“What the fuck are you doing?”he snarls.
He doesn’t wait for an answer.He pulls me away, his grip tight, almost painful.
“Let go!” I slur, trying to wrench my arm free.
The room tilts precariously.
“Hey man, she said let go.”The stranger’s voice is closer now, sharp with indignation.
Matthew tenses.The heat of his anger radiates off him.“Leave,” he growls, a dangerous rumble in his throat.
“You leave.”The stranger steps forward, squaring his shoulders.“We were doing just fine before you showed up.Right, gorgeous?”He smirks at me.
Matthew’s body goes rigid.A tremor runs through him.He releases my arm and steps in front of me, eyes locked on the stranger.
“Back.The.Fuck.Off.”
The stranger scoffs, taking another step forward.“Or what?You gonna—”
Matthew shoves him hard, sending him stumbling backward.
“You have five seconds to disappear.”
The promise of violence in Matthew’s eyes is unmistakable.
I didn’t come here for this.
They’re ruining everything.
I slip away.
TWENTY THREE
WITHOUT A BACKWARD glance, I shove through the crowd.
I fight for every step.
The music pounds, a deafening roar vibrating in my bones.The flashing lights are disorienting.I stumble blindly, pushing past bodies, ignoring the muttered curses.
I need to get away.Find somewhere quiet.Somewhere I can breathe.
My head spins.The room tilts.I bump into someone hard, a solid shoulder that sends me spinning.Nausea clenches my stomach.My legs turn to water.I reach out, my hand landing on a smooth, hard surface.I slide down, sinking to the floor, back against the wall.
I close my eyes, trying to block out the noise, the lights, the suffocating feeling of being trapped.
A few shaky breaths.
It doesn’t help.
My head still throbs.The image of Matthew’s face, contorted with fury, is burned into my mind.And that stranger…
I cringe.
“What the fuck was that?”His voice is low.Tight.
It’s not a question.It’s an accusation.
I look up.
