Page 12 of Shadows Of Dusk
“Is he bothering you ladies?” His voice carries over the music, and heads along the bar turn toward the man. The creep, clearly flustered and realizing he’s been caught, waves a hand dismissively before disappearing into the crowd.
I glance at the bartender with a relieved look, “Thank you for that.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart. Men like him never seem to get the hint. Happy Birthday.” He winks and continues to help otherpatrons as I turn around, nursing my drink while Tammy, Candace and Henry chatter idly.
My fingers tremble around my glass as I grip it with both hands. I can’t help how rattled I am after that interaction.
Sometimes, it feels as if the universe is playing some kind of trick on me, sending these men in my direction throughout my life as if it is some cruel game.
The lights flash to the music as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my stomach flips uneasily and my nerves feel like live wires teetering on the edge of being tripped.
Scanning the crowd, I start to wonder if I’ve finally overdone it on the booze when my gaze falls upon a figure standing beneath the dim light of the billiards area. My insides twist, my heart pounds heavily in my chest and I know with every fiber in my being that the individual I’m staring at is causing my system this distress rather than the alcohol.
Even from where I stand, he’s intimidatingly tall. The corded muscles in his shoulders and arms are well-defined through his dark short-sleeved shirt as he crosses them in front of his chest.
The dim light does nothing to brighten the jet black hair that falls over his forehead loosely, and the dark stubble that lines his sharp jawline. But the most striking feature is his vibrant green eyes that hold a note of familiarity and make him stand out even from this distance.
His intense stare freezes me in place and my heart feels like it could leap out of my chest. There is something about him that screams red flags and my body’s fight or flight response could be triggered with one wrong move.
Candace and Tammy each grab an arm which forces me to tear my gaze from the stranger as they tug me toward the bar for another shot.
“What are you so fixated on?” Candace slurs as her glazed over eyes lazily scan the crowd.
My gaze flickers back to the spot where the stranger stood and dread settles like rotten food at the bottom of my stomach when he’s no longer there.
“Nothing, just zoned out. I’m going to stick with water for now. I’m pretty drunk” I lie, the guilt of it only adding to the mixture of emotions I’m not ready to process. I’ve never felt more sober in my life.
As the crowd gets increasingly rowdy, we agree it’s time to head home. Candace loops her arm through my left, Tammy hooks hers around my right arm, and we stagger out of the bar together as the two girls giggle, following closely behind Henry as he leads us to the jeep.
My mind repeatedly wanders to that piercing green gaze throughout the ride home. After dropping Candace off, it’s not long until Henry pulls into the driveway, waiting for Tammy and I to stumble inside before he drives away, and I quickly lock the door. Tammy staggers toward the living room to the couch, but I grab her arm before she gets too far.
“Showers first but,” I chime out, “Wanna crash in my bed? It’s a California king.” I finish in a singsong voice, pretending the night didn’t phase me as she cheers.
At some point I’ll process what happened, but that’s for another day. Hooking her arm around mine, I lead her unsteadily toward the bedroom, her giggles filling the air as we nearly knock over numerous vases before finally deciding to turn lights on in each room.
Chapter 6
Caspian
From the shadows of the forest, I grind my teeth as she and her friend stumble into the house and the driver disappears down the road. The lights come on one at a time and I drag a hand through my hair, watching the rooms they move to, muffled giggling and chattering echoes into the still forest around me.
The restraint it took to stay out of sight tonight proved more challenging than I originally thought.
I purposefully avoided the pictures in her files for years. I had an idea of what she looked like now based off descriptions, but nothing could have prepared me for how fucking attractive she is.
I knew getting closer without her noticing wasn’t going to be easy because she’s fucking smart, but I foolishly didn’t expect to be this drawn in.
The moment I saw her across the bar in that tiny black dress, with her white-blonde hair reflecting against the flashing lights, my gut twisted, and I knew this was a lost cause. All these damn years I’ve been watching from afar, keeping her at arms length while champing at the bit for progress, wasted.
All that forced distance for nothing.
Some say ‘patience is a virtue’ but, it’s never been my forte, which is why this amount of restraint is unheard of for me. Considering what I saw tonight, though, I doubt I’ll be able to stay away much longer. If the uncontrollable desire to go in there and drag her out is any indication, she doesn’t have long.
I surprised myself having held my resolve in leaving her alone. Thankfully, time is up and Lara Ray has run out of it.
Exhaling a ragged breath, her bedroom light comes on, and the plumbing squeals as they take turns showering. I dig my heels into the ground, anchoring my back against the trunk of a tree as their silhouettes pass by the covered window and more giggling sounds out from the house.
I nearly broke my own boundaries watching the pathetic excuse for men surrounding her and her friend dancing. If I hadn’t taken the time to follow them to their cars after and beat them within an inch of their lives, I’d be worse for wear.