Page 46 of Starstruck

Subtly, I scooted out of the booth, leaning in to whisper to Cora asI passed. "I’ll be right back." She gave me a knowing nod, her hand gliding gently down my back. No one else noticed as I slipped out, their attention still lost in the chatter.

Once I was a few steps away from the restaurant entrance, coveredby a wall of potted hedges scattered with white roses, I rested my hand on my bent knees and let the tears start to fall.

Just like that.

I had to remind myself, as a few sobs broke free from my mouth,that I was overwhelmed for all the right reasons. These were happy tears. And once I reminded myself of that, I felt the familiar tug of a smile start to pull on the corners of my mouth.

When the thoughts settled in my head, I stood up straighter,resting my back against the nearest wall and sucking in a breath that filled my lungs to the brim with cold air, while my eyes fluttered shut. But the second my ears pricked up at the gruff cough that came from my side, they sprung open, and I tipped my head to find a man lingering near me.

His stumble-covered mouth smiled at me as our eyes locked, thesmoke from the cigarette wedged between his fingers billowing around him. “You okay over there? That was quite the moment you just had.”

Fabulous, random strangers saw me crying.

I shook my head as a small smile graced my mouth. “I’m fine.Just… needed some air.”

I felt the right side of my body stiffen as he shuffled closer, thesmell from the cigarette making the food I’d devoured feel vile as the smoke drowned me. “It’s always nice to have a moment alone, don’t you think?”

The question alone made me feel queasy. “I suppose,” I mumbled.

I silently prayed this weird moment would just fizzle out. But thenhe flicked his cigarette into the street, stepped aside, and with a quick glance over his shoulder, smirked. “Oh yeah, it’s her alright, Joe.”

My pulse quickened for all the wrong reasons, goosebumps pricklingmy arms as a guy who stood at least a foot taller than the man who’d asked me if I was okay emerged at his side. It was then that I remembered that I’d studied their faces before, heard their scratchy voices breathing down the back of my neck.

The guys from the Moody Sunday’s concert. The ones who pushedme.

The taller guy, Joe, nodded his chin at me. “Well, look who it is,” Hisvoice was deep, eerily so. “The little bitch that got me thrown out of the concert that I’d been waiting for for over a year.”

I couldn’t find the strength in me to say anything, so I simply threwmy head forward, wrapped my arms around my waist and began to walk away—

Hands grabbed my shoulders, but there was no one in front of me.Whoever it was who’d grabbed me must have snuck up behind me, their powerful grip making my shoulders start to ache, like bunches of thumbtacks were puncturing my skin.

I struggled underneath their grip, and when I realised the guywho’d first approached me was nowhere to be seen, I guessed that he was the one who’d grabbed me.I managed to angle my head enough to see that it was the guy whoreeked of tobacco, my shoulders still resisting, before my attention was pulled back onto Joe.

“Oh, you can’t leave yet, birthday girl.” He laughed at me before Icould say anything, his vulgar expression making me cringe beneath the other man’s grip.

Without thinking, and channelling whatever strength I had left inme, I rolled my eyes.“Do you really not have anything else going on in your sad little lives,that you want to spend your night intimidating a girl who simply called you out for not being polite?”

The only way I could describe their laughs was slimy, as the soundclung to my ears and made the panic I’d tried to ignore flush my body and heat my skin.

The guy who had a hold of me grunted. “We were at a table nearby,and we simply saw an opportunity.” I felt him lean down, his chest invading my back and his breath soaking my ear as he whispered. “Happy birthday, by the way.”

Disgust rolled through my body, as my head felt like the inside of astatic TV. I felt dizzy, like I’d pass out any second from panic. I tried to get something, anything, to come out of my mouth as I stared up at the man towering over me, but the chokehold of fear that had caught up to me was too intense.

All I could do was let my eyes frantically take in every detail ofthem, hoping it’d help me once they decided to let me go.

Ifthey decided to let me go.

I couldn’t keep up with what was happening, how quickly this nighthad turned around. Only a minute ago I was crying from happiness; now the tears stinging the corners of my eyes were fueled by nothing but pure terror.

The taller one, Joe, began to walk over to me as the guy who had meunder his grip started to pull me backwards, further into the shadows of the alleyway that was only a few paces from the restaurant door. “Is this what you wished for just now, birthday girl?” He mocked, as a gross smile plagued his face.

His gaze fell from mine as he licked his lips, the action making menautious, as he found the locket that was still around my neck.

His bushy eyebrows raised. “Well, ain’t that pretty.” Callousedfingers grazed my skin as he pulled at the locket. “Ooh, weighty too.”

“No, please.” I sobbed, all the fight I’d had in my before fadingonce I saw his plan in his eyes.

But before I could so much as plead with him again, there was asharp tug at my neck, and when I cast my eyes down to his hand, the locket was in his sweaty palms. “I’ll keep it safe; don’t you worry, baby.”

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