‘What are you doing?’ I press my hands against his chest, keeping his lips from reaching mine. My clutch bag crumples against him and his nails dig into me.
What the actual fuck?
My eyes keep flicking between him and the door as I struggle to push back at him.
But Levi doesn’t even look shocked, he just regards me with heavy, bloodshot eyes, leaning into my hands.‘Oh, come on, Cherry. Let go for once, enjoy yourself – Montana’s always talking about how you’re trying to let loose this year.’
Is he kidding me?
‘Not with you,’ I croak.
I clench my jaw to stop my teeth from chattering. From revealing the fear coursing through me. My arms ache with how much strength I’m channelling into keeping as much distance as possible between us.
My body begins to shake.
Blood rushes in my ears.
I … I don’t know what to do.
Levi angles his head at me, as if waiting for me to give in.
To give up.
I try to think back to what I learnt in those self-defence classes but I’m so scared if I take my attention away from Levi for one second, he’ll do something worse.
‘Why not?’ he drawls, still smiling. Like he’s not even fighting to push back against me when I feel like my arms are about to give way. ‘Come on, Cherry. I can teach you a few things.’
His grip is too hungry, borderline painful. He goes to press himself into me and—
‘Ugh, get off me!’ I shout, bringing my knee up between his legs. He grunts and stumbles backwards, even further when I shove him again, dashing straight for the door.
I don’t look behind.
I justrun.
The music inside the club pounds in my head, threatening to force the tears welling in my eyes to spill. Strobe lights flash, sporadically cutting through the clubto illuminate a broken exit route. Hands slide across me as I push my way through the crowds and groups gathered along the sides of the dancefloor. Every touch reminds me of Levi’s, my knees wanting to buckle.
But I don’t stop.
My feet scream in agony, reminding me that my black strappy heels really weren’t designed for running.
I don’t care, though. Not until I’ve forced myself through the club and the cool air bites into me.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been running outside when I finally settle into a brisk walk, giving in to my protesting legs. The club is out of sight, nothing but midnight drenched city streets around. I’m suddenly incredibly aware that I’m a young woman out in the dark alone, with no way of getting home. And the only place and people I know around here aren’t safe for me anymore.
Every street I look down is filled with either too many dumpsters, dampness, or the dark. I’ve walked away from the bustling nightlife. I clutch my bag closer to my chest for some futile semblance of warmth, hoping it might also help keep me from crumbling. I’m not sure how much longer I have before I fall to pieces.
Eventually, in the distance, a neon twenty-four-hour diner sign flickers like a beacon of hope. Pain splinters through my shins as I race towards it. Barrelling through the metal doors, I hate that I have to check around just to make sure Levi’s not here, as if this was somehow his plan all along, knowing I’d run here. My heart almost trips over itself with the immense relief that he’s nowhere to be seen – just a couple and an old man filling the countless empty booths.
When I brush my face, my fingers come away wetand black from my mascara. I’m not sure when I started crying, but from the pitiful way the waitress behind the counter is looking at me, it was clearly for a while.
‘Take a seat, honey,’ she offers as I wipe under my eyes. ‘I’ll bring you something warm to drink.’
I barely manage a grateful smile, then make a beeline for the booth in the corner. The one that’s slightly in the shadows, where I can hide.
There’s only one person I want right now. Only one person who knows how to bring me out of the darkness. So, I pull out my phone and dial his number, a wave of calm washing through me when I hear his voice.
Metal doors blast open, hurried footsteps echoing through the deserted diner. My head shoots up from where it had been resting in my hands to find Duke scouring the diner frantically, looking like he’d raze down everything in his way until he found me.
