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Before I can unpack that, I watch as Alex’s friend says something to her before jerking her chin in another direction, and when Alex follows her gaze, I see the instant shift in Alex. She straightens as her head snaps back to look at her friend, saying something quickly, before getting the attention of a woman on the other side of her friend. The woman had been receiving her drink from the bartender, and Alex says something to her, and I see that woman also tense.
A moment later, Alex is pulling away from her friends and walking in the direction opposite of whatever they had seen before, and my eyebrows furrow together, wondering why her friends aren’t following her. I track Alex through the pulsing crowd, refusing to lose her among everyone else, and my eyebrows flick up when I see her heading for the stairs that lead up to here, the VIP floor, guarded by a muscular bouncer. I crane my neck forward slightly, curiosity taking over as I watch her talk to the bouncer. They seem to know each other, and the bouncer nods and steps to the side, allowing Alex to walk up the transparent steps.
The VIP floor is made up of a few sections so multiple parties can have their own table and bottle service. Only two sections are taken up right now, including ours, with one section separating where we are sitting close to the entrance. “I’ll be right back,” I tell my friends as I get up, aware of their curious gazes as I shuffle away from the couch.
I see Alex reach the top, but she doesn’t see me, and instead continues on her way in the direction of the bathrooms, hidden away at the end of a hallway. I quicken my steps, catching up to her easily with my long strides. In the empty hallway, she is only a few feet ahead of me when I call out, “Alex.”
She stops immediately, turning and looking at me with eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Leo,” she says, her shoulders sinking slightly, and is that relief I hear in her voice? See in her relaxing expression? Alex smiles, and I’m sober enough to recognize the skip in my pulse at the sight of it. “Fancy seeing you here.”
My mouth curves upwards in a slight smile. “I could say the same to you,” I say, taking a few casual steps towards her. Curious as to what she’s doing up here, specifically, I muse, “You looked like you were running from something.”
Her eyes flash for a split second, her smile straining ever so slightly. “You saw that, huh?” she asks with a breathless chuckle. Alex hesitates for a moment, twisting one of the rings on her fingers before clarifying, “Not something—someone.”
Any effect the alcohol I consumed had on me instantly disappears, my muscles tensing and jaw hardening at her words. Gaze sharpening, I demand, “Who? Are you in trouble?”
I can’t deny the swell of protection that rips through me like a tidal wave, a little overwhelming and fierce—different from what I have felt for others, whether it be my friends or daughter or sister. Is that what her friend had gestured towards downstairs? They saw someone that Alex felt the need to hide from?
“No, no, I’m not in trouble,” Alex reassures a little breathlessly. When I look at her, I see her watching me with an expression I can’t decipher, no matter how expressive her blue eyes are. “It’s uh—” Her throat works, looking as if she is debating whether to tell me the truth. Her cheeks pinken, not at all a trick of the light, as she admits, “It’s my ex. We’d broken up right before I came to work for you and, you know—” She shrugs, trailing off.
“Let me guess,” I say, arching a brow. “The breakup wasn’t his idea, and he wants to get back together.”
Alex cracks a smile, and it’s not one of her usual bright and real ones. When I started being able to find the differences in her smile, I don’t know. But it feels natural. Effortless. “Not so much aswantsthandemands,” she says lightly, and I know she’s trying to make a joke of it, but I can see the weariness in her eyes.
Her statement has my hackles rising, blood icing over in my veins at the thought of this guy not leaving Alex alone. Especially if she’s up here instead of downstairs with her friends. Would this guy put his hands on her? Is he that upset about their breakup?
“It’s not like I think he’ll, like, hurt me or anything,” Alex says quickly, her eyes widening slightly because I think she can tell that that’s exactly where my mind went. I loosen my jaw ever so slightly, realizing I have tightened it a little too much. “He’s just, you know, pushy, and I’m not exactly in the mood to deal with him.”
I furrow my eyebrows together, grinding my teeth together momentarily. The walls vibrate with the music blaring throughout the entire club, but all of my focus is on the woman in front of me, dressed in tight jeans and in a top that sticks to her like a second skin. The star shaped pendant Alex wears rests directly above the neckline of her top, teasing the valley of her breasts in a way that I should not be admiring.
“You shouldn’t have to hide away from him,” I say, pulling my attention to her face. She had been watching me with a small smile teasing the corners of her lips, and it quickens my pulse, wondering, not for the first time, what she is thinking when she looks at me.
I’m instantly thrown back to that night outside of the guest house, her little throw away comment referencing us being in bed together, and I think a part of me knows what she’s thinking. It stirs my dick behind the zipper of my jeans, and I will for it to stop, blood heating.
“What does he look like?” I ask, taking a step towards Alex. She tips her head back, just a little, to keep her eyes locked with mine. “I’m sure we can get him kicked out.”
A startled laugh escapes Alex, breathless. “You don’t have to do that,” she says. “I’m just going to, uh, stay here for a few minutes before heading back down to my friends once they give me the signal that the coast is clear. He can’t find me up here.”
I arch an eyebrow, the concern still present. “You’re going through a lot of trouble to keep away from this guy.”
Alex shrugs. “I’m not really in the mood for him to try and make me feel guilty about my job.” Off my curious look, she says, “He hated how much time I spent working, and never had enough time for him. Which is fair, I guess, but when he started belittling my job, I guess that’s when I had enough.”
My jaw clenches, lips pursing. “Sorry you had to deal with that. He sounds like a dick.”
She grins, brilliant and real and breathtaking. “Very true.”
Part of me, so badly, wants to hide away in this hallway with her. But it’s a bad idea, crossing a very thin line that grows more and more transparent with every passing moment. There is a pull that keeps me to her, but I need to ignore it for both of our sakes. “How are you getting home?” I find myself asking.
“Probably gonna split an Uber with my friends,” she answers.
I can’t bite my tongue before I’m saying, “If you don’t feel like Ubering, we can give you a ride. I came with Reed and Willow. We’ll be heading home anyway, so you wouldn’t have to waste money on an Uber. If you want.”
Alex blinks slowly up at me, almost as if she’s taken aback by my offer. “Um,” she says, her throat working. “Thank you. I’ll, uh—I can let you know?”
My muscles tense, wondering if I made her feel uncomfortable. It’s the last thing I wanted. So, I nod stiffly and say, “Let me know,” before turning and walking out of the hall, going back to where everyone else is. It’s difficult to ignore the urge that pushes through me, stemming from a need to go back to Alex. Instead, I look around the couches and ask, “Where’s JJ?”
Caden shrugs. “Said he had to go see a friend. He left a few minutes ago.”
I arch an eyebrow, but don’t question it. Not when my mind is already preoccupied with thoughts of Alex.
