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I raise my brow.
Jesus Christ.
They continue to turn everyone else away as they stand guard, allowing us both to walk inside alone.
Finally, the noise is on a more even level, and I can hear Nalani better in here as we walk to the bathroom stalls and enter. I actually need to pee, so I pull my panties down and get to business before saying, “So, are you like some princess or something? Is that why they’re guarding you?” I ask, trying to maintain the idea that I have no idea who she is.
Nalani chuckles as I finish up and begin wiping. “No, nothing like that. My boyfriend is… overprotective.”
I chuckle as I stand to pull up my panties and flush. “Wow! Talk about toxic masculinity,” I say as I walk out of the stall and over to the sink at the same time as Nalani. We both wash our hands and move to touch up our makeup.
“He’s okay… just one of those alpha guys, you know?”
I nod. “Oh, yeah, but there are two types of alphas, honey. The alphas who are sappy and soft for their women or the alphas who gaslight and emotionally and physically abuse their women. So, which is your guy?”
Her entire face droops like the realization hits her.
I have her on the hook.
So I reach out and touch her arm. “Nalani, I see the bruises on your body, the faint finger lines around your neck.” I pause for dramatic effect. “Is that man hurting you?”
She turns, her eyes flooding with tears as she leans back on the vanity. “He doesn’t mean to. Park is a really great guy… sometimes.”
My eyes widen, and I let out a fake shocked chuckle. “Did you say Park? Tall guy, tattoos, sitting at the bar with a bunch of other guys who look like him?”
She snaps her head to face me. “Yeah… why?”
I sink in on myself and fold my arms over my chest. “I hate to tell you this, but you deserve sooo much better than him. You’re so full of life, Nalani, and a man like him is no good for you.”
She scowls. “What would you know about Park and whether he is good for me?” she snaps defensively.
“Because sweetie, when I arrived here tonight, he bought my drink and asked me if I was looking to have a good time tonight with a real man.” Her eyes widen, her mouth falling open as she gasps. I raise my hands, gripping her shoulders to face me. “I turned him down, of course. But Nalani, if he is asking me, how many other women is he asking the same thing, and then doing God knows what with? You deserve so much better than that.”
Tears fall down her face, and I see the genuine hurt in her eyes as she sinks back into the basin. “I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit. I left my family for him, Kaia… but how the hell can I leave? You’ve seen how fiercely he has me protected.”
I turn, looking around to see if there is an exit strategy. A window. A fire escape. Something to help us get out of here. “You want to leave, I’ll help you. I know what it’s like to be in a bad situation, and I don’t want to see you be stuck in one any longer, Nalani. Family is everything. You should be with them.”
She bursts into tears, but this time she is sobbing. “God, I miss them so much! I have really screwed this up, haven’t I?”
I pull her into a tight embrace, just holding on. “Hey, no matter what we do in life, family will always love us. I am sure they will take you back with open arms. But right now, we need to pull ourselves together and find a way out of this bathroom before those goons come in here looking for you. So… can you help me?”
She sniffles, pulling back, wiping under her eyes, and she nods. “Let’s do this.”
We take off, rushing around the bathroom, trying to find a way out, when I spot, high up above the stall on the furthest end, a small window leading outside.
“Nalani!” I call out to her, and she enters the stall with me. I point up to the window and smile. “Okay, we just have to try and push the window open. If I hoist you up, can you give it a good shove, then crawl through and help me up?”
“Yes, absolutely!” A bright smile lights her face as I place my hands out for her to stand in them for me to hoist her up. But she stops, turns to me with a genuine expression and exhales. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart… thank you!”
“We haven’t made it out yet. Thank me when you’re back with your family. Okay, jump up,” I tell her, my anxiety beginning to hit me now that we’re starting the escape plan.
I hoist her up, and she pushes on the window using all her force. “Urgh, it’s jammed shut. I need something to unseal the window.”
I edge her down, then pull a pocket knife from my bag. Her eyes widen, but with a smirk, I shrug. “Can never be too careful.”
She giggles as I hoist her up again, and she gets to work, jimmying the window open. I keep my ears peeled for the guards. We’ve been in here a while, so they will be getting suspicious by now.
We need to move.
