3. Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Mel
T he bass thrums through the club, the beat pounding in my chest like a second heartbeat. Bodies move in a chaotic rhythm under the pulsing lights, sweat-slicked and uninhibited, lost in the music. I’m one of them, letting the sound take me, letting it drown out the noise in my head.
The guy I’m dancing with leans in close, his hands skimming the curve of my waist. He smells like some designer cologne, heavy and woodsy, the kind that clings to you for hours.
“You’re a great dancer,” he shouts in my ear so I can hear him over the music.
I flash him a coy smile, letting my body sway in time with his. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
It’s not true, but he doesn’t need to know that.
His hands drift a little lower, testing boundaries, and I step back just enough to send a message. He catches on, his grin faltering slightly before he recovers.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks, gesturing toward the bar.
I shake my head, my smile firmly in place. “I’m good.”
Before he can press further, I slip through the crowd, the heat of bodies giving way to the cooler air near the bar. I slide onto a stool, and signal the bartender.
“Vodka tonic,” I say, sliding twenty quid across the counter.
As I wait, a shadow falls over me. I glance to my right and find myself looking up—way up—into the face of a man who could’ve walked straight off a romance book cover. Tall, dark, and handsome… well, it’s not the same cute tall, dark and handsome as Owen. This guy looks more like someone who tries too hard, but not bad, I guess. His sharp cheekbones and easy grin are designed to disarm, and he leans against the bar with the kind of confidence that screams no woman can say no to me .
“Well, well,” he says, his voice smooth as silk. “I thought the most beautiful woman in here would be harder to find.”
My eyebrow arches, but I don’t look away. “You’ve got a hell of an opening line.”
He grins wider, unbothered by the sarcasm. “Is it working?”
I let my lips curve into a slow smile. “I’ll let you know in a minute.”
The bartender sets my drink in front of me, and I lift it, taking a sip as Mr Tall, Dark, and Handsome watches me like I’m the most fascinating thing in the room.
“You come here often?” he asks, leaning closer.
“Really?” I say, laughing softly. “You’re going with that one?”
“I’m just getting warmed up,” he says smoothly. “You want me to bring out the big guns?”
“By all means,” I reply, resting my elbow on the counter and leaning my chin on my hand. “Impress me.”
“Alright,” he says, his grin shifting into something more playful. “Are you a magician? Because every time I look at you, everyone else disappears.”
I take another sip of my drink, keeping my expression neutral even as I cringe internally. “Bold move,” I say. “What’s next, a line about heaven and angels?”
“Only if it works,” he says, chuckling.
I tilt my head, my smile turning just a bit sharper. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
“And you’re... intriguing,” he replies, his voice dipping lower.
I set my drink down, leaning slightly closer. “So, what’s the endgame here?” I ask, my voice low enough to match his.
His eyes flick to my lips, then back to my eyes. “That depends,” he says. “What are you looking for?”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and I tap my glass lightly against his. “Something uncomplicated.”
His grin widens, and he straightens, offering his hand. “I’m all about uncomplicated.”
I don’t take his hand, not yet. Instead, I finish the last of my drink, setting the empty glass down with deliberate slowness.
“Let’s see if you can keep up,” I say, sliding off the stool and heading toward the exit without looking back.
A moment later, I feel his presence right behind me.
“So,” he says slowly, looking at me like he can’t quite believe that this is happening to him tonight. “Do you want to come back to mine? For a coffee or something?”
I look at him for a long moment before asking, “Or something? Like what?”
His eyes meet mine steadily as he replies confidently. “Like sex.”
It’s not often that people are this direct with their offer but it’s hardly surprising as it’s already one thirty in the morning.
“Okay.”
He looks at me for a long moment, searching my face like he’s trying to decide if I’m just saying that or not.
“Okay?”
Fucking hell, knobhead, I’m making it easy here for you. Instead of replying to his question, I press a kiss to his lips. He looks at me surprised before turning and heading across the road to where his car is parked.
“You want some tea first?” he asks as he guides me into his living room.
“No thanks.”
“I might want—”
Oh for fuck sake!
As soon as he steps towards the kitchen cupboard I’m on him, pushing him up against the fridge and kissing him fiercely. He responds eagerly, wrapping his strong arms around me and pulling me closer.
I can feel my heat rising and it’s nothing to do with the temperature of the flat. I break away from his kiss and meet his eyes; they’re smoky with desire.
“Let’s go to bed,” I whisper.
He looks at me for a moment, lost somewhere in that head of his. But then he nods, takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom.
The minute the door closed behind us, his hands are everywhere, ripping apart the buttons on my blouse until it falls open. His mouth follows his hands down my neck to my chest and lower as he tugs at my skirt until it too lies in a pool around my feet.
“Jesus,” he says when he sees I’m not wearing knickers. “You came prepared.”
“I know what I want,” I say. A lot of dark thoughts are briefly invading my mind but then I pull him close for another kiss and they are gone. Tonight, I just want to forget.
“That was incredible.” His laughs when he returns from the bathroom. I bounce a little when his large frame drops next to me onto the mattress.
“Yeah,” is all I can manage in reply. We lie there for a bit, but then he tries to pull me into his arms. That’s enough . I slide from his reach and start pulling my discarded clothes on.
“Mel?”
I give him a quick peck on the lips then finish getting dressed.
“All good things must come to an end,” I say, smiling at him.
He opens his mouth to say something but then changes his mind and simply nods. He knows it was never meant to be more than one night, why pretend otherwise?
“Goodbye, Kyle,” I say while picking up my bag from by the door. “Thanks for everything.”
I pull my hood up tighter as the rain picks up, cold droplets sliding down the back of my neck. The streets are nearly empty this late... or early, I am not sure what time it is. My boots hit the pavement in a steady rhythm, but my head feels anything but steady.
This night was supposed to help. A distraction. A bit of company to fill the silence. But now, walking home in the drizzle, it all feels… hollow. Like I’ve just piled more weight onto the mess already in my chest. I shove my hands into my coat pockets, trying to keep the cold out and my thoughts in check, but it’s no use. They creep in anyway.
It starts, as it always does, with the noise. That horrible rumble of the landslide, loud enough to drown out everything else. I try to focus on the wet pavement ahead, on the tiny puddles forming in the cracks, but the memory is already there, full force. The truck spinning, the crunch of metal, the world turning upside down.
I shake my head, almost violently, and force myself to keep walking. I tell myself to think about something else, anything else, but it’s like trying to hold back the tide. Arif’s laugh cuts through my thoughts, that warm, familiar sound. It twists into something else—the stillness of him after the crash. I swallow hard, my throat tight.
I can see Jon and Will too, battered and bleeding, Jon’s hands working so desperately to save Arif.
I don’t realise I’ve stopped walking until I feel the rain hitting me harder, soaking through my coat. My hands are shaking, but I can’t seem to move. My breathing is gone all uneven, and there’s this horrible tightness in my chest, like I can’t quite get enough air.
You did your best , I tell myself, the way everyone else says. You couldn’t have done more.
But the other voice—the one that’s always there, just under the surface—it doesn’t let up. You made the call! You decided to go! Couldn’t you have done a bit more research to find out if it was safe to go?
I press my hand to my stomach, trying to calm the rising panic. Just keep walking. Just keep moving. I force my legs to work again, counting every step to drown out the noise in my head. One, two, three… just walk. Focus on the sound of your boots.
By the time I turn onto my street, the memories are tucked back in their corner. For now. They’ll come back. They always do. But I’ve managed to push them aside for a little while, and that’s going to have to be enough.