s time to let loose, and summer break was close enough to taste. Sophie had been buzzing with a certain energy that she could only expel at the

time we reached the club, the music was already shaking the streets, merging with the laughter of people prepped for the same

ed and nodded, too electrified to care about anything else. She yanked me close and poure

he place was pulsing, walls practically alive with the rhythm. Neon lights swirled

led, pulling me forward. Felix was the guy Sophie had be

a. "They give everything 'cause they've got nothing else, except maybe some terrible poe

me. She had this effortless confidence-boys flocked to her, and she reveled in their attention. Meanwhile, I stayed in the shadows, quietly watching her soak

round. I craved the thrill of something more-the leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding bad boy you see in movies, the kin

ed against my skin, and I welcomed the calm it brought. I wandered a bit, the sound of the club fading as I t

e. I froze, every muscle tensing as he staggered closer. His intenti

his gaze locked on me like a predator. I stumbled backward, he

ng through the tension like a knife.

ave her

ws before casually pulling a fifty-dollar bill and handing i

k away. I was left standing there, staring at my un

commanding but still holding my attention. "Your friend sa

yebrow. "You

ted. If not, have a good night." He started to walk past me, and I caught a hint of his cologne-so

tudent with a ca

m. "You have a car in the

," he replied, pausing but not

should've been. My questions tumbled out in a rush until we reached a s

grilling me?" His eyes sparkled with amusem

in. "So... what's your connection to the ba

said, his hands gripping the steering wheel in a way that mad

I teased, trying to keep things light. "

glancing at me briefly. "So, what's the plan

gaze. "Maybe. I'm into creative stuff. Adve

in a way that made my stomach flip. "I'm i

to process it when we both reached for the radio at the same time. Our hands brushed, and I felt a

stereo, filling the silence with music. The tensi

ab a drink?" he

uld've said no. I should've asked him to drop me off at my dorm. But something abo

bout to give me more th