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Chapter 37

Author: Gem
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-10 17:30:01

POV: Cameron

The bar was louder than I expected.

The bass from the speakers thrummed through the floor, vibrating up my legs and rattling my chest like a second heartbeat. People packed into the space like sardines, shouting to be heard over the music, their voices a chaotic blur of laughter and conversation. The air smelled like spilled liquor and cheap cologne, the sticky-sweet combination almost enough to make me turn around and walk right back out the door.

But I didn’t.

Because I was already here.

And because Hilda was here.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and pushed through the crowd, keeping my head down as I wove past clusters of drunk college students and couples clinging to each other like lifeboats. Someone bumped into my shoulder, sloshing their drink onto my sleeve, but I barely flinched. I just kept moving, eyes locked on the hallway leading to the private room in the back.

I needed to get away from the noise.

From the eyes.

People were already looking at me — a few girl
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