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“One, two, drink!”
I threw the glass back and shuddered as the alcohol burned its way down my throat.
“Awesome, let’s dance.” Scarlett yanked my hand in hers, and I clambered up.
“Lilly,” I said through gritted teeth. There was no way I was babysitting drunk Scarlett alone. With a resigned sigh, she joined us, and we made our way to the dance floor. For someone full of a bottle of vodka, Scarlett moved pretty well. Her arms waved above her head, and she bounced on the balls of her feet to the music. Lilly and I crowded her like a vulnerable child, but after a couple of songs, I needed to pee.
“Bathroom,”I mouthed to Lilly, and she nodded, moving closer to Scarlett, as Jay and Malachi watched on from our seats.
I wound my way through a wall of damp bodies. A couple of guys got handsy, but I shirked them off, keeping one eye out for Kendall. Part of me hoped she wouldn’t show. Since the diner last week, things had died down, but in a way that only put me more on edge where she was concerned.
The line was short, and within a couple of minutes, I was washing my hands. The girl staring back at me no longer resembled the prim and proper girl from Montecito. Heavy kohl liner highlighted her eyes, the fake pink strands of hair framed her face, and the burden of living a lie weighed heavily in her smile. Giving her one last glance, I left the bathroom and slipped back into the club.
“Looking good, beautiful,” a deep voice said as I turned the corner. I looked up to find a guy. He looked vaguely familiar. “Can I get you a drink?”
“No thanks, I’m actually just going back to my friends.” Moving to step forward, he rounded on me, cutting off my path. My eyes widened, and everything in me went on high alert.
“Don’t look so worried.” With a tilt of his head, the guy smirked and rubbed a hand across the corded muscles in his neck. “I only want to chat.”
“Now is not a good time,” I said firmly, hoping he would take the hint, but his eyes blazed with hostility, and I stepped back.
“Hey now, you look a little scared there, Becca.” He stepped forward. If knowing my name wasn’t terrifying enough, the predatory glint in his eyes was enough to send my pulse into overdrive. “You’re not scared, are you? I heard you like it rough?” He licked his lips, crowding me into the corner. My feet moved on slowly, retracing my steps until my back hit something solid. The wall maybe or an unsuspecting person. I couldn't look. I couldn’t do anything except stand there, hoping that someone would intervene soon.
“You want me to fuck you right here in front of everyone?” His hand reached out for me, wrapping around my neck in an oddly tender way, and he pressed me against whatever was behind me.Wall, my mind urged.It has to be a wall.Because surely no one would stand witness to this and not stop it.
Fear silenced me and my eyes shuttered trying to shut him out, his vicious words. But I felt him. His bitter breath fanning my face. “Let’s see if you’re as good as—”
Cool airwhooshedaround me, and I flickered open my eyes, watching with confusion as the guy was ripped away from me. Evan threw his fist into the guy’s face, and the two of them stumbled into the main room. Still pressed against the wall, my heart was pounding against my chest, and I couldn’t move. The two of them grappled with each other, swinging fists and elbows.
“Becca!” Lilly hurried toward me with Jay protectively at her side. “What the hell?” Eyes filled with alarm, she glanced back and forth between me, and Evan and the guy going at it. But I was too shell-shocked to respond.
“Get her out of here,” Evan barked in our direction right as the guy swung at him, catching him across the eye. His head snapped back, and I screamed. Lilly jumped beside me, gripping my arm. “Jay,” she pleaded. “Do something.”
“Security is coming,” he said, hovering on the edge of the fight with uncertainty glittering in his eyes.
A crowd had formed around Evan and the guy as they danced around one another, searching out the other’s weak spots. The guy’s mouth was moving as he hissed something at Evan. His eyes narrowed in response, and he lunged for him again. I clapped a hand over my mouth while my other hand searched out Lilly’s.
“We should go.” Jay came to us and herded us like sheep.
“We can’t leave him,” I gasped, peering around his shoulder.
“Porter’s got this and look.” He motioned to the left of us where Joe and another guy were storming through the crowd. “Security has arrived. Come on. Malachi has taken Scarlett home already.”
He had?
As Jay pulled us through the crush, I looked back at Evan, but the crowd had closed in around them. My eyes did find Kendall, though, a mix of annoyance and smugness on her face.
“Becca, come on,” Lilly tugged on my hand, and I snapped out of it and followed.
* * *
“We should go back,”I said the second the cool air enveloped me.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Lilly’s mouth was downturned at the corners but morphed into a tight smile when Jay comforted her. “This is not how I saw the night going.”
Jay dropped a kiss on her head. “Come on, let’s get you girls ho—”
A commotion over by the door caught our attention, and my eyes landed on Evan. Seeing him standing there, relatively unharmed, I felt the adrenaline leave my body, and I crashed. Reaching out for Lilly to steady myself, tears burned behind my eyes. Evan stalked over to us, hovering on the edge of our little circle. Jay frowned, glancing back and forth between us, but Lilly leaned up and whispered something to him, and he nodded stiffly.
