She glanced around, searching for her friends.
I couldn’t breathe.
She wasn’t trying to own the room.
She just did.
Lyla spotted the table, and her face lit up.
Jae stood and waved her forward. “There she is,” he said. “Our Broadway breakout.” His words came in loudly through my earpiece as he shouted from several tables away.
Lyla’s face lit up as she closed the distance in a rush.
Nat raised her wineglass with a smirk. “Okay, glow-up, I see you. If I didn’t know you, I’d hate you right now. That dress is criminal.”
Lyla laughed, slipping into a chair between Nat and Jae, allowing the wrap to fall around her hips. “What can I say? It’s my victory dress. I saw it, and after the week I’ve had? I decided I was overdue for a little something pretty. It practically threw itself into my bag.”
The man sitting on Jae’s other side leaned in slightly, extending a hand to Lyla. “Andrey. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jae’s plus-one slash boyfriend-for-the-week.” He laughed at his own joke. “We met at an audition, fought like cats, both lost the part, and trauma-bonded over who ended up getting it.”
“Oh, I remember—you going off about that fake-as-hell Botox-Ken-doll influencer with the collagen lips? You whined about that for weeks,” Nat complained.
“The very one,” Andrey said. “He had a ring light in his dressing-room bag, if you can believe that… Rude.”
A server arrived with a tray of drinks—white wine for Nat and Lyla, what looked like a Jack and Coke for Andrey, and a whiskey sour for Jae. They all clinked glasses and continued talking about audition drama and casting gossip. Orders were taken, menus were folded, and another round of drinks was delivered.
They chatted and laughed, and it wasn’t long before the server brought out their food. Mid-meal, Jae leaned back, draping one arm over the back of Andrey’s chair.
“I told Andrey everything, by the way,” he said casually. “About the club incident—how that asshole tackled you onstage and how Carlos shot him in the head like it was just any other Friday night. How you were covered in blood, threatened within an inch of your life if you talked, and how well you’re handling it all.”
Lyla’s smile wavered for half a second.
Andrey leaned forward, oblivious to Lyla’s shift in demeanor. “Yes, and Jae said that the stalker guy from the previous night also showed up for your show at the club—like, full-on creep mode—and then followed you home again, because terrifying you the first time just wasn’t enough for him.” Frowning, he patted her arm. “Jesus, Lyla. That’s insane. I’m so sorry. I don’t think I would ever be able to step outside again. You’re brave to be out and about tonight.”
Lyla rested her fork on her plate and chewed on her lip.
Jae leaned back in his seat and gave Lyla a theatrical once-over. “Well, if the psycho stalker dude from last night shows up, at least you’ll die looking hot.”
Lyla choked on a laugh, then reached for her wine, her eyes darting between the men and Nat.
Idiots. I wanted to slam Jae’s pretty little face into the fucking tabletop and give Andrey a knuckle sandwich for dinner.
Nat must have kicked Jae under the table, because he jumped and winced. “Too soon, asshole,” she growled.
Jae took a closer look at Lyla. “Sorry, so sorry. I love you, Ly. You know that Jack and Coke always makes me say whatever pops into my mind. It didn’t seem like last night’s littleincidenthad rattled you too much. I didn’t mean to traumatize you all over again. And seriously, whoever that stalker guy is, he has to be a total loser. Too afraid to speak to you like a decent human being. He thinks he’s Mister Cool but in reality has zero social skills.”
A low sound rumbled in my chest.
Lyla forced a small laugh, brushing the comments off with a wave of her hand. “It’s fine. Just…a weird night. I’m still processing it all for sure.”
But her shoulders tensed. Her head dipped, and when she glanced toward the window and then the door, I knew exactly who she was hopingnotto see.
They finished their meal slowly, lingering over dessert. Laughter returned in fits and starts, and eventually, the tension eased from Lyla’s frame.
By the time they paid the bill, the mood had shifted back to light and playful.
They spilled out onto the sidewalk, half-lit and happy. Nat linked arms with Lyla. Jae and Andrey were wrapped around each other.
They crossed the street and stepped into a neighborhood bar filled with people having a good time.
