Page 48 of Heal Me

"Amelia," Lily answers for me.

"Amelia's not a talker?" another laughs.

"Yes, she is," I smile.

"What else can you do with your mouth?"

"Nothing special, but I can tell you to fuck off with my mouth," I smile, batting my long eyelashes.

"Easy, it's just a joke."

I don't know how old this guy is, he looks twenty-five, but he has the behaviour of a fifteen year old boy. And why did I agree to this? I could have stayed in the dormitory and studied.

"How about we change this terrible club and move to my place?" one of the guys suggests. Pavlo, I think his name is.

The girls look at each other and then up at me. It doesn't take them two minutes to figure out my answer.

No.

The last thing I want to do right now is go to a strange guys' house. What if they are killers?

"I don't know," Lily shrugs.

"But it's not a bad idea," Adele says, a smile spreading across her face.

Even if the killer told her directly that he wanted to cut her body into pieces and sell it, she would still say that it's not a bad idea.

I get bored, so I get up and go to the bar. Luckily, no one notices that I've escaped, so I have all the time I need to get drunk here alone.

I order a cocktail, then another, and then another.

"Hard day?" the bartender hands me a cocktail and continues to rub the glasses.

He has short dark hair, stubble, and brown eyes. I wonder if his hair will be as soft as it looks if I run my hand through it.

"Hard life."

Sometimes I think that all bartenders are psychologists with higher education who go to work in clubs to get practice.

"Let me guess," he smiles, he has a sweet smile, "boyfriend problems?" Damn, why did he smile, now I can't look away from him.

Boyfriend problems? I repeat the question in my head. No.

Problems with Danylo? Yes.

"No," I answer briefly.

"Then with your studies."

"A hard life is not necessarily connected with problems with boys or with studying," I sip my cocktail.

The pleasant taste spreads down my throat. It's getting a little hot, and I'm only in a dress.

"Maybe I can solve your problems."

I don't quite understand this question or statement. I'm about to ask what it means when someone sits down next to me.

"What are you doing here?" I recognise his voice immediately.

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