Holding you close

CHAPTER ONE 

IAN'S POV 

"No way in hell am I trusting Roy Thompson’s word again."

Those were the exact same words I’d uttered three months ago, right after Roy tricked me into blowing my hard-earned money at a wild, trashy party—drinking, playing games, and hooking me up with a crazy woman who nearly took the life out of me.

Yet those words vanished into thin air the moment Roy texted me to come to the club and chill with them.

Here I am moping around, half-drunk and half-dead from boredom, trying to break out of this alcohol-fueled haze I'm in.

"Dude, what are you driving at?" I asked out of annoyance, 'cause I'm getting more bored…

"Nothing, I just wanna chill with you, dummy," he said with a devilish smile. "Hey, let's play a game to keep the vibes positive." Everyone agreed.

So here I am, playing a game of "Truth or Dare" with some crazy-looking bitch.

The game started as Roy picked up a bottle and rolled it on the table. Everyone was anticipating the bottle to stop spinning and reveal its first victim.

It slowed down, clinking against empty glasses before pointing its neck straight at me.

Roy smirked, crossing his arms like he had planned the whole thing from the start.

"Truth or Dare, man?" he asked, his voice dripping with playful mischief.

Choosing "Truth" felt like walking into a trap, but "Dare" with this group was pure suicide. I took a slow sip from my drink, weighing my options while the room grew dead quiet.

"Truth," I finally grunted, leaning back into the worn couch.The girl sitting next to Roy leaned forward, her eyes flashing with a wicked spark.

"Tell us the darkest secret you've been hiding from everyone in this room," she purred.The alcohol haze in my head instantly cleared as a wave of cold sweat hit my neck.

I wasn't gonna tell them I'm bisexual. Never—not after what Roy did to me, and definitely not in front of this bitch. I was cooking up a lie in my head when a girl named Bella stepped up, grabbed a shot, and drank it on my behalf.

I folded my arms tight across my chest and took a sharp step back, letting my glare sweep across the room until the whistling sputtered out into an awkward, heavy silence.

"Not happening," I said, my voice cutting through the thrum of the music with a flat, icy edge.

Bella’s smug smile faltered for a fraction of a second, her eyes narrowing as she set her empty shot glass down on the coffee table with a loud clack. 

The crowd shifted uncomfortably, realizing the playful tension had instantly turned sour. Someone in the back coughed, trying to laugh it off, but I didn't break eye contact with her.

 I'd already let these people push me close enough to the edge tonight; there was no way in hell I was letting them drag me any further.

"Thanks, sweetie," I whispered softly into her ear as my fingers wrapped around the glass. I set the bottle spinning—slow, agonizingly quiet—silently begging it to land on Roy. I needed my payback.

The glass screeched against the scuffed hardwood, a slow, metallic rattle that felt entirely too loud in the sudden hush of the room. Every eye followed the amber glint of the bottle as its momentum shuddered, passing Sarah, creeping past Marcus, and finally grinding to an agonized stop.

I opened my half-closed eyes only to realize the bottle was pointing at me. I felt Marcus grinning from ear to ear and saw Sarah heave a breath I hadn't realized she was holding.

Oh boy, you’ve got to man up, bro. Just accept defeat.” He paused to check the others' reactions before continuing. “No room for payback, right?” Roy asked with a "you-dare-say-no" look on his face.

Even after making a mistake that made zero sense, Roy still had the audacity to run his mouth. But whatever—it was just a game, and I wasn't going to take it personally.

I just hoped I wouldn't be dared to do anything crazy again. But that fragile hope completely vanished the moment the words left their mouth—I was dared to lick Bella, that cheap slut. 

A cold drop of sweat trickled down my neck as the suffocating room waited on my next move.

I knew she’d thrown me a lifeline just a few minutes ago, but I wasn't naive enough to fall for her game.Her sweet gesture was nothing more than a polished trap—and I refused to be the prize.

 A few people cheered and whistled, egging me on, but I wasn't about to play along with their sick joke. I shut the room down with a flat refusal, grabbed the nearest glass off the table, and downed the contents in one heavy gulp to take the penalty.

Heaven knows what liquid toxic waste he’d mixed together, because the hit was instantaneous. By the time I pushed off the table, my brain felt three seconds behind my body. 

My footing vanished instantly. I staggered sideways, the entire room pitching wildly like a ship in a storm. 

Get a grip, I told myself, but my body refused to cooperate. I lurched forward and grabbed hold of the chair beside me, white-knuckling the leather just to anchor myself before my knees gave out completely.

“Yo man, you good?” I heard Roy's voice faintly, but I wasn't ready to reply to him. I just wanted to get my ass out of here, though I didn't know where I was heading.

He got me into this mess and he’s still asking me shit—to hell with him. I needed to wash my face; maybe I’d feel better. Maybe. Just maybe.

I kept walking, scattering chairs in my path as I stumbled around searching for the restroom, but a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. My eyelids grew heavy, shutting on their own.

I walked right past the restroom doors and kept blindly moving until I stumbled out into an open area. The air was frigid, and the wind bit at my skin rather than offering relief, but I craved the shock of it. A second later, my foot slipped on the edge, and I tumbled off.

Panic flared violently in my chest. I hadn't even said goodbye to my granny—she was probably still sitting at our corner table, checking her watch, nursing the lukewarm tea she insisted was fine, just waiting for me to emerge from the crowd. Oh, God. Oh, shit.

Cold water enveloped me, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. Desperation seized control, and before I could even process what was happening, I was flailing frantically, wailing, and screaming into the abyss.

“Help! Somebody help me! I don't wanna die here!”