FELIX.
I was wrong when I said today was a good day for me. Thanks to Brynn Addams, I no longer feel that way.But I plan to turn things around. I’ll not let her successfully ruin this day for me. It started nicely, and it’s got to end on a pleasant note too.A smile is on my face as I park my bike by the building, the echoes coming from inside promising me the fun I’d have—one I’m here for.After chaining my bike to the ground, I throw the keys inside my back pocket and proceed to enter the building with an even bigger smile. After one glance down my body, the curtains of the room of fun are opened to me and I enter with an enthusiastic heart and my hands inside my pocket.I rock my head to the music that’s coming from the upper floor as my eyes try to adjust to the darker lights. Once I’m adjusted, my gaze roams across the room in search of the special girl who’d take away my frustrations tonight.All I see is bodies. Hot bodies sliding against each other. Wrapping. Colliding. Touching. And is that guy licking her? Gross.I continue to rock my head to the music as I try to find a girl who doesn’t already have hands all over her body. When my eyes zeroes in on a girl standing by herself in the far right corner of the room, I smirk. Her back is turned to me and the only thing I can make out is her brown hair. Or is that dark? It’s hard to tell from here. Most importantly though, what’s caught my attention is how she’s all alone, seeming to need a sexy boy to recuse her–which will be me–and how high over her thighs that small dress is.I start to move and I’m only one step forward when a hand suddenly lands on my shoulder.“Hey!” The high-pitched voice pierces through my ears and I lower my head in reflex before spinning to face the person, causing the hand to drop from my shoulder.She flashes a bright smile at me. “I saw you standing by yourself from over there and thought you might need some fun.” She’s holding two cups and she offers one to me. “Here.”“Oh hi,” I mutter as I take the cup from her and have a sip. The familiar taste of ginger lingers on my tongue before it dulls, and I return my attention to the smiling girl before me. She’s blonde; her hair is quite long. Might have fun with that later. She’s in ripped shorts and a shiny tank top that barely holds her breast. If she tries a little jump, she might as well be flashing me—not that I wouldn’t like that.She keeps that smile on her face as she just stands there and stares at me, almost as if she’s inviting me and who am I to decline? She’s just what I’m looking for. That pretty face of hers is just a bonus.“Oh, yeah.” I send her a smile too as I take another sip from the cup she offered me. “All by myself. Care to keep me company?”“Not refusing if you’re asking.” She winks, and I chuckle as I drown the rest of the drink and set the cup on the table by my side.I grab Blonde’s hand and start to drag her away. Having been here several times, I know my way around here like the back of my palm and I’m currently heading to one of the empty rooms most people here don’t know exist so I can thrust inside something warm and finally turn this shitty end the day is trying to take around.“Hey, hey. Slow down.” She suddenly pulls her hand back a bit, but not enough to snatch herself from my hold. I stop and turn to her with a raised brow. “What? Why? Thought you agreed to keep me company?”“Yeah, but I thought we’d start with a dance first. And try to lighten up the mystery? I mean…” she pauses and laughs. “You don’t even know my name.”I drop her hand and tilt my head. “Do I need to, to fuck you?”She seems caught by surprise by my bluntness because she blinks a few times with her lips parted. Two more blinks and she closes her mouth. Smiles a bit. Then reopens to speak, “No, you don’t have to. But I want to know you.” She closes the distance between us and wraps her right hand around my middle. “Listen, you’re hot. Incredibly sexy.” A once over at me. “Probably the sexiest guy in this room, and I do want to get under you, but that’s not the only reason you caught my interest.”“I don’t do serious,” I say blankly and she nods. “I know that.”“You do?”She nods again. “Of course. Took the hint when you started dragging me away.” A laugh and then, “And I don’t do serious either. But I also do not jump into bed with strangers. Will give some sort of assurance if I at least know your name and your…”“Felix. There you go. Can we leave now?” I cock my head in the direction we’re taking and she smiles as she removes her hand from my middle to stretch it between us. “Layla. And I’m…” I don’t know why my eyes go to the upper floor at that moment. Probably because the girl before me keeps talking, which is the last thing I like to do with girls, but I wish my eyes hadn’t cause somehow, they land on the last person I want to see.They see her. Or I think they see her.There’s no way she’s here. Right here. In this local club. And is that… a cup in her hand?I can only see her from the side so it’s possible it’s someone else…It’s not. I’d recognize that shiny long black hair and that side profile. I hate that I do cause now I’m staring. I watch as she takes a sip from the cup in her hand and then drops her head.A sigh leaves my lips and I shake my head.Why should I care that she’s here? It’s her life and her decisions. And after the last encounter we had, I should be avoiding her.“Hey, are you still with me?” Layla’s call brings my attention back to her and I nod. “Yeah, sure. You were saying?”“Don’t think you’d care much about it.” She chuckles and then stretches her hand to me. “Let’s go fuck now.”My grin is so big, I’m almost afraid I’d tear my lips further than they should go. “I knew you’re my type of girl.” I grab her hand and continue my way down, only for my head to turn on its accord and my eyes to steal another glance at the girl by herself on the upper floor.Only she isn’t by herself now. There’s a tall guy next to her and he’s saying something. She waves him off, but he doesn’t listen. Instead, he bends to her ear, pushing her hair out of the way.I chuckle to myself as I watch her try to fight him off, but he keeps coming back.What did she expect when she walked in here alone?The small smile on my face disappears when he suddenly grabs her wrist, knocking her cup over and forcing her to meet his eyes.Shit.“Why are we stopping?” Layla asks next to me and I let go of her hand. “Sorry. I just need to quickly…” My words trail off as I pat my pockets for my phone, but I don’t find it.Did I forget it back at the shop?I need to call Ash to come take care of his girl because she’s going to get eaten up all alone up there and I’m not going to her rescue. I’ve had just a day full of the judgment and the derogatory remarks.Or maybe not cause when I look back at the floor, and she’s fighting herself off the guy’s chest, my feet start to move on their own accord.“Where are you going?” Layla calls behind me, her voice getting drowned in the music as I step further away from her and swerve through the sweaty bodies to get to the upper floor.“Ash is gonna owe me a great deal later,” I mutter to myself as I jump up the stairs, taking two at a time, then launch myself in her space. I grab her wrist and pull her to my side. Without making eye contact with her, I turn to glare at the guy who thinks a no means yes. “The fuck are you doing dude?”“And who the fuck are you? Get the fuck out of my way. I was here first.”I move before her, shielding her from his gaze with my body. “She isn’t up for auction. She’s taken and if you don’t get out of here in two minutes, I’ll seriously make you regret just touching her.”He laughs as he steps forward and raises his head, as if daring me to repeat those words.He’s taller than me by a few inches, but if he thinks that scares me…I let go of Brynn’s wrist to step forward too until our chests are nearly brushing. “Make that one minute. Stay a second later and I’m gonna fuck you up.” I back my words by rolling up the sleeves of my jacket. I watch that confident gaze and stance he has slowly sink, and he peeks behind me then scoffs. “Fine. You can have her. But this better be the last time I see you.”I wave him off and turn to Brynn, who’s now back in her seat. Unlike the ground level, which is just the dance floor and people on their feet; this place is better for a less chaotic night. It’s like a VIP session. It’s where the music plays from and you get to have seats too. Crowded like the ground level but you’re able to breathe here unlike down there. Whether ground or upper level though, it’s still a surprise to find Brynn Addams here.“So, are you like stalking me or something? First, my shop, then my usual club?” I lift a brow at her as I take the seat opposite her. She finally raises her head, meeting my eyes, and I’m knocked out of breath for a second.She’s… pretty.She’s always pretty, but this is different. Her always straight and shiny long hair is messy now, probably from all that fighting she did with the dude, but not too messy. Just the right type of messy? If I hadn’t known she always had straight hair on or seen her earlier before her hair turned like this, I’d have thought she tried another hairstyle. And she cried? Her mascara is smeared under her eyes, but she somehow pulls that off too. Do girls usually pull off this look? And here’s Brynn Addams. Looking good even with a messier version of her usual self.No. I’m just shocked, cause it’s the first time I’ve seen her like this.“What are you doing here?” She groans as she sits upright in her seat and I cross my arms to my chest. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Did you follow me here?”“You wish.” She utters, and I drop my arms. “Why did you come here alone? It’s dangerous. If I hadn’t come here, do you know what he’d have…”“What? You want a thank you for doing a polite thing for the first time?” She quirks and my mouth just stays open like that.Of course, she’s rude. Typical Brynn.I stand to my feet and stay next to the table. “The first and the last time. I won’t do it again and trust me, you in that…” my gaze falls from her face to her body. She’s in a very short dress. A sleeveless one to tip it off, and she’s wearing stiletto ankle boots. Her nipples are scarping against the tiny dress she has on, and her white skin is just the right kick-off. It’s almost like she’s calling the attention to herself. “You should expect more of that guy. More like him.”She doesn’t respond.I sigh. “Look, if you’re doing this to get back at Ash, you’re making a…”“I’m not doing anything to get back at anyone. I’m here because I want to be here. It’s one of the few places I can be without being found.” She glares at me and nods me off. “Just go away.”“Wasn’t planning to stick around,” I mutter and start to move, my steps small and face hard. I gaze around the room as I walk away from her, and the further I go, the more heads turn to her.I was right.The second I’m gone from here, they’d be swarming her. And I don’t care. She asked me to go away, and that’s exactly what I’d do. I don’t care that she’s Ash’s girl. Ex-girlfriend.Ex-girlfriend.I repeat that word as I take the first stair down. I raise my leg to take the second one when I hear her voice behind me.“Wait.” It’s tiny, almost forced. Must have taken everything in her to let that one out.I drop my leg and turn to face her. “What?”She looks even worse now that she’s standing and not sitting.Several breaths and I’m about to ask her if I heard her speak and stop me, but she opens her mouth first. “Don’t go yet. Stay.”“Why?”She drops her gaze and I watch her hands turn into tiny fists by her sides. She releases them back and fists the side of her dress in her hands instead. She licks her lips, then finally raises her head again, and says, “I need you.”FELIX.I’m ashamed to say she tugged at my heartstrings with those words. And not only because she stands there, in her messy state, with those brown eyes fixated on me as she waits for a response to her words. And despite the slight vulnerability I thought I heard when she muttered those words, I see no such thing in her eyes.She’s just so good with her emotions, isn’t she?“What?” I say just to taunt her, wanting her to repeat those words. But it’s Brynn Addams. I’m sure she’d rather wish the ground open up and swallow her before she let that sentence leave her mouth for a second time.“You heard me.” She replies with a hiss, that stoic expression back on her face and I smirk as I take the one step I had taken down back up. “I did. I just want you to repeat them.”She unfits her hands from the sides of her dress, and for a second, I thought she was contemplating it, but… “You can leave.” She nods to the exit before she turns and starts walking back to her table. I shake my head and
FELIX.I wasn’t wrong about the hell of a night.And I hate that.Brynn Addams is more than I thought she was.When I laid my eyes on her for the first time, it didn’t take more than a glance to know she was no ordinary girl. She screamed luxury and exuded such elegance I’d never encountered in my entire life. Her poise, stance, walk, appearance. Every single detail about her from that moment told me she was one of those girls who could get everything they wanted in the world with just a snap of their fingers. Not only did she bleed that rich and powerful aura, but she was also beautiful. Angelic beauty. The kind of beauty men go to war for. Her black long hair shone brightly against the warmth of the earth, and the features that framed her face were enough to captivate even the strongest of men.However, that Brynn Addams is completely different from the one who’s a few feet away from me.It’s the alcohol, I can tell. She drank more than I did, and I’m now seeing a side to her I’ve n
FELIX.Every word Asher said to me that day was true.And I hated that.I hate that he knows me so well. I hate that I had let him know me that well and he had used that knowledge against me.But there have never been truer words spoken.I’m a lowlife. I’ve always been. It started with my family—one I don’t have, nor have the luxury of knowing. My parents cared less about me than they would a stray pet you find by the corner of the street and there were days that used to hurt and I would wonder why they ever tried with me if they never planned on giving me even the tinniest of their love and parental affection.Those days are gone now; I’ve accepted I’m a lone wolf in this world and my existence in the world had been a miracle–nothing more.I left home ages ago and found my way into this town. That’s how I met Ash. He was the first person to show me kindness, and I don’t just mean in this town—in my entire life. He saw me struggling and invited me into his home without asking for anyt
FELIX.I resist for a moment, not really wanting to be here yet, but I’ve overstayed my welcome at the boxing arena and if I stay another night, I’m pretty sure Lemuel would sign off my membership.Which is why I don’t have any other choice than to be back here, the place I’ve been purposely avoiding for days. Not the place itself—a person.I step inside the house and instantly want to step back out when the first sight that welcomes me is that of Asher on the sofa in the living room with one hand spread over the arm of it and the other holding the TV remote, boringly switching through the channels. However, before I can take action; his head whips back as if he senses me, and for a moment there, he looks like he couldn’t be any more relieved to see me.That’s funny. I remember him looking like he wanted my head the last time we were in the same room.“Felix!” He calls my name, the excitement in his voice not hard to miss. Unfortunately for him, I don’t share the same excitement, and
FELIX.Brynn doesn’t look the least impressed or threatened by the taunting tone of my voice. Instead, she raises a brow slightly and asks, “What’s it? As long as it’s a rational request.”Knowing what she means by rational, my lips curl into a small smirk and I clear my throat before I let out the words.“Go out with me.”She looks surprised for a moment there, her other brow also shooting up, as if that’s the last thing she had expected me to demand. And it probably should be for me too. I know I shouldn’t, but I just couldn’t help myself.“What does that mean?” Brynn asks as she glares me down. Realizing there’s a double meaning to my request, I’m quick to clarify. “I don’t mean literally.” I start. “You said you owe me because you used my time, so I want you to repay me with the same thing. Or is Brynn Addam’s time too precious to be wasted on a favor?” I try to hide the acrimony that pushes to sip into the last words with sarcasm.“It is,” Brynn responds without blinking. “My tim
FELIX.I’m sure the tension in the air can be felt by every soul in the room, and I can still feel Asher’s eyes on me. Something tells me the second I meet his gaze is the moment everything turns into ruins, so I don’t.“Hi.” I breathe as Brynn reaches my desk. She doesn’t spare Asher a glance even as I feel his eyes peel from my skin, and probably staring at her now.“Tomorrow. My place.” Brynn states what she’s appeared for, the words dropping in a monotone, and I nod once. “What are we—““Brynn.” Asher interrupts me and grabs Brynn’s shoulder. “What’s going on? Why are you here? What do you mean by those words?” There’s not a breath between his questions, and I see the anger that slowly takes over Brynn’s neutral expression. She doesn’t turn as she speaks, the irritation in her voice hard to be mistaken. “Take your hand off me.”Asher doesn’t listen. Instead, he grabs her other shoulder and forces her to meet his eyes. “I know you’re mad at me, baby—““Don’t call me that.”He sighs
FELIX. There’s a grin plastered on my face, refusing to be wiped off as I run my hands through my black curls, letting half fall over my forehead while the other half is swiped back. After arranging my hair, I smooth my hand down my jacket and hum in satisfaction at the reflection that stares back at me. I can’t remember the last time I was in a suit—I don’t think I’ve even ever been in a full one—but I sure love what I look like right now and I give myself a pictorial pat in the back for not making that rebellious random move to dye my hair red because I can’t imagine red eating harder than how my black hair compliments the rest of my fit. I look fucking delicious. I always do but I look even better in this fitted well-tailored suit that I can’t help but stare longer than necessary in the mirror just to admire myself. “Someone might think it’s your wedding.” I’m distracted from my self obsession and I chuckle at Lemuel who has his head popped through the bedroom’s door with the r
FELIX.Asher appears to be playing the role of someone who challenges conventional thinking, dressed formally and sporting a self-assured smile.He looks proud of himself as he walks up to us, ignoring me to speak to the girl next to me.“Hello, darling.” I watch as he pulls her hand without permission and presses a kiss to her glove with a slight bow. “Why do you look surprised?” He chuckles when Brynn snatches her hand from him.“What are you doing here?”Asher’s entire body relaxes as he slips both hands into his pockets and arrogance drips from his entire form. “What? You didn’t think it’d be hard for me to get my name on that list, did you?”“No, I didn’t,” Brynn responds and I just watch the converse between the two of them, long forgotten by both in my stand. I sense it’s a lot more intentional on Asher’s part than Brynn’s. “I just didn’t think you’d be shameless enough to show up here.”Asher doesn’t look insulted. “Ugh, come on, baby. You didn’t think I was just going to sit