up with pure joy. She grabbed my hand. "Come on! Let’s dance!"

"I need to sit!" I yelled back over the loud music. "Remember? Electrocuted? Weak? Can’t stand for too long?"

"Right! Okay!" Kira’s face fell slightly, but she nodded. "Find somewhere comfortable! I’ll check on you!"

"Kira!" I grabbed her arm before she could disappear into the crowd. "We’re here TOGETHER! Don’t forget about me! Don’t abandon me in this crowd!"

"I PROMISE!" she yelled back, already moving toward the dance floor. "I’ll check on you every few minutes! Just sit and relax!"

And then she was gone, merging with the others, leaving me standing alone near the entrance feeling like an idiot.

I looked around, looking for somewhere to sit - somewhere visible enough that my stranger could find me, but not too exposed.

You ARE desperate, girl. You’re literally staging an ambush for a man you can’t even identify.

I found a comfortable-looking sofa that wasn’t too close to the speakers, with a clear view of the dance floor, and empty except for a few scattered drinks on the table.

Perfect.

If my stranger wanted to join me, there was plenty of room. Plenty of space for him to slide in beside me and wrap his arm around my shoulders and tell me he forgave me for being dramatic and...

Stop it. You’re being pathetic.

I settled onto the sofa, pulled out my phone, and tried to look casual. Just a girl sitting alone at a club, scrolling through her phone, definitely not scanning the crowd for a man in a hoodie or some other disguise.

Minutes ticked by. Five. Ten. Fifteen.

People walked past. Men approached occasionally... "Hey beautiful, want to dance?" ...but none of them were him. None of them had that presence, that energy that made my entire body come alive.

I was starting to contemplate moving to a darker corner - maybe somewhere more secluded where he’d feel comfortable approaching - when someone sat down beside me.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

My heart leaped. I turned, fully expecting to see a man in a hoodie or some kind of disguise.

Instead, I saw Ken sitting there, grinning like a goat.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said, his eyes traveling over my body in a way that made my skin crawl. "And looking so beautiful. So very... female."

No. No no no. Not him. Anyone but him.

I immediately turned away, directing my gaze toward the dance floor, desperately searching for Kira or an escape route or literally anything that would get me away from this situation.

That’s when I saw him.

Just his back. Tall, broad, powerful. He was standing behind some guy who was dancing directly behind Kira, and something about his posture - the way he was standing perfectly still in the middle of all that movement - made my breath catch.

Is that...?

I watched, transfixed, as he reached out and tapped the guy dancing with Kira on the shoulder. Even from this distance, I could see the guy turn, see whatever expression was on the strange man’s face, and immediately step aside.

And then...

He wrapped his arms around Kira from behind.

What the FUCK?

That was Kira. MY best friend Kira. And some man was hugging her from behind just like it’d happened to me at the concert.

"Did you hear what I said?" Ken’s voice cut through my thoughts. "I said I’d like to buy you a drink. We should talk about our arrangement."

I barely heard him. I was already standing up, my entire focus on getting to Kira, on figuring out who that man was and why he was touching my best friend.

But Ken’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back down onto the sofa with enough force that I gasped in pain.

"I’m talking to you," he said, his face turning serious. "It’s rude to walk away when someone’s talking to you, Olivia."

********

Kira’s POV

I was dancing like my life depended on it.

The music was incredible. My body moved, hips swaying, arms in the air, completely lost in the moment.

This was exactly what I needed. No thinking about Eddy or Kennedy or Damien or any of the complicated men in my life. Just movement and music and the sweet, sweet release of not giving a damn about anything.

Someone was dancing behind me - there was always someone dancing behind you at clubs like this. I didn’t bother turning to look. That’s how it worked. You danced near people, with people, around people, all without ever really acknowledging them.

But then I felt the person behind me shift.

And suddenly, different arms were wrapping around me from behind. Not just dancing close, but actually holding me. Possessively. Intimately.

Hell no.

Dancing was fine. Dancing close was fine. But actual touching? Wrapping your arms around me like you owned me?

Absolutely not.

Without thinking, I drove my elbow backward into whoever’s stomach with all the force I could muster.

"OOF!"

The arms released me immediately, and I spun around, ready to deliver more blows.

"You can dance near me but you do NOT get to..."

The words died in my throat when I saw who it was.