He angled his head towards me just enough for me to see the color of his eyes, the kind of eyes that always expected people to cower.
I felt a spear of nerves force my spine to go rigid as my eyes instinctively fell away from his. They were such an icy blue, they almost looked silver in the dim light of The Club. They were unforgiving and cold. Hate-filled, I would say and begging to be challenged.
“If they’re so weak that they can’t handle the real world, perhaps they shouldn’t be living in it.”
My lips parted, my act of confidence shattering as fear filled me to the brim at the pure disregard for human life he had. I turned back to Jake, trying to find solace in his suddenly dry eyes. Who thought like that? Who believed in things like that?
Jake shook his head and continued drying the glass I hadn’t seen him pick up. “Do you believe in twin flames?”
I swallowed, folding my arms on the bar, letting my hair curtain my face. I suddenly felt far too uncomfortable with this man sitting a few stools down from me. “No, I don’t,” I replied, trying to keep my voice low, hoping that the conversation would stay between us.
“Why is that?”
I shrugged, twisting around my glass. “Because stuff like that only exists in fairytales,” I answered bitterly. “All we get is messy, mismatched people praying that they can find some sort of connection in someone in their city long enough so they won’t have to die alone.”
Jake set the glass down and leaned over the counter, folding his arms under him, his head less than a foot from mine. “Sounds like you don’t believe in love.”
Bartenders were all the same. Every single one of them.
I met his eyes evenly. “It’s difficult to believe in something that doesn’t exist.”
His eyes flicked to my lips and back. “Don’t let that guy get to you, Liv,” he said under his breath. “He’s just some soul looking to drown.”
Maybe, but he irritated me in a way that didn’t quite seem rational.
I glanced back towards the tattered curtain, wondering why it was taking Steven so long.
“You should go see that band,” he stated when I didn’t respond.
I turned back to him as he straightened. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you two will become best friends.”
I gave him a look and he laughed. “Maybe you’ll find something there that’ll help you shift perspectives,” he added.
“You want me to believe in twin flames now?”
He shook his head. “I want you to believe that love comes in all shapes and sizes. Not just ‘in love’ but love of music, love of art,love of something.”
I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Such a romantic,” I cooed.
He flipped his towel over his shoulder, something I swore he had done not minutes before, and beamed. “Someone in this room has to be.”
“Fucking pathetic,” the masked man muttered around his glass.
I turned back to him, glaring at him, although my nerves were causing my hands to tighten. “What is this to you?” I asked bitingly.
His eyes flicked to me, roving over me only to turn back to the wall behind the bar a second later. “A conversation between strangers.”
“Nobody is having a conversation with you,” I replied and turned back to Jake.“Who is he?”I mouthed at him.
He shrugged just as the man said, “You’re a terrible liar.”
Liar? What the Hell did I lie about? But before I could respond, the sound of the curtain ripping back met my ears.
I straightened and looked over, finding Steven stalking towards the door, his eye already bruising, a smear of blood wiped under his split lip.
My shoulders fell, real fear dripping down my spine. Without meeting Jake’s eyes, I finished my drink. “I’ll settle next time,” I mumbled, and slid from the stool without waiting for a response.
