Atlas - Roberts Alyne - Страница 2

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I

Stella

I had to admit, I looked fucking hot. I never got to dress up or make myself look good lately. My best friend, Liddy, insisted that we go out tonight as one last girl's night. It took some convincing, but I gave in and even let her dress me and do my makeup. I would miss her like crazy when I left. We would be sure to make our last night memorable.

"Promise to have fun tonight," Liddy said to me as we took the elevator down to the ground floor.

"Promise," I agreed.

"Good. You've been through enough in your life. You need some fun," Liddy said, bouncing up and down impatiently.

Liddy was right. The last eight months had been the worse of my life. Some fun and dancing was the least I should do. Everything I owned was in a U-Haul truck on the way to the opposite end of the country. Tomorrow, I would leave the only city I had ever known, and hopefully all the bad that tainted it for me. One last night with my best friend was the perfect way to say goodbye.

My excitement grew as we got out of the cab and approached the bouncer at the entrance of one of the hottest clubs in Chicago. I could already hear the pounding of the bass from inside and it filled me with energy. Giving one quick look at Liddy and me, the bouncer ushered us right in. It was a weeknight so the line wasn't too bad, but I still felt like I was someone important walking inside.

I linked arms with my best friend, and we walked in like we owned the place. Sweaty bodies were grinding against each other as the loud music drove them. I looked at Liddy with wide eyes as she tugged me toward the bar. I was so excited that I was bouncing in the high heels I had borrowed. At the bar, people yelled over the music to bartenders who scrambled to get everyone good and wasted. It didn't take long for one to appear before us.

I couldn't hear what Liddy had ordered, but in a few seconds four shot glasses were being slid across the bar to her. Her blue eyes sparkled at me in mischief as she handed me a shot.

"To your last night in Chicago, you bitch!" she shouted before throwing her head back and downing the clear liquid. I followed, choking on the burn.

"Shit!" I coughed. Tequila.

"No holding back tonight, Stella! For once, just let loose."

We downed our other shots, though it burned less the second time. Maybe my throat was numb from the first one. A grin stretched across my face as we weaved through the crowd. A determination to enjoy tonight filled me. I promised myself I wouldn't worry about tomorrow. I wouldn't think about the goodbye. I wouldn't fear the move I would be making in the morning to San Francisco.

We found a little space for our two bodies to wiggle into, and we started to dance. As the alcohol warmed my body, the heat and people brushing against me didn't bother me. Everything was perfect. I didn't think it was possible for me to enjoy anything anymore, but here I was.

Music washed over me.

Thoughts left my head.

Emptiness was consumed.

The heavy bass thumped through my body as sweat trickled down my neck and my hair stuck to my face. I felt the burn in my cheeks and the exhaustion in my limbs. I didn't care though. I didn't care about anything in the center of that dance floor.

Liddy grabbed my arm, breaking my blissful trance, and pulled me toward the bar. We bumped other grinding bodies and weaved our way through the thick mass of people dancing. I was in desperate need of water and some more alcohol. After a few dozen accidental grabs and apologies, we made it the bar. It was even more crowded than before and I drummed my nails on the bar impatiently.

"Here you go ladies," a bartender said as he slid two water bottles and two shots of a bright blue liquid to us.

"We didn't order yet," I yelled at him over the music.

"From the guy over there," he shouted back to me and pointed to the opposite side of the bar.

Liddy and I both leaned over the counter to get a look at the other end. Already calmly watching us, sat a man in a dark suit.

"Holy shit. He's hot," Liddy said in my ear.

She wasn't kidding. In the dim lighting, I could only guess he was maybe late twenties. His dark hair was styled neatly and his wide body screamed control and power. A chill ran down my body when one corner of his lips tipped up.

"He likes the blonde," the bartender added with a wink at me.

"Go thank him," Liddy said with a playful shoulder bump.

I shook my head and downed the shot. "No. I'll never see him again," I hissed through the burn.

"Exactly," she deadpanned.

I took another glance at the stranger at the other end of the bar. He was still watching, and I wasn't sure if it made me feel excited or nervous. When he stood and started toward us, I held my breath. I had been alone for so long, I wasn't sure how to socialize with handsome men. Especially with one very much out of my comfort zone. He was sexier, more powerful and more intimidating than any college frat boy I had ever flirted with before. I could tell all of this from just one look across the bar.

"Last night. Live it," Liddy whispered in my ear before sneaking off.

I watched her exposed back disappear into the crowd. Her words echoed in my head as I forced my feet to take me to the stranger. She was right. I should live. He watched as I approached and I prayed that I didn't fall on my face. His intense focus made me nervous, as did attention from anyone. I thought of turning around and abandoning the whole idea, but soon I was standing right in front of him.

"Thanks for the drink."

"You're very welcome," his deep voice rumbled in my ear.

A grin stretched across his handsome face and his hand reached for mine. I put mine in his expecting a handshake, but he surprised me when he lifted my hand toward his lips. I swore I could feel my jaw unhinge and fall open as I watched plump lips come closer to my skin. I pulled in a deep breath and he shocked me further by twisting my wrist and placing a soft kiss on the inside of my wrist. It was intrusive, erotic, and exciting all at the same time.

"Let's find somewhere less crowded," he said and started to pull me away from the bar without waiting for me to agree.

Unlike when Liddy and I had tried to make our way anywhere in the club, the crowd parted for him. I didn't know if it was because he was known or if it was the power and the demand to be respected that radiated from him. One look at the man pulling me by the hand told me he was someone to admire and fear. It was the latter that had my heart beating and my throat dry. After months of solitude, any excitement had my body feeding off of it. I was unable to stop from devouring his attention and the way this stranger made me feel.

He led me up some steps, and a bouncer nodded as we passed. The music was a more bearable volume up here, but we still had the view of the dance floor. I stood at the railing and looked into the sea of people. I wondered if Liddy was down there dancing with a cute guy. She always lived without worries or regard for the consequences. Most of the time, I was jealous of her bravery and confidence.

I felt a tickle down my arm and the chill of a glass being wrapped in my fingers. I could sense him behind me. He wasn't quite touching me, but he may as well have been. His presence was felt on every inch of my skin. I lifted the cool glass to my lips to distract myself. The sweetness mixed with the burn and I let it wash away the nerves.

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