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“Then why the hell are you still standing here? If I have to watch you pining for the next month, I’ll lose it. It’s pathetic, Nik, and pathetic doesn’t look good on you. Go fix it.”
Did Sam just call me pathetic? Sam had always been the quiet one. Non-confrontational. But his stillness was deceiving. He saw more than most. Perceived more than most.
Nik downed the rest of his drink and placed it gently on a nearby tray. He grabbed another glass and quickly downed it as well, letting it burn his throat and light a fire in his veins. “Okay. Yeah, I guess I’ll go fix it.”
He still wasn’t sure what he was doing. He didn’t even have a plan, but step one was obviously talking to her. Last time he’d seen her, she’d been over by the string band, but she had probably moved on by now. He scanned the crowd and weaved in and out of bodies pressed too closely. Some people gave him disgruntled looks as he gently nudged them out of his way. A few hurtled curses his way as their drinks sloshed in their hands.
“Sorry, sorry,” he repeated.
Where the hell did she go?
He paused. The crowd had steadily grown during the night. It was getting more difficult to move and nearly impossible to see anyone beyond two feet in front of him. Looking to the side of the room, he had an idea.
There was a grand marble staircase leading up to the second-floor balcony. If he could just get a better vantage point, he’d be able to find Ali. He squeezed through irritated guests again as he made his way to the stairs. Some shoved back, but he paid them little attention.
It was a breath of fresh air when he made it up the first few steps of swirling white and gold. His shoes clicked against the hard surface of the stairs. He hadn’t realized just how stuffy the air was among the crowd, but here with his head above the rest, he could breathe freely.
The hall was packed. It was easy enough to spot the servers, though. They were the only ones moving in and out of the room. Dressed in white, they wove through the crowds with trays in hand. Everyone else was hardly moving because they had nowhere to go.
He spotted her after a few moments, in the far corner of the hall serving a group of young men. He could tell from her body language that she was uncomfortable, and they were enjoying every minute. Her shoulders hunched as she extended the tray to serve them. She made a face at one man as he sneered. He could only imagine the things they were saying, and it made his blood boil.
Nik descended the steps, prepared to come to her defense when, on the last step, he looked over and saw one of the young men grab her ass and pull her closer to him. Her tray clattered to the floor, and the food went flying as she tried to shove him away. Another one grabbed her wrist in retaliation.
Nik didn’t know how he moved so fast, but one second he was on the stairs and the next he was gripping the man’s shirt between his fists and pushing him against the wall.
“Touch her again and I’ll kill you.”
The man turned to his friends and laughed as if to say, is this guy serious?
Nik shoved him into the wall again and the man snapped his attention back to Nik. His friends inched closer, prepared to put up a fight, but they were no threat. He’d take them on too if he had to, but right now he only had one target.
“Fine,” the man huffed. His friends relaxed a bit as Nik let him slide to the ground. He straightened his shirt and muttered, “Freak.”
Nik didn’t care to argue with him. Ali was headed back to the kitchen, visibly upset, her dress flowing behind her. He ran after her, sticking close to the edge of the room where it was easier to move.
He swung the door of the kitchen open and glimpsed her exiting a door on the opposite side of the room. “Ali!” he shouted. “Ali, stop!”
She didn’t.
He chased her through the kitchen, almost running into a couple workers who dodged out of his way at the last moment. The hallway was dark, and he had to squint before his eyes adjusted. He could hear her muffled noises, but had to walk to the end of the hall and make a left before he spotted her, leaning up against the wall and crying into her hands.
“Ali,” he said softly. He approached slowly, afraid he might scare her off if he moved too quickly. Then he took her hands in his and gently lowered them away from her face, interlacing his fingers with hers. She closed her eyes, and he watched as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Look at me.”
She squeezed her eyes even tighter and shook her head.
“Please. Please look at me,” he said softly.
She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate it here,” she sobbed, her eyes glassy.
“I know.”
“I hate you.”
Nik’s breath caught and she squeezed his hands, fighting an internal battle. He knew she didn’t mean it, but it stung just the same.
