Chapter 2
I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, carefully applying just a touch of makeup before heading to Bernie’s. Excitement coursed through me at the thought of hanging out with Lucy and Tyson one last time before leaving town.
Swiping on some mascara, I was mentally sorting through my plans for the next few days.
Tonight, I would meet up with my friends, then come home and binge a few episodes of Romance Manor with Mom. Tomorrow would be all about packing, then we would be up bright and early to leave for Linden Beach the next morning.
I shifted on my feet, finishing the look with a shiny pink lip gloss, unable to stand still with everything swirling around in my head. Grabbing an oversized baby blue sweatshirt, I pulled it over my head; the nights had been chilly lately.
“Mom, I’m heading out!” I shouted, grabbing my purse and keys, and heading out the door.
The drive to Bernie’s was quick, just a five-minute trip through familiar streets.
Pulling into the parking lot, I looked at the old, run-down building holding so many memories. Bernie’s was definitely nothing fancy, but it was perfect in its own way. It was where I’d spent countless hours during high school, playing arcade games and hanging out with my friends. Being the total nerd that I was, I adored Bernie’s and its retro old-school vibe.
Inside, Lucy and Tyson were already waiting for me, nestled in our usual corner booth.
Bernie’s—affectionately dubbed the “barcade” by the locals —was a charmingly shabby mix of arcade games, a bar, and a restaurant. The place seemed to be frozen in time, with its worn-out, bright red and yellow patterned carpet that had seen far better days. Its red booths had been patched up with gray duct tape, and the air always carried a faint musty scent.
The food served was limited to burgers and fries or pizza, but they had twelve flavors of milkshakes which were delicious, my favorite being Triple Chocolate Death.
Tyson’s face lit up when he spotted me heading toward them. I plopped my bag down on the table, accidentally startling Lucy, who had been staring at her phone.
“Sorry!” I squealed, trying to contain my laughter.
Lucy looked up, smiling warmly. “Hey, Rey!” She set her phone aside.
Tyson and Lucy were twins and although they shared the same fair skin, light blonde hair, and striking sapphire eyes, Tyson towered over Lucy by at least a foot.
They had been my best friends since junior high when I’d found myself in a new school, with no friends and alone at the lunch table. They’d also been shy and were more than happy to join me at the quiet, empty table at the cafeteria’s far end.
They were the ones who introduced me to Bernie’s too, and I’d never forget the look on their faces when I beat them—on my first try—at the game they had been working on for weeks.
Tyson was tapping his fingers restlessly on the table. “What’s up, Ty?”
His mouth slowly turned upwards. “You were right, Areya—Cory’s in the back, installing that new game machine right now.”
“Ooooh. Any idea what kind of game it is?” I leaned in, excitement stirring.
“First-person shooter,” he replied, and I couldn’t help but grin.
“Lucky for Areya but unlucky for the rest of us.” Lucy sighed dramatically.
I chuckled. She wasn’t wrong; I had impeccable aim, and Lucy knew it all too well.
“All right, highest score on the first round buys milkshakes,” Tyson challenged, raising his eyebrows.
Lucy smacked her hands against the table. “We might as well just hand her all our money, Tyson.” We all laughed.
As we shared a large pizza, Tyson filled us in on a brand-new game center that had just opened in a city a little over an hour away. “You’d be in heaven, Areya. They’ve got laser tag, virtual reality, all new top-of-the-line gaming machines, and they’re open all night.”
I was nearly drooling when he finished.
Lucy caught my expression and rolled her eyes, chuckling.
Our waiter returned to the table; he was a new guy at Bernie’s, with soft hazel eyes and a cheerful smile. “Can I get you guys milkshakes?”
“Strawberry, please,” Lucy said politely.
The waiter turned to Tyson. “Chocolate for me and Triple Chocolate Death for her.” Tyson pointed at me. I smiled at the waiter, and didn’t miss the faint blush creeping across his cheeks before he walked away. Embarrassed, I quickly looked away, hoping no one had noticed.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“Guys, I’ll be right back; I’m going to use the restroom.”
The women’s bathroom was tucked away at the far back of the building, past the bar and just before the kitchen. Making my way down the dimly lit corridor, a strange feeling prickled at the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.
It was subtle at first, a faint tug in my subconscious, but it grew stronger with every step as though someone’s gaze was boring into me.
My steps faltered. I hesitated, swallowing hard, casting a cautious glance toward the bar.
That’s when I saw him.
My breath hitched, caught somewhere between surprise and disbelief. A stranger—a strikingly beautiful stranger—was staring right at me. His gaze was intense, dark and magnetic, holding me in place as though the world had narrowed to just the two of us.
I had never seen him here before, and he certainly didn’t belong in this dingy, worn-down bar. Everything about him felt out of place. The sharp cut of his jawline … the effortless way he seemed to command the room without moving a muscle.
He looked like someone pulled straight from the cover of a magazine or, better yet, one of the heroes from my much adored fantasy books. Time seemed to stretch and blur as his piercing eyes locked onto mine, stealing all the breath from my lungs.
Leaning casually against the bar, he had his arms crossed over his chest, exuding an air of cool, unshakable confidence.
His outfit—black cargo pants and a fitted black t-shirt—highlighted his athletic build, the fabric clinging to his broad chest and sculpted arms. His jet-black hair was perfectly tousled, a few loose strands falling over his brow, giving him an effortlessly smoldering look.
His face was flawless with defined cheekbones, a strong jaw, and those luscious lips curving in just the hint of a smirk. But his eyes—those eyes—were something else entirely.
They were a deep, endless black, so dark they seemed to drink in the light, pulling me in and holding me captive. He looked a few years older than me, utterly mesmerizing me.
Without a doubt, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
It wasn’t until the corner of his lips formed into a small, knowing smile that I realized I’d stopped dead in my tracks.
There I was, frozen in front of the ladies’ room, staring at him like an idiot.
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and a jolt of electricity shot through my stomach. Mortified, I quickly looked away and hurried to the bathroom, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat.
After washing my hands, I looked at myself in the mirror, suddenly quite self-conscious. My hand ran through my hair, tousling it and I took a couple of deep breaths. God, what was wrong with me? How had I just stood there practically drooling at a random stranger?
I prayed the man would be gone by the time I’d leave the bathroom.
But as soon as I stepped out, keeping my head low, I barely made it six steps before someone blocked my path. My heart dropped into my stomach, my eyes trailing from the bottom of a pair of black cargo pants all the way up to meet those dark smoldering eyes.
He stood in front of me, hands casually in his pockets, radiating cool arrogance.
Up close, his face was even more striking. His eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, were no longer the black I had first assumed. Instead, they were a mesmerizing stormy gray, depthless and intense, like the calm immediately before a fierce thunderstorm.
My eyes trailed down to his full, sensual lips, my gaze lingering far longer than it should have. This was so unlike me—since when did I gawk at strangers, let alone ones who looked like they’d stepped out of my wildest daydreams?
The sound of him clearing his throat jolted me back to reality.
My eyes snapped up to his face, and a flush of heat spread across my cheeks as I realized, with growing embarrassment, that I’d been blatantly staring. Again.
He tilted his head slightly, a spark of amusement in his expression as he studied me. His gaze lingered for a moment before dropping down to my wrist.
A flicker of unease sparked in my chest.
Instinctively, I fought the urge to hide my hand behind my back.
“Those bracelets on your wrist—they’re nice,” he said, his voice smooth and deep, like velvet brushing against my skin.
“Thank you …” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper, unsure why the compliment was sending a ripple of unease through me.
“What is your name?” His tone, rich and intoxicating, carried an allure that caused an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“Areya,” I replied softly, my pulse beginning to race yet again.
“Areya,” he repeated, drawing out the syllables in a way seeming both deliberate and unsettling, his tone firm yet strangely captivating. “Take off your bracelets and give them to me.”
My eyes blinked, caught completely off guard. “Excuse me?”
The warmth in his expression vanished, replaced by a cold, impatient edge that made my stomach churn. His jaw tightened, his piercing eyes seeming to darken further, locking onto me like a predator cornering its prey. My pulse skyrocketed, unease turning to panic.
My gaze darted past him toward the table where Lucy and Tyson sat, laughing and oblivious. What was wrong with this man and why was he asking such a bizarre thing?
One thing was certain—I needed to get away from him. Now.
He pulled his hands from his pockets and stepped toward me, his eyes locked on mine with an unsettling intensity. I fought the urge to step back, gripped by panic and an urge to flee.
Without breaking eye contact, he reached toward my wrist.
Before I could even process what he was doing, his hand suddenly jerked back as if burned, his expression twisting into a glare.
“I’m sorry—my friends are waiting for me,” I stammered, my voice high with panic.
Without waiting for a response, I darted around him, scurrying back to the table where my friends were. “ Who was that?” Tyson and Lucy demanded in unison as soon as I sat down.
I must’ve looked as shaken as I felt; Tyson’s expression soon shifted from one of curiosity to concern. “What happened, Areya?
“I don’t really know … That guy just came up to me and told me to take off my bracelets and give them to him.” My voice trembled.
Lucy’s lip curled in disgust. “Your mother’s bracelets?”
My head nodded.
“What a freak,” Tyson muttered.
“That’s not all,” I continued, my pulse still racing. “When I didn’t hand them over, he reached for my hand, like he was just going to take them. But then he hesitated, and I ran.”
Lucy’s eyes scanned the bar behind me. “Do you think he was on something?”
“Like drugs?” My stomach tightened.
Lucy nodded.
“I don’t know. It was just … weird.”
“Well, at least he’s gone now,” she said.
Cautiously, I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen.
I rubbed my wrist, trying to shake off the strangeness of the encounter.
By the time my milkshake was finished, and I’d beaten a couple of my old high scores in the arcade, the unsettling interaction had been pushed to the back of my mind.
Hours had passed, and when I finally checked my phone, the screen read midnight.
Shit—I didn’t mean to stay out so late. I promised Mom I’d be back early enough to watch that show with her!
Lucy and Tyson were at the air hockey machine, and I approached, saying almost breathlessly, “Guys, I’ve gotta go. My mom’s going to be worried.”
“Ok, we’re ready too—we’ll walk out with you.” Lucy laughed as she made the winning shot.
But when she looked up, her laughter faded, her eyes locking on something behind me.
A cold wave of dread washed over me.
My body froze, and my throat tightened; I was fairly sure who I’d find upon turning around. Slowly, I faced the figure behind, only to see our server from dinner, not the man from before.
“Hey …” I said uncertainly.
He didn’t respond; he just stood there, unmoving, his eyes fixed on something.
Following his gaze, I froze as I realized it had landed on my wrist. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and a cold knot formed in my stomach. Before I could process what was happening, he reached for my bracelets.
Instinct took over, my hand tugging away.
“Dude, get the hell back,” Tyson barked, stepping between us with a protective edge to his voice.
The waiter blinked as if snapped from a trance, his face flushing deep red.
“I’m sorry—I don’t know what came over me,” he stammered, quickly turning on his heels and hurrying away.
I stared after him, horrified, unable to shake the unease.
“What the hell just happened?” Tyson locked eyes with me.
“Again, I don’t know, but that was really weird, right?”
“Yes,” the twins answered in unison.
A terrible uneasiness weighed on me. I grabbed my bag and scanned the area where the waiter had disappeared. About to turn away, I saw the dark-haired man from the bar, right there, leaning against the wall by the kitchen.
This time, his eyes were locked on me, cold, filled with what looked like murderous rage.
Quickly, I turned, whispering, “Look behind me.”
Tyson and Lucy both looked, and when they saw him, their bodies went rigid.
“I don’t like this, Areya,” Lucy said.
“We’re going to walk you out to your car. Go straight home, and make sure no one follows,” Tyson added, his voice serious.
I nodded, sick to my stomach.
The twins walked me to my car, taking turns hugging me tightly before I got inside and locked the doors. Back at home, sure that no one had followed, I rushed inside the house and also locked our front door behind me. The quiet darkness of the kitchen wrapped around me as I stood there, trying to steady my breathing. My hand moved to touch the bracelets on my wrist, the ones that had been the center of such bizarre behavior tonight.
All I wanted to do was find Mom, tell her everything, and see what she thought.
I headed straight to her room, but my heart sank on finding her already asleep, a book still in her hands. A sigh escaped my lips, guilt creeping in. I’d promised her I’d be back early, and we would watch that show together. I’d have to wait until tomorrow to tell her about the bracelets and find a way to make it up to her. Easing her book from her hands, I set it on the bedside table, then pulled her blankets up over her and kissed her forehead.
“Goodnight, Mama,” I whispered, turning off the light and quietly closing the door.