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“Come on, Becca,” one of the other girls—Lilly, I think—said. Slinking over to us, she rolled her hips seductively, but Jay shot out his hand and looped it around her waist, pulling her to him. She laughed, and they started making out to the music.
A new beat pounded out of the speakers, and my body moved instinctually. It was like riding a bike—no matter how long you went without doing it, you still knew exactly what to do when the time came.
Our hands still entwined, Scarlett lifted them above our heads, bobbing her head in time to the music. Heat licked my skin, the beat pulsing through me. And I let go.
The nervous energy…
The panic…
The fear.
I let it all float away until nothing remained but the music and me.
“New girl has got moves,” Scarlett yelled over the noise. She was no longer holding my hand but moved close beside me.
“You’re right, it feels good,” I shouted through a smile. Spinning around on the spot, my hands weaved together in front of me, moving in time with the beat. The room was a blur of bodies, lights, and a smoky haze that made it difficult to see.
But not Evan.
He stood out.
Leaning against the wall opposite the dance floor, he watched me brazenly. His eyes didn’t falter, didn’t let up, as he stood there, arms folded over his broad chest as he stared right at me. I didn’t know what came over me, but I locked eyes with him, and something passed between us. He confused the hell out of me—frustrated me even—but it was more than that. He stirred something inside me—something I didn’t think I’d feel again.
Something I didn’t want to feel, yet something I never wanted to let go of.
I was playing a dangerous game, but I shut down the thoughts, sliding my hands down my sides and swaying my hips seductively. The beat switched to something slower… sexier… and I danced for him. For myself. For the new Becca who wanted nothing more than to fit in and find her place again.
Maybe it was the heat, or the heady atmosphere, or the single beer I’d drunk, or the fact that for the first time in over four months, I felt free, but I didn’t miss a beat as I rolled and popped my body in perfect rhythm with the music. There was a whole dance floor between us, a sea of bodies, but I didn’t miss the way his gaze darkened, and he swallowed thickly.
I was affecting him.
Me.
Broken, invisible Becca Torrence.
And it made me feel alive. Until a hand grabbed mine and pulled me around, snapping me from my trance. “Come on, new girl, I love this track.” Jay rolled his shoulders and smiled, placing me between him and Lilly. I smiled back but risked looking over his shoulder at the spot where Evan had stood.
Only, he was gone.
* * *
“Excuse me,is there anywhere to call a cab? My cell phone has no reception.”
The security guy stared at me blankly, grumbling something about interference. I’d left Scarlett and everyone else inside, still partying, but it was almost midnight, and I knew Mom would be worried if I showed up late.
“If I walk to Main Street, will I be able to hail a cab there?”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Evan stepped out of the shadows, dangling a set of keys in front of my face as his eyes swept down my body. “I can give you a ride.”
He didn’t sound too happy about it; in fact, he sounded downright pissed, as if I was some big inconvenience. The confidence I’d felt earlier, dancing for him, slipped away and was replaced with gut-wrenching humiliation.
I dropped my eyes, hugging myself tight, as I tried to hide my blush-stained cheeks. “You don’t need to do that, I can get a cab.”
He let out a strained sigh, and it pulled my gaze back to his. Evan glanced around the empty parking lot. “You might be waiting a while.”
I tipped my head back and groaned in frustration. Why hadn’t I thought this through properly?Because you have something to prove.
“Come on.” Evan started toward a row of cars. My eyes followed him and then tracked back to the club. I could go back in there and ask Scarlett for help, or I could stay and try to hail a cab. Or I could…
