CHAPTER ONE
ASHLEY — POV
The music in the bar is so thunderous it feels like it's vibrating through my bones. The speakers are turned up far beyond what the place can handle, and every beat of the bass thumps against my chest like a second heartbeat. Trying to talk to Chloe and Megan feels pointless—we're practically yelling at each other, and even then, we only catch half of what's being said.
Honestly, I should never have agreed to come here. January is the one month I try to stay invisible—no unnecessary outings, no loud environments, and most importantly, nowhere I could randomly run into people from church. The last thing I need is someone reporting back that Ashley was drinking, dancing, or hanging around in bars.
But Megan insisted.
No—Megan dragged me.
She made a big deal out of celebrating my new job. "We have to do it right!" she declared. "Tradition is tradition!" And as usual, Chloe just followed along, happy to go wherever the wind—or Megan—blew her.
We stepped out of the house together, and Megan took full command immediately. She had already picked the venue before we even got dressed.
"There's this new place in town," she said. "Everyone's talking about it. We have to check it out."
Now I wish "everyone" had warned us instead.
I shift uncomfortably in my chair, trying to ignore the smell of cheap cologne, the sticky floor beneath my heels, and the hazy fog of cigarette smoke drifting across the room. People are shouting, laughing, dancing way too close to strangers. A group of half-drunk men near the bar are already staring our way, whispering and grinning like they've spotted prey.
I hate this place.
I can tolerate a lot when I'm out with my friends—but this?
This is too much.
"We've been here for almost twenty minutes," Chloe shouts over the music. "And they haven't served us anything!"
She waves at one of the waitresses—again—but the girl breezes right past like we're invisible. Meanwhile, she stops to flirt with a group of men who arrived after us.
My frustration spikes.
I slam my palm onto the table. The sound barely rises above the music, but it's enough to catch my friends' attention.
"Megan, seriously. This is terrible. The music is too loud, the place is rowdy, and the service is awful. We should go somewhere else."
"You need to relax," Megan says, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Just enjoy the vibe."
"What vibe?" Chloe snaps. "The vibe of being ignored? Or the vibe of men staring like they're trying to undress us with their eyes?"
Megan shrugs. "It's a club. That's normal."
"Well, I don't like it," I say firmly.
"Yeah, you never like anywhere," Megan fires back. "Ashley, you're too uptight. Live a little."
I exhale slowly, trying not to get irritated. Megan always does this—turns everything around and pretends I'm the problem for having preferences.
"I don't mind celebrating," I say. "But I don't like noisy places. That's all."
"You need a man to fix that," Megan says with a mischievous smirk.
I stare at her. "In what universe does a man fix loud music?"
Chloe laughs, covering her mouth. "Megan, stop. If Ashley doesn't like it here, let's leave. She's the one celebrating, so she gets to choose."
Megan groans dramatically. "Fine, fine. We'll go. But Ashley has to buy the next two rounds to make up for this inconvenience."
I almost choke. "What inconvenience? I didn't force you to come here."
"Exactly," Megan says. "But we already ordered vibes. Now we're canceling them."
I roll my eyes so hard I feel dizzy.
We stand up to leave, weaving our way toward the exit through the crowd of bodies dancing and grinding against each other. The smell of sweat, perfume, and alcohol mixes into a thick cloud. I just want fresh air.
But I don't even make it two steps before someone steps directly into my path.
A man.
Tall.
Still.
Motionless.
Like he had been waiting for me.
I stop sharply. Chloe bumps into my back lightly. Megan bumps into her, muttering something rude.
The moment my eyes lift to his face, a chill runs down my spine.
My breath stutters.
Something is… off.
Not his appearance—because he is good-looking in a way that is almost unreal. His hair is dark and slightly tousled, his jaw sharp, his shoulders broad beneath a fitted black shirt. His eyes—deep, stormy grey—seem to watch everything and nothing at once.
No.
It's not his looks.
It's the feeling he gives off.
A dark energy.
A quiet danger.
A silent alarm ringing inside my chest.
My instinct whispers: Walk away.
He doesn't smile at first. He simply studies me with a curious intensity, as if trying to understand something about me that even I don't know.
Then he speaks.
"Leaving so soon?"
His voice is smooth—too smooth.
Soft but commanding.
Gentle but unsettling.
Instantly, I dislike him—not because of anything he's done, but because he feels wrong. Like standing too close to a fire that isn't burning yet but could at any second.
"Yes," I say flatly. "Please step out of my way. I need to leave."
Behind me, Megan lets out a tiny gasp. She probably wishes he had spoken to her instead.
His lips lift in a faint smile. "What's your name?"
I hesitate for only a breath—but that breath is enough to confirm it:
He is dangerous.
Something inside me trembles—not with fear, but with awareness.
I step past him without answering.
As soon as I break away from his presence, air rushes back into my lungs like I had been holding my breath the whole time. I walk straight out through the double doors, and the cold night air slams into me like a blessing.
I inhale deeply.
And exhale shakily.
I don't know what just happened, but I know this much:
I need distance from that man.
Chloe and Megan hurry out behind me, breathless and wide-eyed.
"What the hell was that?" Megan asks. "Do you know him?"
"I don't," I say quietly. "But something about him felt wrong."
"Wrong how?" Chloe asks.
I shake my head. "I can't explain it."
And we start walking down the street toward the calmer lounge I now have in mind.
But as we walk, I have this strange feeling in my chest.
A feeling that tonight…
didn't end inside that bar.
Something followed me out.
Something watched me leave.
Something…
that isn't done with me.