Chapter three.

“Jessie,” Maya muttered without looking up, “if you came back just to judge me some more, I want you to know our friendship is becoming toxic.”

A low laugh sounded beside her.

It didn't sound like Jessie. Definitely not Jessie.

Maya paused for a second too long, her brain slightly delayed in catching up through the tequila haze, before she turned slowly.

Oh. Oh wow.

The man sitting beside her was unfairly attractive.

She blinked once, then twice, like her eyes were trying to confirm he was actually real.

He was tall even while seated. His dark hair was slightly messy. Broad shoulders stretching beneath a black button-up rolled at the sleeves. Expensive watch and a sharp jawline.

The kind of face women probably wrote terrible poetry about.

Maya narrowed her eyes suspiciously, still a little slow in her processing.

“You look rich.”

He gave another quiet laugh. “I’ve been accused of worse.”

His voice was calm, smooth and deep enough to make something annoyingly warm slide down her spine.

Maya immediately blamed the tequila, because that was easier than acknowledging anything else.

“Terrible,” she informed him seriously. “Rich men are always emotionally damaged.”

“And you know this from experience?” he asked, corners of his lips lifting slightly.

“No,” she admitted. “Television.”

That made him laugh again. Actually laugh this time, like she had said something genuinely amusing.

Maya stared at him for a moment longer than necessary.

Huh. Pretty men weren’t usually funny.

Interesting.

“You looked like you were seconds away from declaring war on somebody,” he said.

“I was thinking about Hunter Callum.”

The second she said it, something subtle shifted in his expression.

It was barely noticeable—just a slight pause, like his attention sharpened.

“Oh?” he asked carefully.

Maya sat upright immediately like she’d been personally invited onto a talk show dedicated entirely to her rage, her tone sharpening with renewed energy.

“That man is a menace.”

The stranger's mouth twitched slightly. He leaned back a bit more, arms crossing now as if settling in.

“A menace?”

“Yes.” Maya pointed at him dramatically. “You know what he did?”

“What did he do?”

“He destroyed my career.” she hiccuped slightly at the end, the alcohol catching up just enough to blur her edges.

“That sounds serious.”

“It is serious,” she insisted, horrified he wasn’t reacting with appropriate gravity. “I got suspended today because of him.”

“Because of him specifically?”

“Yes.” she nodded again, more firmly.

“How?”

Maya narrowed her eyes, studying him like she was trying to decide if he was slow or just irritating.

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“You answer a lot of them.” he chuckled lightly.

“That’s fair.”

She took another sip, the burn grounding her slightly, before continuing anyway.

“I was supposed to interview him.”

“And?” The man raised a brow.

“And his stupid agent blocked me for three weeks straight.”

“Maybe he was busy.”

Maya gasped. Actually gasped, eyes widening in disbelief like she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “You sound exactly like my brother.”

The stranger looked dangerously entertained now, watching her more closely, like she was becoming the most interesting thing in the room.

“He worships Hunter Callum,” Maya continued bitterly. “It’s disgusting honestly.”

“You don’t like hockey?”

“I don’t like him.”

“That personal?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve never met him.”

“And yet I already know he’s arrogant.”

“How?”

Maya stared at him like the answer was obvious, slightly flushed now from both alcohol and frustration.

“Have you seen his face?” She frowned. “He looks like the type to get away with anything just because he's a sexy, arrogant asshole”

At that, the man beside her finally lost whatever battle he’d been fighting because he laughed outright.

A real laugh. Low, warm, completely unrestrained, like it slipped out before he could stop it.

Maya blinked at him, her cheeks a little more warmer now—not that she’d admit it.

“You’re enjoying this way too much.” she blinked.

“You’re very passionate.” he said, still smiling faintly at her.

“I’m unemployed.”

“Suspended,” he corrected automatically, without even thinking.

Maya froze mid-sip. Slowly, she turned toward him.

There was a beat of silence between them.

“How did you know that?”

Shit.

For the first time since sitting down, the man looked caught off guard—just a flicker in his eyes before he smoothed it over.

Then smoothly, “Lucky guess.”

Maya squinted at him harder, clearly unconvinced now.

“You’re weird.”

“So I’ve heard.” he shrugged lightly.

Before she could continue interrogating him, a loud voice suddenly cut through the background noise.

“Maya Adams?”

Maya turned toward the voice, confusion hitting her immediately as the club lights shifted across faces she didn’t recognize at first.

Then recognition hit. Unfortunately.

“Oh no.”

A man stepped toward her through the crowd grinning too widely, like he already thought this was his moment.

Derek Lawson.

Her former high school classmate. Former creep. The guy who once asked her out six times despite being rejected all six.

Great. Just fantastic.

“Well damn,” Derek laughed, looking her over openly, too openly. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Maya forced a tight smile, already bracing herself internally. “That makes two of us.”

Derek ignored the tone completely and stepped closer anyway, like personal space wasn’t a concept he respected.

“You look good as hell.”

Maya physically leaned away from him, her discomfort sharpening immediately.

Beside her, the stranger had gone very still. Not tense outwardly—but still in a way that felt deliberate.

“I’m actually talking to someone,” Maya said, hinting.

Derek barely glanced at the man beside her before focusing back on Maya completely.

“You should dance with me.” Derek said.

“No thanks.” Maya shook her head immediately.

“Come on.”

“I said no.” Her voice was firmer now.

Derek laughed like she was joking before placing a hand against her exposed thigh.

The reaction in her body was instant. Something ugly twisted in her stomach. She hated being touched like that. Especially without consent.

She grabbed his wrist quickly, nails digging into his wrist. “Don’t touch me.”

Instead of backing off, Derek leaned closer, voice dropping slightly. “You always acted stuck-up back then too.”

Maya’s discomfort sharpened instantly, her grip tightening on his wrist..

And beside her—The entire energy changed.

The stranger’s expression dropped completely. The amusement was gone, replaced with something controlled, and dangerously still.

“Take your hand off her.”

The quietness in his voice somehow sounded more dangerous than shouting.

Derek finally looked at him properly now, irritation flashing across his face. “Mind your business.”

“I said take your hand off her.”

The tension shifted instantly. Heavy. Sharp. Almost suffocating.

Maya straightened slightly, her attention fully locked now.

Derek scoffed. “Or what?”

The stranger stood slowly to his feet.

And Jesus Christ. He was even bigger standing.

The space around him seemed to tighten just from his presence.

“Or I do it for you.”

Around them, people were beginning to notice now, heads turning.

Maya grabbed Derek’s wrist again, trying to push him away, but Derek suddenly tightened his grip painfully against her arm.

“Relax, Maya.”

And that did it.

Something dark flashed across the stranger’s face before his fist connected with Derek’s jaw so hard Maya heard the crack over the music.

Chaos exploded immediately afterward—screams, movements, gasps of shock rippling through the crowd.

Derek lunged back at him but missed.

Someone crashed into a table and glasses shattered across the floor.

“Holy shit,” Maya breathed.

The stranger moved fast—too fast to fully track.

Another punch. Another hit and Derek stumbled backward directly into the bar as security suddenly pushed through the crowd.

The entire club had erupted into noise now. And somehow through all of it, Maya could only stare at the man in front of her.

And suddenly—

“Hunter Callum?”