Chapter 2 – The Choice I Made

Lyra

“Are you okay?”

His voice was deep, steady, but low enough to pull me out of whatever daze I was in. I blinked fast, shaking my head slightly like I’d just been yanked back to earth. My heart skipped.

I looked up again. That face. That stupidly perfect face.

Nick. The one who dated Rixa, the queen bee of our college, and then dumped her, or maybe she dumped him, depending on who was lying less.

What the hell was he doing here?

He was still holding me like I might fall again. I pulled away slowly, and his hands slipped off me with a soft heat that lingered longer than it should’ve. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me, that same stupid confident smirk tugging at his lips.

I’d known him for years, used to live across from him growing up. Had the biggest crush on him in middle school, back when braces and body spray were still a thing. But I buried that crush ages ago. He was a flirt. A walking red flag in designer clothes. And now he was standing in front of me, smirking like I was just another name to check off his list.

“Thanks for catching me,” I muttered, brushing down my jacket as I sat back on the stool and reached for the drink the bartender had poured.

He leaned a little closer. “It’s my pleasure to catch a beauty,” he said, voice smooth, like he’d said it a thousand times before, and it had probably worked every time.

I rolled my eyes, even though a small part of me still melted inside.

“Give me one too,” he told the bartender, sliding into the seat next to me.

His cologne hit me again, clean and sharp. I hated that I liked it.

He watched me, elbow on the bar, fingers playing lazily with his glass. His eyes dropped to the suitcase by my feet.

“You traveling or running?” he asked.

I glanced at him sharply. “None of your business,” I said, more harshly than I meant to.

His eyebrows raised slightly, but the smirk never left. “Touché.”

I sighed. “I’m here because I need a drink. That’s it. Just like you.”

He nodded, swirling his drink once. “Fair enough.”

He didn’t ask again.

Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and slid it across the counter toward me.

A hotel key card.

I stared at it.

What?

“You look like someone who wants to forget,” he said quietly, leaning close, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. “I’m good at helping people forget.”

Then he tossed a few bills onto the counter, nodded once to the bartender, and walked out without another word.

I stared at the card.

I didn’t need to flip it to know what it was. I'd heard the stories, girls giggling in locker rooms, whispering about how Nick never sleeps with the same girl twice. They all came back starry-eyed, swearing he was the best they’d ever had.

No attachments. No texts the next day. Just a night.

It should’ve made me sick.

But right now? Right now, I just wanted to feel something. Anything.

I took the shot in front of me, downed it in one gulp. My throat burned.

What should I do?

Rixa would probably lose her mind if she found out I slept with him. Maybe that should’ve stopped me.

But it didn’t.

She betrayed me. Jay betrayed me. My own damn stepfather tried to sell me off like I was nothing. Everyone had taken pieces of me.

And I was tired of holding back.

I was tired of being the girl who waited. Who hoped. Who believed love would save her.

I didn’t want love tonight.

I wanted to be the bad girl. Just this once. Before I was gone.

I grabbed the hotel card and stood.

“This is my choice,” I whispered to myself.

No more crying.

Just one night. One moment. One reckless decision before the cancer took everything else.

I left the bar and climbed into a cab. The ride was quiet. My hands trembled in my lap, but my chest felt… calmer. Settled. Like I knew what I was walking into and was okay with it.

When we pulled up in front of the hotel, I stared at the glowing sign for a beat too long. The driver glanced back but said nothing. I paid and stepped out.

The keycard was still in my hand.

I walked through the lobby, eyes low, heart hammering in my chest. When I got to the door, I paused. My reflection stared back from the glossy gold number plate. Hair messy. Eyes rimmed red. Makeup smudged.

I adjusted my hair, wiped the corner of my eyes, and took a deep breath.

“You can do this,” I whispered to myself. “It’s better to give it to someone who doesn’t matter than the fool who broke you.”

I slid the key in and turned the handle.

The door creaked open.

He was there.

Seated in a low chair near the window, shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, collar loose. He looked… annoyingly good.

His head tilted slightly when he saw me. A slow smile tugged at his lips.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” he said, standing up and walking toward me.

I dropped my suitcase just inside the door and shut it behind me.

“I didn’t think I would either,” I said softly.

"You're at the right place to forget all your pains," he whispered, voice thick with heat.

And before I could blink, his lips were on mine.

Warm and soft.

And I didn’t stop him.

I didn’t even want to.

His kiss was intoxicating, like wine slipping down my throat, making me forget every betrayal, every ache, every time I felt unwanted. It was reckless, fast, and too much, but it was exactly what I needed. I let him pull me onto the edge of the bed, our lips still locked. His hands moved like he already knew my body, like he’d memorized every inch without ever seeing it.

Then, his fingers dipped into me, slow and deliberate.

A shaky moan escaped my throat.

“I’m a virgin,” I whispered against his mouth, hoping that’d make him pause, maybe even stop.

But he only leaned closer, his breath brushing against my skin. “I noticed,” he said. “I’ll be gentle.”

That promise alone made me melt.

He removed his watch, setting it down on the nightstand. It caught my eye instantly, sleek, shiny, probably worth more than I could ever dream of. My mind twisted. The part of me trained to steal. Take it!

But I shook my head, trying to block out the thought. I wasn't that girl anymore.

Still, he noticed the hesitation. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking down at me, genuinely concerned.

I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Then I kissed him again, this time, I took the lead.

His mouth moved down my neck, planting kisses that sent shivers through my spine. His hands were firm, skilled, peeling off my jacket until my lingerie was exposed. He chuckled.

“You’re really something else. I like it.”

I didn’t say anything. I just shrugged the lace down my shoulders, letting my breasts fall free. He didn’t wait, his lips closed around me instantly, and my head fell back with a soft moan. I should’ve told him to stop. But I didn’t. My body felt like it had been waiting for this moment, even if my heart was still unsure.

He reached for his belt, undoing it with one swift motion.

When he pulled his cock out, my eyes widened slightly.

“You scared?” he asked with a grin, guiding my hand to it.

It was warm. Heavy. Veined.

“I… can I?” I asked softly, unsure.

He nodded, eyes dark.

I bent forward, slowly taking him into my mouth. I wasn’t sure I was doing it right at first, my lips moved awkwardly, my tongue unsure. But then he groaned, deep and raw, and I realized I was doing something right.

A few more strokes and he shuddered, then released.

He laid me down next, using his hands with surprising tenderness, touching me again and again until I was wet, panting, and whispering his name like a prayer. Then, he slid inside slowly, his lips against my ear.

“I got you,” he murmured. “Just breathe.”

And I did.

It hurt, but not too much. It felt new. Like something blooming inside me.

Afterwards, I laid there, flushed and sore, his body heavy beside mine. His breathing deepened, turning into soft snores.

For a moment, I felt… happy.

Not like a girl who got used. Not like a broken toy.

But like a woman.

Then, my eyes drifted to the watch again. That same greedy whisper crept back in.

Take it.

My fingers reached out, hesitating for just a second. Then I snatched it, slipping it into my bag as fast as I could. I pulled my clothes on quickly and tiptoed toward the door, holding my breath.

Almost free.

But then his voice cut through the room, sharp and cold:

“Did you really think you could steal from me?”

My blood froze.