“Vix!” I protest, but she just continues to walk, pretending to put her fingers in her ears.
Hesitant to get on the dance floor for fear of a repeat of the last time, I finish my first drink and order a shot with a rum and coke from the bartender working with Vix.
As I down the shot and chase it with the rum and coke, the warmth of the alcohol finally makes its way to my senses. Minutes later, I can feel the liquid courage needed for me to make it to the dance floor.
“Fuck it, let’s do this.”
Chapter 11
Myssa
When I get to the entrance, I see there are black cubby holes for shoes, with a sign stating“Please put shoes in a holder before stepping onto the dance floor”.
After taking my boots off, I slide off my socks and tuck them into a slot.
Making my way to an open spot near the banister, I settle in, feeling the grass beneath my feet. It's at this moment that “Gravedigger” from MXMS starts to play. Suddenly, the sound of thunder fills the room, and the pipes above burst into a simulated rain storm.
A gentle mist forms upon my skin, dancing along with the music and soaking through my white shirt, revealing my black laced bra underneath. My hips impulsively sway to the beat, seduced by the familiar melody. Running my fingers through my hair, I close my eyes and surrender to the warm water as it drops relentlessly, caressing my face and neck.
That's when I let go, allowing the droplets to wash away the chaos I've endured over the last few days. For one brief moment, I’m free.
Lost in the melody, the air shifts around me, my breath quickens, and my heart beat accelerates. My hands tremble with anticipation, forcing me to grip the banister as wave after wave of familiarity washes over me. The flashes of lost memories pulse like someone changing the slides in a projector. One thought screams at me, overpowering the rest.
He's here.
His presence isn’t like Jasper’s, though. I’m neither scared nor intimidated. I feel a sense of protectiveness, and an intimacy that reaches into the depths of my existence.
The heat from his body radiates behind me as he comes closer, and the yearning for him to touch me causes my core to tighten. My breath hitches as I feel his fingertips lightly trace down my arms. His body presses up against me as he intertwines our fingers around the banister. His hips match mine, and I can feel his length hard against me.
He doesn’t say a word, he doesn’t have to, he feels like home.His soft touch against my fingers overpower me with a familiarity that we have done this a thousand times before. The comfort of his embrace as the water continues to blanket us rips through my entire being. But it’s too much, it’s overload, and I can feel my feet start to falter.
No, no, no, I mentally chant, trying to calm myself, trying to make it stop, but it’s too late; the pull between this world and the next shifts. And when I open my eyes, I’m back in the crimson shadows with the taste of ash in the air. Something is different, though, because this time the arms that were embracing me in the club are still intertwined with mine.
“Myssa,” I hear him whisper softly in my ear.
It’s not a question, it’s a statement. He knows who I am.
I turn slightly to look up at him, but in the shadows, it’s hard to see his face. Faint tattoos, barely visible in the darkness, can be seen trailing from his hands past his forearms before they are hidden from the sleeve of his shirt. Why do they seem so familiar?
“Do I know you?” I ask, confused.
I don’t give him time to answer, as the feeling of dread creeps in. The pain Jasper inflicted a week ago makes me tremble and I grip my arm. Panic starts to engulf me, and I close my eyes again, shaking my head as I concentrate on the club. That pull through the darkness twists me back to my reality. Feeling the grass beneath my feet again, I sigh in relief. But the arms that felt so secure around me are gone. I turn to look around the dance floor, but it's so crowded I don’t see who it could have been, and I’m left with the longing deep within me, as if something has ripped a part of me away.
Stepping off the dance floor, I see warm blowing heaters set up next to shelves full of towels. As I stand in front of the blowers, I continue to scan the area for my mystery man but quickly become frustrated when I don’t recognize his large presence in the crowd. I’m left with more questions than answers.
I can’t help but replay the moment I heard his voice, as if my name were a desperate plea, and a delicious flutter spreads through my core at the thought. It doesn’t make sense, though, because there are only two people I know here: Knox and Vix. This man, with one simple caress, made me feel like he has worshiped me in another life. My body is still humming with a need that I’ve never felt before. Defeated by my search, I reluctantly walk back to the bar by Vix. Deep in my thoughts, I don’t even realize she’s made her way to where I’m sitting at the bar.
“Hellooo, earth to Myssa?”
I snap back my gaze to Vix.
“Sorry,” I sigh, rubbing my forehead, then a thought hits me. “Hey, Vix, did you see the guy behind me when I was dancing?”
“Ooo, someone was dancing with you? Can’t say I did, but I’ve been pretty busy here at the bar.”
Someone at the other end of the bar motions for her to come down.
“Listen, let's talk later. You're staying till close, right?” Vix asks.
