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Fuck it. Doesn’t matter.
Whatdoesmatter is I feel Asher’s arm around me, his fingers twirling around my hair. Chills run down my spine with each soft touch. My body reacts to them, betraying me in every way, burning me from the inside out.
I’m surrounded by them. My heart is pounding inside my chest. Is it hot in here? Or is it the two massively sexy men sitting next to me, possessively?
Like, look at her and die, possessive.
I need space. If I don’t get it, I will die of asphyxiation, because I cannot breathe around these men. So I turn to Tristan and say, “Um, I’m gonna go look down at the dance floor.”
He nods and removes his hand from my leg. And suddenly, I miss the warmth of his touch. Internally, I chastise myself and move toward the lights and music below us.
Bodies flood the floor, jumping up and down, grinding and moving against each other. The club is alive with people, all here to have a good time. And for the first time in who knows how long, I let out a long breath.
A breath of freedom. A breath of normality. A breath of life.
As my memories flood back to me, I feel like I am starting to finally come back to life. The old me. The true me. It’s refreshing not to feel like I am stuck inside my own mind. I feel clearer than I have in forever. My mind isfree.
My eyes find people going in and out of a door toward the back of the dance floor, and I watch for a while as I try to figureout what they’re doing. My curiosity piques, and there’s a part of me wanting to know what is behind there.
“Hey, you doing okay?” Drew comes up from behind me as he hands me my Bloody Mary.
I take a long sip of the spicy drink, and when the peppery mix hits my tongue, I let out a hum only I can hear over the music. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to take all this in.”
“Is it overwhelming you?” he asks, brows creased with worry.
I shake my head. “Well, no. I mean, like Cam said, I’m a whore. I used to strip and dance around a pole. So lights and loud music are my thing.” I shrug, suddenly feeling bitter.
“Fuck what Cam said. He’s a cunt.” He lets out a sigh. “Look, I don’t know what his deal is. And I’m sorry you have to keep getting the shit end of whatever is up his ass. Hopefully, the guys and I can talk some sense into him.”
I shake my head. “Please, don’t. He doesn’t like me, and I feel the same way about him. So just let him go. Let him hate me. I won’t be here much longer anyway.”
“You’re really thinking of leaving?” Drew frowns.
“Well, yeah. Then I can get out of your hair.”
Drew leans in closer to my ear. “Rae, you are not in our hair. I, we, like having you around. I like waking up and seeing you in the mornings or saying goodnight to you. Watching you read on the couch or even trying to cook in my kitchen.”
My entire body breaks out in goosebumps. For a moment, I lose my breath, but I quickly recover.
I clear my throat, trying to steady myself. “Well, I am sure you want to be able to bring home women and have your bachelor pad back without the intrusion of some homeless chick there.”
Drew pulls back for a minute, and I see the smile stretch across his face. He leans in again, his voice deep but loud enough for me to hear. “There’s only one woman I want, and she alreadylives there with me.” He grins as he turns and heads back toward the guys on the couch.
Well, holy fuck.
I blow out a breath as I try to process whatever the hell that was. Was he flirting with me? Was he teasing me? That was a joke, right?
My eyes dart around the club and back toward the doors. Something about those doors has sparked my curiosity. I bite my lip as I continue to watch people walk through them after getting past security.
And then I see her.
The blonde with the small frame. The one who helped keep me sane for weeks. Ronnie.
I need answers. I need to know what the hell happened. Where she went, and why she left me at the bar. She was supposed to protect me. I’m so confused as to what happened that night. Like I said, I need answers.
Without even thinking, I take off running out of the suite and down the hall. I think I hear the guys yelling after me, but I don’t stop. I hit the stairs and practically fly down them as I watch her go through the doors.
“Ronnie!” I yell out, but there is no way she has heard me over the music.