I was sweating profusely, even in the thin-strapped nightgown. It felt like I had a thousand layers on me. The night sky seemed endless, and I bit my fingernails anxiously as I stared at the pictures on my phone. It was Leo. The thought of him cheating shattered me. I had trusted him completely. Why would he betray me like this? I was utterly confused.
What should I do now? How do I confront him? Who do I tell? Even though Leo was the one who might be cheating, I felt guilty. I didn't know how to handle this. The unknown sender had revealed a side of Leo that horrified me.
"Josephine?" It was my mom. I didn't want her to know I was awake, so I remained silent. I felt the tears trickling down the moment I closed my eyes. I was crying in silence, unsure of what to do or who to confide in. My mom stood at the door for a moment before walking out, thinking I was asleep. Once she was gone, I got up and tried calling Bliss, but she didn't pick up. My frustration grew.
I tapped the phone in my hand and paced the room. What should I do now? Jo thought, rubbing my forehead in irritation.
Buzz. The phone buzzed again. This time, I almost threw it from my hand, afraid of what the sender might send next. I opened the message reluctantly, and it was a link. I could have sworn I was sweating. I tapped it, and it led to a location—a club I frequented with Leo.
What does this mean? Is Leo there? I wondered, biting my nails. Should I go check? I needed to see for myself. I had to go. Nodding to myself, I grabbed a pair of pants and a shawl from my wardrobe, draping it around my shoulders. I didn't want to waste another second changing.
I hurried out of the room, sneaking out through the back door to avoid being seen by the guests in the living room. I didn't want anyone to see my puffy face from crying. I got to my car, started it, and drove off quickly, hoping no one would notice or stop me.
I didn't know what I was planning to do, but I drove all the way to the club, barely remembering the drive. I parked across the street and waited. My chest was heavy, and I was nervous and scared. I still had tears in my eyes. I had come this far; now I wasn't sure what to do next. I bit my lips, digging my nails into the steering wheel for a solid five minutes before deciding to text the number back. "Where is he?" I typed.
There was no response for a while until I received more pictures. Leo was holding a woman by the waist, his mouth on her neck as they stood by the door of a VIP room inside the club. I nodded to myself and got out of the car, heading toward the club. I crossed the road without looking and tried to get inside, but the bouncers stopped me.
"I'm sorry, you can't go in dressed like that," one of them said.
"Please, let me through. I need to find someone," I pleaded, not wanting to extend the conversation, but they insisted. Frustrated, I threw off the shawl from my shoulders, revealing my nightgown. The bouncers gave me a mixed look before stepping aside. I walked in, my shoulders shaking from both anger and cold. The nightgown, clearly unsuitable for the club's dress code, was the least of my concerns now. All I cared about was seeing if the sender's information was true.
Inside the VIP section, the guard recognized me since I was almost a regular there, so he didn't stop me. I rushed to the room in the outer area, took a deep breath, and slammed open the door. My heart sank as I saw it was indeed Leo with the woman from the pictures, lost in their own world, not noticing my presence. I felt like I had died at that moment. Almost collapsing, I shut the door again.
He could have said so, were the only words I managed before retreating from the door, feeling completely shattered. "I didn't deserve this," I choked out as I walked toward the exit. A few drunk men tried to grab me, but I was numb inside.
Why did he do this? What did I do wrong? Not once but repeatedly? Jo thought. According to the pictures, Leo had been with multiple women. As I was halfway out, I noticed a familiar figure walking from the other side, smoking a cigar. His eyes locked on me for a moment, scanning me from head to toe. His gaze hardened as he pulled off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders.
"Missy, are you that desperate?" Donovan asked, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
"Do I look desperate?" I replied monotonously. I wanted to cry, but didn't yet. He grabbed my arm and his gaze intensified, he pulled me and turned around, and led me out of the club to his car. "Let me go!" I hissed but he didn't listen. He had parked not far away. He opened the door for me, helped me inside, and then took the driver's seat.
"What happened to you, Missy?" he asked, turning to me.
"My boyfriend… he's cheating on me inside the club," I confessed, the words flowing easily because he was a stranger. He paused for a moment, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel before looking at me.
"What now? Are you going to break up with him?"
"I don't know. I was betrothed to him since I was twelve, so I never thought something like this would happen." I started crying again, a tear rolling down my cheek. "I don't know how to handle this."
He didn't respond, but his presence was calming. I stayed in the car for a while until he spoke again. "Missy, you left your locket in my car the other day," he said, pulling out the pendant I had lost. My eyes lit up at the sight.
He noticed my reaction and chuckled. "I'm glad you left it with me. At least you showed signs of life after losing it," he said, pulling each side of the necklace in opposite directions, bringing it closer to me as he secured it around my neck.
Thud, thud. My heart raced as he moved closer, the scent of his cologne mixing with the aroma of smoke. His hands were cold against my skin, yet ignited a fire in me. I watched him for a moment. He was beautiful, my brain said to me. Was it a defense mechanism to distract me from the pain I was in or whatever, but I had the sudden urge—I leaned in to kiss him. I expected his lips to be rough, but they were surprisingly soft, like marshmallows. I reached out instinctively, holding his jaw as I kissed him and bit his lip. I caught him by surprise, as his hand was still around the pendant, securing it around my neck. He pulled away almost instantly, looking at me as if I were mad. The lingering touch of his lips against mine felt like fire. I couldn't believe I felt this way for an unknown man. All these years, I had thought kissing was just two lips meeting, but this was something entirely different. It made me feel bubbly inside. But as he pulled away, I felt like I had committed a huge mistake by initiating it. He had been simply trying to adjust my pendant.
"Miss, you're drunk," he said, giving me a threatening look.
"I'm not. I haven't touched alcohol in two days," I replied.
"HAH! So you're using me as a rebound?" He gave a sarcastic chuckle and puckered his lips in annoyance. "Don't do that again," he warned, his tone stern.
I didn't mean to make things awkward. "It's not like that," I insisted.
"Then what is it? It's not like you've fallen for me or something. I don't play games, Missy. You'd better find yourself another outlet for this," he said, his tone harsh.
"I told you, I didn't do it because of that!" I snapped, irritation growing in my chest. I felt my chest tighten and my temper flare before I tossed his jacket off my shoulders, angrily opened the car door, and got out. I reached for the handle of my car, only to realize the keys were left inside. "Damn it!" My frustration mounted, and I kicked the car as tears rolled down my face.
"You need a ride, lady?" a drunk man outside the bar slurred. I glanced back at Donovan's car, where he sat with his arm on the steering wheel, watching me. I don't know why, but I felt a strange urge and responded, "Why not!" I headed toward the drunk man's direction when suddenly Donovan's car door flew open. He grabbed my arm tightly, his teeth gritted in anger.
"Missy, what are you doing?" His tone was fierce.
"Looking for a rebound!" I hissed back, trying to pull my hand free, but his grip was firm. "Quit messing around; they're dangerous!" he warned.
"Why do you care?!" I spat.
"I'm warning you!" he said, his tone even more dangerous. But I didn't listen. The men had gotten closer, crossing the road. I forcefully tugged my hand out of his grasp and reached the first man I saw. Grabbing him, I kissed him aggressively. The man was shocked, but I could tell he wasn't entirely displeased.
But then I felt the man's hand crawling up my dress, and I realized I was wearing my nightgown, making it all too easy for him. It was too late to pull away. As I tried to escape his grasp, he yanked at my hair, pulling me painfully. A small groan escaped my lips just as the man's entire body was thrown into a car across the street. The other men froze in shock, their eyes wide.
"Missy! Do you really want this?" Donovan's voice was low and intense, his eyes locking onto mine with a fierce gaze. There was something about this voice, deep—it vibrated in my head. He had used his power to throw the man away, leaving me trembling. Fear mixed with relief surged through me.
"Get in the car!" Donovan commanded, his tone brooking no argument. This time, I couldn't disobey. I turned around and walked silently towards his car, feeling a wave of gratitude for his intervention.
What was I thinking?! I questioned myself. I had kissed a stranger and nearly gotten myself hurt. The realization hit me hard, and I felt a profound sense of relief and thankfulness toward Donovan.