Nobody called after her.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as she strode through the club. Music blasted around her, but it sounded distant beneath the roaring in her ears.
Every breath hurt.
Every heartbeat hurt.
Moments ago, she thought the worst part was hearing them mock her.
She had been wrong.
The worst part was realizing that the person she had spent years with was standing among them.
And choosing them over her.
The flashing lights blurred before her eyes as she pushed through the crowd.
She just needed to leave.
She headed straight for the exit.
The moment she reached the doors, she shoved them open with both hands.
Cold night air rushed against her face.
Juliet stumbled outside and bent forward slightly, drawing in a shaky breath.
Then another.
And another.
As though she had been drowning all night and had only just managed to reach the surface.
The very next second, Juliet's heel caught awkwardly on the edge of a step.
Her ankle twisted.
A startled gasp escaped her lips as her balance disappeared beneath her.
"Ah—!"
She instinctively reached for the railing, but her fingers closed around empty air.
Everything happened in a blur.
Her body pitched forward. Her shoulder slammed painfully into the metal railing before her forehead struck the sharp corner of a concrete step.
Bang!
The sickening sound echoed through the quiet night.
A burst of pain exploded through her head, stealing the breath from her lungs.
"Juliet?!"
Amara's horrified scream rang out immediately.
She rushed forward so fast she nearly tripped herself, dropping to her knees beside Juliet at the bottom of the stairs.
