Everyone will be waiting.
Leaning in against her ear, I yell, “I really have to pee,” hoping she will do the whole girl-code thing and come with me.
She nods matter-of-factly and reaches for my hand. “Yes! Me too. Let’s go.” She taps one of the guards on the shoulder, he turns to look at her, and she leans on her toes to say something in his ear.
He nods, and the guys move around us, two on either side, as we’re escorted to the bathroom.
I side-eye Nalani and smirk, leaning into her side. “They always like this?” I lower my voice against her ear.
She chuckles. “Always.”
Snorting out a terrible-sounding laugh, I cuddle into her side as we walk down the stairs to reach the restrooms, and one guard makes his way in and clears out all the women.
I raise my brow.
Jesus Christ.
They continue to turn everyone else away before they stand guard, allowing us both to walk inside alone.
Finally, the noise is more even, and I can hear Nalani better in here, where we walk to the bathroom stalls and enter. I actually need to pee, so I pull my panties down and get to business before saying, “So, are you like some princess or something? Is that why they’re guarding you?” I ask, trying to maintain the idea that I have no idea who she is.
Nalani chuckles as I finish up. “No, nothing like that. My boyfriend is…overprotective.”
I chuckle as I stand to pull up my panties and flush. “Wow! Talk about toxic masculinity,” I say as I walk out of the stall and over to the sink at the same time as Nalani. We both wash our hands and move to touch up our makeup.
“He’s okay. Just one of those alpha guys, you know?”
I nod. “Oh, yeah, but there are two types of alphas, honey. The alphas who are sappy and soft for their women, or the alphas who gaslight and emotionally and physically abuse their women. So, which is your guy?”
Her entire face droops as realization hits her.
I have her on the hook.
So I reach out and touch her arm. “Nalani, I see the bruises on your body, the faint finger lines around your neck…” I pause for dramatic effect. “Is that man hurting you?”
She turns, her eyes flooding with tears as she leans back on the vanity. “He doesn’t mean to. Park is a really great guy…sometimes.”
My eyes widen, and I let out a fake, shocked chuckle. “Did you say Park? Tall guy, tattoos, sitting at the bar with a bunch of other guys who look like him?”
She snaps her head to face me. “Yeah…why?”
I fold my arms over my chest. “I hate to tell you this, but you deservesooomuch better than him. You’re so full of life, Nalani, and a man like him isnogood for you.”
She scowls. “What would you know about Park and whether he is good for me?” she snaps defensively.
“Because, sweetie, when I arrived here tonight, he bought my drink and asked me if I was looking to have a good time tonight with arealman.” Her eyes widen, her mouth falling open as she gasps. I raise my hands, gripping her shoulders to face me. “I turned him down, of course. But Nalani, if he is askingmehow many other women he is asking the same thing, and then doing God knows what with? You deserveso much betterthan that.”
Tears fall down her face, and I see the genuine hurt in her eyes as she sinks back onto the basin. “I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit. I left my family for him, Kaia. Buthow the hell can I leave? You’ve seen how fiercely he has me protected.”
I turn, looking around for an exit strategy. A window. A fire escape. Something to help us get out of here. “You want to leave, I’ll help you. I know what it’s like to be in a bad situation, and I don’t want to see you stuck in one any longer, Nalani. Family iseverything.You should be with them.”
She bursts into tears, but this time she is sobbing. “God, I miss them so much. I havereallyscrewed this up, haven’t I?”
I pull her into a tight embrace. “Hey, no matter what we do in life, family willalwayslove us. I am sure they will take you back with open arms. But right now, we need to pull ourselves together and find a way out of this bathroom before those goons come in here looking for you. So, can you help me?”
She sniffles, pulling back, wiping under her eyes, and she nods. “Let’s do this.”
We take off, rushing around the bathroom, trying to find a way out, when I spot, high above the stall at the far end, a small window leading outside.
