Seven
SEVEN
LIAM
I skipped the taxi; I was too wound up, and the club is only a few blocks away from my apartment. The cool night air does little to calm the storm brewing inside me. Each step feels heavy, my mind replaying the image of that man invading Sophie’s space, touching her.
But as I step inside, the noise and lights crash into me all at once, momentarily disorienting me. It’s packed, bodies swaying to the relentless rhythm of the music, the air thick with the stench of alcohol, sweat and desperation. My eyes sweep the room, scanning every corner, every shadow, searching for the unmistakable gleam of her blonde hair.
She’s nowhere. A knot twists deep in my stomach, unease spreading. Did that bastard force her into a dark corner, away from the crowd? The thought sends a jolt of fury through me, my hands curling into fists. If he’s touched her, I swear I’ll—I shake my head. No. She’s fine.
I push through the mass of bodies, ignoring the elbows and half-drunk shouts, my focus razor-sharp. The flashing lights and pounding bass do nothing to drown out the one thought pounding in my head: Find her .
As I get closer to the bar, I spot Adeline laughing with a group of people, but still no Sophie in sight.
“Adeline!” I call out over the pounding music. She turns, surprise flickering across her face before it morphs into a radiant smile.
“Liam! What are you doing here?” she asks, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around my neck in a warm hug.
“I was in the neighborhood, my friend Micah wanted to check out this place,” I lie smoothly, the words slipping out before I can think twice.
It’s good to see her, the warmth and ease of her hug pulling me out of the tension that’s been clawing at me since I walked in.
She untangles herself and smacks me on the arm, playful but with just enough force to sting. “Ya hmar! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to New York—let alone becoming Sophie’s boss?”
I laugh, rubbing the spot where she hit me. Wait. Did she just call me a donkey?
“Sorry, it’s a long story.” I glance around the bar, feigning nonchalance. “Is Soph here as well?” I ask as if I don’t already know she is. Probably not as discreet as I think I am because Adeline narrows her eyes slightly before answering the question I desperately need an answer to.
“Yeah, she needed a little break from the crowd and stepped out on the balcony for some air.” Before I have time to get myself to the balcony, I see a blonde head weave back through the crowd, her steps unsteady and her cheeks flushed. She stumbles slightly, bumping into a woman who spills her drink. But Sophie doesn’t seem to notice as she continues walking toward us, oblivious to the daggers being thrown at her back.
I take a step forward, intending to intercept her, but hesitate, unsure how to approach her. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. The feeling of regret is almost suffocating as I watch her draw nearer. What am I going to say? Hey, Soph, I saw a video of a man trying to dance with you, and I did not like that at all because the idea of someone touching you, even though you’re not mine, drives me nuts. Oh, and I also want to break every single one of his fingers? Yeah, not happening.
She’s almost at the bar, so I scan the room for the man in the video, hoping not to find him lurking nearby. The thought of him anywhere near makes my blood boil up again. Which is not exactly helpful right now. I’m supposed to be playing it cool, dammit.
When Sophie finally looks up and sees me, her face goes through a range of emotions. Her eyes widen in confusion, and her mouth slightly drops open before she quickly closes it, furrowing her eyebrows. Then, to my surprise, her expression brightens.
“Liam!” Her voice bursts with excitement, cutting through the noise around us like it’s meant just for me.
Before I can even respond, she opens her arms and runs toward me, throwing herself into my embrace with such force that I stumble back a step. My hands instinctively grip her waist to steady us. The feel of her against me—soft, warm, and treasured—sets my nerves alight, like a live wire sparking beneath my skin.
This is not the welcome I was expecting. But I’m not complaining. Not in the slightest.
“Soph,” I manage to say, my voice quieter than I intended, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the moment. All I can register is the scent of her hair, the warmth of her arms around my shoulders, and the way her laughter vibrates through my chest. It’s dizzying.
She leans back just enough to look at me, her smile so warm and infectious that it momentarily overpowers the glazed, slightly unfocused look in her eyes. She’s drunk. Of course, she’s drunk. Otherwise, I’d never be greeted like this.
The realization hits hard. Her enthusiasm isn’t genuine, not the way I’d want it to be
Adeline releases a soft chuckle, and my gaze meets hers. Her head is tilted to the side as she watches us with a raised eyebrow. ”This is unexpected.”
Sophie pulls back, her hands still resting on my shoulders but the smile is still plastered on her face. ”What are you doing here?”
I let go of her awkwardly, glancing between her and Adeline. ”I came with a friend,” I recycle the lie.
“Where is this so-called friend ?” Adeline asks, her tone dripping with mock suspicion as she draws out the last word for effect.
I stammer, scrambling for a plausible story. “He’s, uh, somewhere around here. We got separated in the crowd.” My eyes dart around, desperate to find a face—any face—that could support my lie. But the sea of strangers blurs together, offering nothing but a growing sense of unease.
“Riiight,” Adeline drawls, both her eyebrows raised now, clearly not convinced. “How about we get you a shot? You need to relax a bit.”
I nod, relieved for the change of subject. “Yes, that sounds good.” A shot would do well to help calm down the storm that was brewing inside of me. Adeline gestures toward the bar, and we head over. I glance back at Sophie, who’s still looking at me with a mixture of confusion and amusement on her face. She opens her mouth to say something before a redhead, who looks to be her friend, interrupts us, leaving me hanging.
Adeline orders us each a shot. The bartender pours them quickly, I pay before Adeline has time to–I knew she’d try–and down mine immediately, the burn of the tequila providing a brief distraction. She raises her glass to mine in a mock toast, a smirk playing on her lips. “Cheers to unexpected reunions.”
I manage a weak smile cocking my head slightly. “Cheers.” I clink my empty glass with hers.
“So, what’s the real reason you’re in this specific club, Liam?” How could I have forgotten that Adeline is too curious and suspicious for her own good?
“Like I said, I was just out with a friend, and we’ve heard good things about this place. So, we thought we’d check it out. I didn’t know you two would be here. It’s a nice surprise though.”
Adeline gives me a pointed look, one brow arching as a half-smirk tugs at her lips. “Uh-huh,” she says, her tone thick with disbelief. “Well, you’re here now. Might as well enjoy yourself.”
I nod, grateful she's dropping the interrogation, or more likely, pausing it. I turn to the bar, flagging down the bartender for another round.
As I wait for the shots, I steal a glance at Sophie. She’s standing next to Adeline now, her beautiful laughter drifting over to me like a melody I can’t ignore. Even with the music blasting, I hear only her. My body instinctively focuses on her whenever she’s near, as if the rest of the world fades into the background, insignificant compared to her. I can’t stop it.
It’s been ten years. I fucked up. She left me, and now I’m her boss. And as her boss, it’s my responsibility to make sure she’s alright. That’s all this is—responsibility. It’s the right thing to do. I’ve always looked out for my employees. Sophie shouldn’t be any different. Except she is, and I can’t admit it. Not even to myself.
“Three tequila shots!” The bartender calls out, breaking my reverie. I turn back to him, my attention locking in. His voice cuts through the noise of the bar, grounding me for a second in the ordinary, even as my mind races with everything that's far from it. I don't miss how his gaze lingers on Sophie, a flicker of something I recognize all too well. Keep those eyes away, I think, the warning flashing through my mind unbidden.
I quickly pull out my wallet and hand the bartender a one hundred bill, telling him to keep the change. His eyes nearly pop out of his head in surprise, but he nods appreciatively and quickly pushes the shots toward me, each adorned with a lemon wedge on top, reminding me to use it this time. I pass the shots to the girls and raise my glass in the air.
“Cheers,” I say, about to bring the glass to my lips, but Sophie stops me with a playful wag of her finger.
“No, no,” she says, her pink lips curling into a smile that’s impossible to ignore. “You need to cheer for something.”
“Like this,” she says, raising her glass high. “Cheers to future possibilities and success.”
Then she nods at me and Adeline before her tongue glides over her hand, slow and deliberate, before she downs the shot and bites into the lemon, her lips wrapping around it as she sucks. It’s such a normal act while taking a tequila shot, but there’s nothing normal about the way it twists something hot and dark in my gut.
All I can think about is how much I want her mouth on me instead of that damn lemon.
Those sinful lips wrapped around my–
Stop. I’m her boss. I’m her boss. I’m her boss.
“Cheers to growing friendships and questionable life choices!” Adeline says, her grin wide as she clinks her glass, adding her signature flair to the moment.
I let out a low chuckle, but the words hit harder than they should. Questionable life choices. Isn’t that what started this whole mess? One decision—a reckless, selfish moment—was all it took to shatter what Sophie and I had. The thought lingers like a bad taste in my mouth, but I force it down. Not here. Not now.
“Cheers to forgetting the past,” I say, raising my glass to hers before we drink.
My eyes stay locked on Sophie’s blue ones, the lights from the club flashing in soft bursts across her face. No matter how casual or second nature this moment feels, remember, it’s nothing more than borrowed time.
She blinks, and for a split second, something flickers across her face, but in this lighting, it’s impossible to pin down. Her lips part as if to speak, then close again, her gaze dropping briefly before meeting mine once more.
“To forgetting the past,” she echoes, her tone steady, casual. The words hang between us, heavy despite the noise around us. I can’t quite shake the feeling that, for just a moment, there was something more behind them.
A tall, burly man pushes his way through the crowd toward the bar, his eyes fixed on the bartender. He shoves another person aside with unnecessary force, sending them stumbling straight into Adeline just as she’s about to take her shot, spilling it everywhere. She stumbles forward, nearly colliding into Sophie.
“Hey, watch it!” Adeline shouts.
The man turns to her, leaning down, his face uncomfortably close to hers. “She’s got it,” he sneers.
Before Adeline can respond, I’m already stepping forward. “You need to back off.”
“Mind your business,” he snaps, his tone dripping with hostility.
That’s when I see it—his face, his build, his clothes. It’s him. The man from the video. The one who touched Sophie. My veins throb, my fists balling instinctively as I struggle to keep my cool.
“You don’t talk to her like that,” I say through gritted teeth, my voice low and sharp. Every muscle in my body tightens, ready for a fight I know I shouldn’t start, but damn it, the rage is already bubbling over.
He laughs mockingly, his face twisting into something even uglier. “Or what?”
I see red.
Before I even register what I’m doing, I lunge at him, my fist connecting with his cheek in one swift motion. The impact jolts up my arm, and he staggers back, caught completely off guard. Every ounce of pent-up anger, frustration, and years of regret surges through me, demanding release in this one reckless moment.
“You son of a bitch,” he shouts, clutching the side of his face. With surprising agility, he swings back at me, and his fist connects with the side of my face. The impact dazes me momentarily, the sharp taste of blood filling my mouth as pain shoots through my jaw. I stumble back, my balance wavering for a second before adrenaline surges through me like fire, fueling my rage.
I can hear Sophie’s voice in the background, panic and pleading threading through the chaos. But her words barely register. All I can focus on is making sure this guy never gets the chance to touch her again.
With a growl, I charge at him, but something pulls at me. I don’t reach him.
For fucks sake, I almost had him.
Large arms grab me, holding me back with a grip that’s firm and unyielding. I struggle against it with all my strength, but it’s useless.
“Let go!” I shout, my voice raw with fury and desperation. In this moment, I probably resemble a raging child. But I don’t care. Twisting my head to see who the hell is holding me like I weigh nothing, I’m met with the unyielding gaze of a burly bouncer. A very, very large burly bouncer.
“Enough,” his deep voice booms, cutting through the chaos. “Both of you, out, or I’ll call the police”
The predator in front of me scrambles up from the floor and runs toward the exit, leaving the bouncer still gripping me firmly. I continue to thrash against his hold, my chest heaving, but he doesn’t let me go.
“Have you calmed down?” he asks, his voice stern and resolute.
Calmed down? If he let me go, he’d see just how calmly I’d kick that bastard’s ass. My hands twist at my sides, adrenaline still coursing through me as I glare at him, my breathing heavy and uneven. Oh, totally. Zen as hell. Maybe I’ll start handing out hugs while I’m at it.
“Calm down! You look like a crazy person!” he snaps, his gaze sharp and unrelenting.
I stare back at him, my jaw tightening as the weight of my pride and frustration settles heavily in my chest. The urge to argue bubbles beneath the surface, but after what feels like an eternity of wrestling with myself, I force the word out through gritted teeth.
“I’m calm.”
He releases me, his attention shifting to the girls. “Now wash that blood off his face and then out. All of you.”