Chapter 1

Meghan's POV

"Meghan come on! We are going to have to wait in this rain if you don't hurry the f*ck up" Eliana shouts down the hall of our four bedroom apartment as the setting spray is falling on to my face.

"I'm literally all done" I say as I walk out of my room wearing knee-high boots that make me 5'4 instead of 5'1, a black mini skirt and a shirt that shows just enough cleavage to make the men wish they had a chance.

"D*mn girrrl, you look hot!" one of my other roomates Kylah yells as Eliana is practically pushing us out the door. 

As we are walking out of our apartment I don't even mind the rain that seems to come down harder by each minute that passes or the constant complaining coming from my roomates mouths. The cold air hits my skin instantly, carrying that sharp smell of wet pavement and cigarette smoke from somewhere down the block.

“Eliana, if your hair gets ruined, maybe the universe is trying to humble you,” Kylah laughs, dodging the puddles collecting near the curb.

“Shut up,” Eliana snaps, pulling her jacket tighter around herself.

I smile faintly, but my mind is somewhere else entirely.

Lately, everything has felt… heavy. Like I’m stuck in this constant cycle of classes, work, fake smiles, and pretending I know what I’m doing with my life.

Everyone around me seems so sure of themselves, so confident about where they’re headed, while I feel like I’m standing completely still watching time move around me.

And maybe that’s why I agreed to go out tonight.

Because I needed noise. Music. Alcohol. Something strong enough to drown out my own thoughts for a few hours.

The rain falls harder as we walk toward the glowing lights downtown, soaking the ends of my hair and making my skirt cling to my thighs, but for once, I don’t care.

For once, I just want to feel something different.

We arrive at the bar, and luckily we’re third in line. The bass from the music vibrates through the walls, mixing with the sound of rain pounding against the sidewalk outside. Neon lights flicker above the entrance, casting everything in shades of red and blue while groups of drunk college students stumble past us laughing.

By the time we finally make it inside, my three roommates; Eliana, Kylah, and Anya are already leading the way, practically racing toward the bar like their lives depend on getting drinks within the next thirty seconds.

“Tequila shots first!” Anya yells over her shoulder.

“Absolutely not,” Eliana groans. “I’m not ending up in someone’s Snapchat story again.”

Kylah cackles as the three of them disappear into the crowd.

I follow slower, taking everything in. The air smells like alcohol, perfume, and rain-soaked jackets. Music pulses through the packed room while colored lights flash across faces I don’t recognize. It’s chaotic. Loud. Exactly the kind of place where nobody notices if you want to disappear for a while.

I’m shrugging off my jacket when I feel it.

That uncomfortable feeling crawling up the back of my neck. Like someone’s staring at me.

I choose to ignore the feeling and slide onto the barstool beside Eliana while Anya waves down the bartender like she owns the place.

One round turns into three, then somehow into five, and before I know it, Kylah and Anya are on the tiny karaoke stage screaming the lyrics to an early 2000s breakup song while the entire bar cheers them on.

Kylah is completely off-key, Anya is aggressively dancing like she’s performing at Madison Square Garden, and honestly? It’s hilarious.

I can’t stop laughing.

For the first time in what feels like forever, my chest doesn’t feel so tight. The music is loud enough to drown out my thoughts, the alcohol leaves a warm buzz under my skin, and surrounded by my roommates’ chaotic energy, everything feels lighter.

This. This is what I needed.

Just one night where I can stop thinking so much.

“Eliana, your girlfriend is eating this performance up,” I laugh, taking another sip of my drink as Kylah nearly falls off the stage trying to hit a high note.

“She’s embarrassing me publicly,” Eliana groans, though she’s smiling anyway.

The girls run off the stage laughing as they run over to us. I lean back against the bar, still laughing softly when that feeling creeps over me again.

That same sharp awareness from earlier.

Like someone’s watching me.

My smile fades slightly.

I glance over my shoulder

And jump a little when a hand taps lightly against my arm.

“Hi, I’m Julien. I couldn’t help but come over and say hi to you lovely ladies,” he says smoothly, his voice confident enough to sound rehearsed.

But even though he’s speaking to all of us, his eyes never leave mine.

And something about it instantly makes my stomach tighten.

He’s attractive, technically. Tall, clean-cut, expensive watch, perfectly styled blonde hair. The kind of guy most girls here would probably trip over themselves for.

But there’s something cold hiding underneath the charm in his expression. Something that makes alarm bells quietly ring in the back of my mind.

So I stay quiet, just staring back at him.

“Well, I’m Eliana,” she says easily, oblivious to the tension suddenly twisting in my chest. “This is Kylah, Anya, and that’s Meghan.”

His lips curl slightly when he hears my name.

"Meghan" he repeats slowly, like he's testing out how it sounds. "Pretty name"