°°

The front door slammed behind her as she burst out into the night. The sky had opened its wounds too as rain poured in cold, harsh sheets. She didn’t care.

She stumbled barefoot down the curb, arms hugging herself, hair plastered to her face, and tears flowing as freely as the rain.

A yellow cab passed. She threw out her arm as It skidded to a stop. She climbed in, her soaked clothes sticking to the seat.

The driver gave her a quick glance. “Where to, miss?”

She wiped her face roughly, catching her breath. “A club. Just… any club.”

He nodded.

As the car moved, the city lights blurred behind her tear-filled eyes.

She pressed her forehead to the cold glass.

Her lips quivered. Three years. Three years with a man who told her she was his forever. Three years of promises, of firsts, of friendship turned to love and he threw it away—for Cassidy. Her best friend.

The sob ripped from her chest before she could stop it. Then another, and another.

She covered her mouth, trying to keep the sound in, but it hurt too much. Her whole body ached.

She had never felt so stupid. So used and so alone. The cab rolled to a stop. Neon lights painted the puddles outside in reds and purples. Music vibrated the sidewalk.

She paid the driver with shaky fingers and stepped out into the storm.

°°°°

The bass was pounding—deep, heavy, vibrating through the floor and up her spine.

The air inside the club was thick with sweat, perfume, and artificial euphoria. Strobe lights sliced through the darkness like blades. Bodies moved against each other in a hypnotic haze.

Liora sat alone in the corner, slouched in the velvet booth, her makeup smeared, her curls limp and soaked. A small table in front of her was littered with empty shot glasses and open bottles.

She was already on her sixth bottle, something strong and burning, and her head throbbed like a cracked bell. But she didn’t care.

She wanted the pain to stop. She wanted the noise to drown out his voice. She wanted her own screaming thoughts to finally go quiet.

A blurry laugh escaped her lips as she stared at the ceiling, glass still in hand.

"Three years," she slurred to no one. "Three. Fucking. Years. Who knew that bastard was just using her !"

She blinked hard, the room spinning around her like a carousel with no brakes. The DJ's beat dropped again, harder this time, and something in her snapped.

She stood up, swaying dangerously, and grabbed the nearly empty bottle off the table.

Her boots clicked unsteadily on the floor as she pushed her way through the crowd, holding the bottle like a torch. Strangers glanced at her—some amused, some concerned—but she didn’t care.

She didn’t know who she was looking for.

Maybe she was searching for answers. Answers to the question as to why she was brutally betrayed like this. They didn't even show remorse, it was like they intended to do it from the start.

She stumbled to the center of the dance floor, eyes glassy and defiant.

She raised the bottle to her lips and chugged what was left—liquid fire sliding down her throat, numbing what little was left of her heart.

Someone grabbed her waist. She didn’t know him and She shoved him off.

"Don’t fucking touch me," she spat.

Liora stumbled toward the heated mass of bodies, the neon haze painting her skin in wild, restless colors.

Her heels clicked against the sticky floor, bottle in hand, chest heaving with every breath. The air reeked of perfume, alcohol, and lust. Sweat clung to her skin like regret.

She took another swig from the bottle, her throat burned, her eyes blurred—and then bam.

She bumped into a solid chest.

"Sorry—" she slurred, trying to sidestep, but her knees wobbled. Before she hit the ground, two strong, warm arms caught her, steady and grounding.

The bottle was gently pried from her hand.

A low, masculine voice rumbled beside her ear.

“Haven’t you had too much to drink? What are you even doing here? You don’t look like you belong in a place like this.” The voice cooed softly in her ear.

She looked up, her eyes glassy, cheeks flushed, lips trembling.

“Just- let me - be.”She stutterd.

“Okay then.”He instinctively left her and she almost fell but was able to grab his shirt tightly, steadying herself.

She hit her head on his chest, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

“I just want to forget,” she whispered, voice breaking. “The pain… the betrayal… it hurts.”

Tears streamed freely now. All of it, the laughter in her face, Cassidy’s naked smirk—came crashing down. Before he could speak, she surged forward, crashing her lips onto his.

It was messy. So wild and desperate like they've longed for each other. His grip tightened around her waist in surprise.

He broke the kiss, breath harsh, his dark gaze locked on hers. One hand slipped down and grabbed her ass, firm and possessive.

Her tears mixed with rainwater in her lashes.

“Make me forget,” she begged, voice raw. “Put me out of my misery.”

His jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with something unreadable.

Then, without hesitation, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms, lifting her like she weighed nothing. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

The world spun around her again, but this time… she wasn’t falling.

“As you wish, kitten,” he murmured darkly.