جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 16

Astrid’s POVThe city lights blurred past the window like streaks of liquid gold.Finally, Ocean was satisfied with my look and now we are on our way to wherever he was taking me to. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I kept my eyes fixed on my phone, pretending to scroll through messages I wasn’t actually reading. The glow from the screen illuminated my face, giving me something to focus on instead of the heavy awareness sitting beside me in the driver’s seat.The car smelled faintly of leather and something clean, masculine, and expensive. Everything about him and about this entire evening felt too polished and too intentional like he had planned this day beforehand. I shifted slightly, crossing one leg over the other, the slit of my dress sliding higher against my thigh. The movement made me hyperaware of my body and the way the fabric clung to me like it was my second skin. I could still remember the way his eyes had looked at me back at the store.God, that look went beyond

Astrid’s POV“Hey, relax,” Ocean cooed, tightening his grip on me. “I'm relaxed,” I lied through my teeth and he knew it. The moment we reached the entrance of the club, I knew I had made a mistake which was too late to correct now. The bass from the music was pulsing through the floor beneath my heels, vibrating up my legs and settling somewhere deep in my chest. Neon lights flickered overhead, casting flashes of purple and blue across the crowd waiting to get in. People were laughing and chattering on the top of their voices. Nervous, I kept darting my eyes until it fell on some girls from my school. They stood near the entrance of the club, dressed in outfits that ranged from effortlessly glamorous to dangerously daring. Their conversations stopped one by one as soon as their eyes landed on me.No, not just on me, on us.Their expressions shifted to surprise, curiosity and disbelief like ripples spreading through water.“Oh no.” I said under my breath as my heart fell into

Astrid’s POVThe moment the club doors closed behind me, the noise swallowed itself.The loud music faded into a dull vibration, laughter turned into distant echoes, and suddenly all I could hear was my own heartbeat. The sound was sharp, uneven and too loud inside my head but I didn’t stop running.The cold evening air slapped against my face as I ran into the street, my heels striking the pavement too fast and hard. My chest burned and my throat felt tight.I didn’t even know where I was going, I just knew I had to get away from the club and most especially Ocean and Reis. God, Reis.Where did he come from?If anything, I wasn't expecting him to be at the club. Ocean shouldn't be in a place where he would run into Reis. And Reis has no business there either. My steps slowed slightly as Reis face flashed through my mind. The anger in his eyes and the way he grabbed my arm like he still had a right to was embedded in my head. A strange chill ran through my spine and immediately