The door to the Diamond Club shut behind him with a soft thud that echoed louder in his chest than it did in the hallway.
Stefan walked without purpose at first, past the bar, past the pulsing bass and bodies moving like shadows in low light. His hands were in his pockets, but they curled into fists, the sting of fingernails biting into skin. He didn't know where he was going—just that he had to get out.
Outside, the air hit him like clarity. Cool, indifferent, and laced with the faint scent of rain. He paused near the curb, his breath visible in the night, heart still drumming a beat he couldn't name.
What did you expect?
The question hit him like a whisper from somewhere deep in his own gut.
He should've turned around when he saw her go in. Should've respected the distance, the boundaries she'd drawn so clearly between them. But curiosity-no-not just curiosity—something deeper-had—had pulled him forward.
And now he couldn't unsee it.
