CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LILA
Step by step, I make my way down the stairs to Aster. She’s picking me up for a night full of unknowns. But I’m here. A little numb, but better. And honestly? The outfit helps.
Hopefully, that’s not the only action I get tonight.
My back is completely exposed, except for the delicate pearl and crystal strands that hold the top in place. The butterfly bodice clings like it was sculpted just for me, fragile, feminine, and empowering all at once.
“Damn, Lila! Can I marry you?” Aster practically shouts, jaw on the floor.
“Stop. Don’t blow smoke up my butt.” I smirk. “And look at you! We’re twinning. I love it.” Relief washes over me. I won’t be the only one in the spotlight tonight. We both will, and honestly, that takes the pressure off.
She twirls dramatically, her black butterfly outfit sparkling under the light. It’s the same as mine, but darker, opalescent black with flashes of midnight blue. We’re opposites. Day and night. Her short, jet-black hair is pinned up, threaded with black pearls.
“I guess we really are in sync,” she says, grinning as she hooks her arm through mine .
Together, we walk toward her matte black G-Wagon, the moment unfolding like the first scene of a night made for trouble.
We hop in, and as the doors shut, I realize I haven’t actually checked in on her in a while.
Lately, everything’s been about me. My job.
My mom. My love life. Aster doesn’t make it easy to ask how she’s doing.
She’s the kind of person who hides behind jokes and shopping.
She’ll say she’s fine with a smile and a wink, even when she’s drowning.
And honestly? I’ve let her get away with it.
“How are you?” I ask, glancing over. And this time, I really mean it.
She narrows her eyes. “I’m good… why? Do you know something I don’t?” She pauses, then gasps. “Did Tom Holland and Zendaya break up?”
I snort. “Oh my God, no. If they ever break up, I swear I’m giving up on love entirely.” She laughs, but I hesitate, then speak more softly.
“I just… I feel like I haven’t been the best friend lately. You’ve been there for me with my mom, supported me through everything, and I’ve been so wrapped up in work and life that I haven’t stopped to check in on you. To ask what’s happening in your world.”
She grabs my hand. “Lila, stop dragging yourself through the mud. You’re always a good friend, no matter what’s going on. Give yourself some credit.”
I squeeze her hand, smiling. “Thanks, Aster… Now tell me the important stuff. Have you been on any dates recently? Anyone catch your eye?” She gives me a shy, almost guilty smile.
“What?” I ask, eyebrows shooting up.
“Well… if you must know… I think I like someone. ”
“No way. You? You’ve never had a crush on anyone in your life. I thought all your relationships were strictly no-strings-attached?”
“They were… are… I don’t know.” She says, her voice quieter now. “Until I met someone. The night of the Halloween party.”
My heart stutters. “Was it Jack Sparrow?” I giggle.
“He was nice, but no. Do you remember the plague doctor who pulled me away from you before I lost? After he manhandled me, I was so turned on that I ended up making out with him. Hard. I flipped it, went full dominant, mostly because I loved the way he threw me over his shoulder.” She pauses, her teeth catching her lip, eyes unfocused.
“I shoved him against a bush, lifted his mask in the dark, and we devoured each other. God, he was into it.” Her voice drops, breathless.
“I can’t stop thinking about that kiss, Lila. It felt… different. More.”
Oh my God. The Plague Doctor… it was Beck.
He confessed, and she has no clue. Should I tell her?
Maybe I should, because honestly, she deserves someone like him.
They’d be adorable together. He’s a golden retriever, all warmth and boyish charm.
And Aster? She’s a hurricane in heels, unstoppable and wild.
“Aster, I’m so excited for you! Do you know who it is?” I play dumb because I need to know if she's even interested in him before I tell her.
“Sadly, no. I have no idea,” she sighs, a dreamy look in her eyes. “But I’m hoping fate will let our paths cross again. I can’t get him out of my head.”
“I have hope for you. My love life might be six feet under, but you... You go after what you want!”
She smiles at me, unaware of the war happening inside my chest. I could never be that forward with a man. I’m too timid. Too scared of rejection. But she’s not. I wish I could be more like her. Bold. Fearless. Unshakable.
We pull up in front of the four-story sex club that haunts my memories in the best way. Arm in arm, we step out in perfect sync. Yin and yang. Each stride feels like slow motion in a music video.
Aster tosses the keys to the valet with a wink, fully owning the main character energy she lives in. I flip my hair, letting them know I am just as hot and walking in with my baddie of a best friend.
“Aster, keep it in your pants,” I mutter.
She smirks. “One of us has to get laid tonight.”
I roll my eyes, but she’s not wrong. Leon is about to forget every woman he has ever met the moment I walk in. The doormen open the pitch-black doors, looking us up and down as they should. If they didn’t, I would have to file a complaint.
The place is exactly how I remember it. Bass thumps. Bodies grind. Pole dancers spin on elevated platforms. Waves of color ripple through the club, lights sweeping over every surface in a hypnotic rhythm. I glance down. Our butterfly outfits glow.
No… actually glowing. The wings catch the blacklights, shimmering as if crafted with bioluminescence. Every eye in the room locks on us.
“Did you really have to add that little detail?” I whisper in Aster’s ear.
She grins with pure, wicked confidence. “I wanted to make sure we lit the place up.”
Mission accomplished.
Heads turn. Conversations stall. We walk like we belong here, because we do.
The lounge is soaked in luxury. Black leather couches. Dim lighting. The scent of power clings to the air. It is full of elite businessmen with crystal tumblers in hand, each one convinced his money makes him a god.
But right now? They’re drooling. Over us. Over me.
My eyes scan the room until I finally find him. Leon.
He catches my stare. I toss a playful wave and flash him a smile, because I am genuinely excited to see him again.
Maybe I really can have something with him.
And God, he looks divine. Jet-black hair, effortlessly styled, contrasts perfectly with his smooth, golden skin.
That sharp jawline could cut glass, and when he smiles, all perfect teeth and playful danger, his eyes squint just enough to make my heart stutter.
His black suit hugs his broad shoulders and trim waist as if it were tailored for seduction.
I swoon. But then I notice he is laughing, cutting up with a couple of other guys... And then I see it. My night crashes. Just like that. Over.
No, no, no. You have got to be kidding me right now.
There they are. Clint. Beck. And Kage. All seated around Leon like some kind of twisted royal court. Laughing. Drinking. Watching.
Kage’s green eyes lock on mine, glowing with a slow, searing intensity.
He lifts his glass and takes a sip of whiskey, unflinching.
No hesitation. No mercy. His gaze drags over me like fire on bare skin, tracing every inch from head to toe.
He makes no effort to disguise it. He wants me.
And God help me, I want him too. More than I should.
More than is safe. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.
And that is the most dangerous part of all.