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A part of me wants to go over there, to find out what this means for Jake, for the club. But another part, the journalist in me, knows the best thing to do is stay back, observe, and collect the pieces of this unfolding story.
As the night wears on, the tension in the clubhouse doesn't ease. Conversations are hushed, glances are exchanged, and the weight of Vanessa's visit lingers like a thick fog.
I eventually head back to my room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and questions. Jake, Liam, Dex, and now Vanessa - each one of them a piece in this intricate puzzle I'm trying to solve.
Lying in bed, I can't shake the image of Jake and Vanessa, and the history they share. It's more than just a story now; it's personal, and I'm right in the middle of it.
Tossing and turning, I can't find sleep. My mind's a carousel, spinning with images of Jake and Vanessa, their unspoken history, and the electric tension between them. Then there's Liam, his intense eyes and that kiss that left me breathless, and Dex, with his easy charm and warm smiles. It's all too much, a tangled web of emotions I can't seem to escape.
I sit up, the sheets slipping off me, and swing my legs over the bed's edge. The night is quiet, but my room feels stifling. I need air, I need to think, to untangle the knots in my mind.
Slipping on a hoodie, I quietly open my door and step into the cool night. The clubhouse is silent, its inhabitants lost in their own dreams or demons. I tread softly, my feet leading me to a familiar spot – the spot where I first really talked with Jake.
The compound is bathed in moonlight, casting long, ghostly shadows. I wrap my arms around myself, not just from the chill in the air, but from the turmoil raging inside me. It's like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath my feet, and I'm about to fall.
Lost in thought, I barely hear the approaching footsteps. My heart leaps to my throat as a figure emerges from the shadows. It's Dex, his hair tousled, his eyes sleepy but alert.
"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" His voice is soft, a soothing balm in the night's stillness.
I shake my head, unable to find my own voice. He steps closer, his presence a comforting warmth in the cold night.
"You know, this place," he gestures to the clubhouse, "it can be overwhelming at times." His eyes lock with mine, and there's a depth to them, a gentle understanding that feels like an anchor in my storm.
"Yeah," I finally manage to say. "It's a lot to take in."
Dex leans against the railing next to me, our shoulders almost touching. "You're doing good, Emma. Just... be careful, okay? There's more to this place than meets the eye."
I look at him, my heart pounding. "I'm starting to see that."
At length we head back inside, the silence between us is comfortable and charged. I'm acutely aware of his closeness, the heat radiating from him. He turns to me, his gaze intense.
"Emma, there's something I need to tell you. About the club, about..." He trails off, his expression conflicted.
My breath catches. What does he want to tell me? Is it about Jake, or something else entirely?
My thoughts are interrupted by the clubhouse door swinging open. Vanessa walks in, her presence commanding immediate attention. She scans the room, her gaze landing on me with unsettling precision.
I tense up, feeling an unspoken challenge in her approach. Dex, about to reveal something important, pauses and looks between Vanessa and me, his expression a mix of concern and caution.
"Hey, can we talk?" Vanessa's voice is smooth but carries an edge that's hard to ignore.
Dex steps back, giving us space, but his eyes linger on me, filled with a silent warning. I nod, steeling myself for whatever Vanessa has to say.
"Emma, isn't it?" Vanessa's voice is smooth, almost friendly.
"That's right," I reply, trying to match her composed demeanor.
"I've heard about you. The journalist, digging deep into the Angel Riders." Her tone is light, but her eyes are probing. "You seem... close with Jake."
I stiffen, a pang of unease twisting in my stomach. "We're working together on my article."
Vanessa laughs, it sounds hollow and sarcastic. "Just working together, huh? Be careful, Emma. Jake's a complicated man. Lots of layers, lots of history."
Her words are like carefully placed landmines, meant to unsettle without revealing too much. I can feel the seeds of doubt and jealousy taking root, her insinuations about Jake’s past becoming shadows in my mind.
"And you?" I can't help but ask. "What's your history with him?"
Vanessa's smile doesn’t waver, but there’s a sharpness to it now. "Let's just say, Jake and I have shared some... intensemoments. But that's old news. I'm more interested in the present. In what's happening between him and a certain curious journalist."
