Between Two Moons: The Scent of a Stranger

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ng other than expired ramen. Library shifts before class; filing paperwork nobody read at the campus office in the af

em, riding the high of the win like they'd scored the goals themselves. The noise was relentless, a steady roar that pressed in on my eardrum

down the sticky, battered bar. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine I was somewhere else, anywhere else. Every hour felt l

skey neat and breaking up an ar

sm

of spilled beer, cheap cologne, and too many bodies packed too close together, and it snagged something in my chest that had no business being snag

he same churning crowd, the same neon signs buzzing over the register, and the same chaos. The bartender n

kept moving. No time to be distracted by phantom candl

ass somewhere around my four

f me. Instead, I set the tray down slowly and gripped the guy's wrist so hard I felt his pulse f

"and it won't be my hand you're dealing

dn't wait around for a comeback. I picked my tray back up and kept moving, because the bar didn't stop just becau

a lifeline. I scanned the room without meaning to, like my body had decided this was suddenly a priority worth pursuing over, you know, my

the chance

of glass echoed, drawing a few half-hearted cheers from the corner. He pulled me toward his lap like I was a party favor. My stomach dropped, adrenaline spiking hot

ching from across the room like always, did what he did best: absolutely nothin

ndled. I did have this handled. I just didn't know how many more rounds of "handled" I had left in

m and rich and impossibly close, like it was standin

e same drunk idiot lunged a third time, actually managing to

n have time

able hard enough to crack the wood. Glasses shattered. Someone screamed. I stumbled back, catching mysel

for gritting through exactly this kind of moment, and when he turned his head slightly, I caught a

s him. It had been h

up from their booth, some idiot posturing about who exactly he thought he was, and it might've turned into a real bra

bouncer finally decided to earn his paycheck, the drunk and his friends were being hauled toward

who'd started it. He rounded on me instead, his face

napped, gesturing at the wreckage like I'd personally throw

n thing, that I'd been the one assaulted three separa

thing broken" might actually cost, and