The music was still thumping, but a sudden prickle of anxiety hit . The "one song" Ella promised had turned into five or six. I realized I hadn’t heard my phone buzz in my pocket once, and that’s when the mory flashed in my mind—I had left it on the side table while I was rushing to get ready.
I leaned toward Julian, shouting over the bass. "Julian! Do you have the ti? I don’t have my watch!"
Julian stopped moving and pulled his arm up, squinting at the face of his watch under the flashing purple strobe lights. He wiped a bit of condensation off the glass and looked at , his expression shifting from playful to a bit wary.
"It’s nine-twenty," he said, leaning in so I could hear him clearly.
"Nine-twenty?" My heart dropped into my stomach. "Oh no. I told Nathan I’d be back by nine. I’m already late, and he’s going to be—" I cut myself off, the image of Nathan’s dark, brooding face flashing in my mind. Judging from earlier, I knew he wasn’t comfortable when I left. What would his parents think of ?
"Hey, it’s okay," Julian said, reaching out to steady my arm. "Twenty minutes isn’t a cri, Fiona. People get held up in traffic all the ti."
"You don’t understand," I said, already looking toward the booth to find Ella. "I left my phone at the house. He’s probably been calling for the last half hour. He’s going to think sothing happened, or worse, he’s going to think I’m ignoring him on purpose."
I felt a wave of guilt. I had been so desperate to escape the tension of the boy’s arrival that I had completely lost track of ti.
"Ella!" I called out as we reached the booth. She was mid-sip, looking startled by my panicked face. "We have to go. Now. It’s past nine and Nathan has no way of reaching ."
Ella saw the look on my face and imdiately set her drink down. She didn’t tease this ti; she saw the genuine look in my eyes. "Okay, okay. Julian, get the car."
"I’m on it," Julian said. He didn’t complain or try to convince to stay. He grabbed his keys and started weaving through the crowd toward the exit, with Ella and right on his heels.
As we stepped out of the club and into the cool night air, the silence of the street felt deafening compared to the music. I checked the dash clock the mont I jumped into the back seat. *9:25 PM.* "Can we go fast?" I asked, my voice small.
Julian glanced at in the mirror, his expression serious. "Don’t worry, Fiona. I’ll get you there."
As the car sped toward the estate, the luxury SUV felt like a capsule of reality returning to . Julian glanced at the GPS and then back at in the mirror.
"Fiona, it’s late and it’s dark," Julian said, his voice taking on a protective tone. "We aren’t leaving you at so crossroads. I’ll drive you right up to the front door. It’s safer."
"No!" I said, a bit too quickly. The thought of Julian’s flashy car and the loud music pulling up in front of Gabriel and Nathan right now made my stomach flip. "No, please. Just the junction. It’s only a short walk, and I really don’t want to cause a scene."
Ella turned around in her seat, looking concerned. "Are you sure? Nathan is probably going to be pacing the front door, Fiona. If he sees us dropping you off, at least he knows you were with ."
"He knows I was with you," I replied, smoothing down my skirt .
"But if he sees a guy he doesn’t know dropping off at 9:30 at night while I’m dressed like this... it’s just going to make everything harder. Please, Julian. Just the junction."
Julian sighed but nodded, slowing the car as the familiar intersection ca into view. The streetlights flickered against the dark trees. He pulled over to the curb and killed the music.
"You’re a brave one, walking alone this late," Julian murmured, looking at the massive, glowing gates of the Keith estate in the distance. "If you need an escape pod again, you have our number."
"Thanks, Julian. Thanks, Ella," I said, giving Ella’s hand a quick squeeze before hopping out.
"Call once you’re inside and safe!" Ella called out as I closed the door.
I watched their taillights disappear before turning toward the house. I started walking, my shoes clicking sharply on the asphalt. The higher I got up the driveway, the more the silence of the night began to feel like a weight. I could see the lights of the mansion glowing through the trees—it looked beautiful, but tonight, it felt like a fortress I had to sneak back into. I just know my chances with the Keith’s are thin now.
I reached the big gate, and the security guard approached, pushing open the heavy gates.
"Welco back miss" He greatest and I only nodded as I entered.
The foyer was dim, but I didn’t even have to look for him. Nathan was standing by the bottom of the staircase, his back to . He was perfectly still, but the tension in his face was clearly visible.
"I’m back," I whispered, the sound of my own voice startling .
Nathan turned around slowly, he didn’t look at my face first; his gaze traveled down to my bare legs, my shoes, and the nude lipstick I knew was probably slightly smudged from the club’s heat. He walked up to , but his expression wasn’t one of fury—it was deep, exhausted relief.
He stopped a respectful distance away, his eyes scanning my face. He looked at the lipstick and the cardigan, then back at my eyes.
"I was worried, Fiona," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. He didn’t grab ; he just reached out and gently took my hand, his thumb tracing my knuckles. "When I saw your phone on the table... I didn’t know where you were or if you were safe. My head was spinning."
"I’m so sorry, Nathan," I said, feeling a pang of guilt. "I really didn’t an to stay out so late. I thought it was going to be a quick drink, and I completely forgot my phone in the rush."
He nodded slowly, looking down at our joined hands. "I get it. This house... it’s a lot right now. I just felt helpless sitting at that table without you." He looked up, a small, tired smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You look beautiful, by the way. Did you at least have a good ti?"
"Yea," I admitted, feeling the tension in my own shoulders finally start to fade.
He was about to say sothing more when the sound of footsteps ca from the dining hall. It was Natasha, holding a glass of water, stopping short when she saw us.
"Oh, you’re back," she said, her voice flat as she looked up and down. "Nathan was nearly pacing a hole in the rug. We all thought sothing happened. Gabriel wasn’t very happy about the ’friend’ picking you up at the junction instead of the front door."
Nathan didn’t let go of my hand. He didn’t even turn to look at her. "She’s ho now, Natasha. That’s all that matters."
Nathan simply kept his fingers laced through mine and began leading toward the grand staircase.
"We’re turning in for the night," he said over his shoulder, not looking back.
I followed him up the stairs, then started to turn toward my door, but he gently pulled back. "A minute," he said, locking eyes with . There was a depth in his gaze that made my heart skip. I nodded and followed him inside.
As soon as we entered inside, he shut the door behind us with a soft click. I turned around, my mouth opening to say sothing—maybe to explain the club or the ti—but the words were cut short.
Nathan stepped in and crashed his lips against mine, the suddenness of it sent a jolt through . It was a complete surprise, a silent bridge crossing the distance that had been growing between us all day. My brain went on a total standstill; I didn’t pull away, I kissed him back. I wanted him with every breath, his arms grabbed my waist pulling closer, going deeper than ever, this wasn’t an ordinarily kiss, he was claiming .
He finally pulled back, though he kept his hands resting on my waist, keeping close. The room was silent, the only sound the steady rhythm of our breathing.
"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice rough. "For everything today. My attention has been all over the place, and I know I haven’t made you feel like you’re my priority. You are."
He looked down at , his eyes softening with an honesty I hadn’t seen all day. "And I have to admit... I was jealous. When you said you were going out with Ella and her brother, it hit harder than I expected. Sitting at that table, not knowing where you were or what exactly you were doing... it was torture."
He brushed a stray hair from my forehead, his touch lingering. "I don’t ever want to feel that distance between us again."
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