Page 40 of Peripheral Vision

Chapter

Twenty-Six

DYLAN

It took every ounce of my self-control to not unblock Callum. Not only to defy Fletcher and hisinsufferabledemands, but also because he doesn’t deserve this. My rational mind knows it would be foolish to, considering Fletcher's threat, and why that didn’t scare me off the way it should… sounds like a problem more for a therapist than something I should try to figure out on my own. However, he didn’t tell me to stay at home either, not directly anyway. So, when he left to go meet who he referred to as a work partner at Sins and Sons, much to my chagrin, it actually turned out to work in my favor. Lacey had texted me asking me if I wanted to get out tonight. She knew I had missed classes obviously, and although she didn’t know why, she wanted to cheer me up. Her idea? Going to a club with her and her girlfriend. Her reason? It’s basically the end of the week and we still haven’t gotten together more than that one time last Friday.

I wasn’t entirely sure when Fletcher was going to return, and I didn’t particularly feel like texting him either to ask for permission, as much as he likes to pretend to be my keeper. Instead, I hurried to my bedroom to get dressed and left the house as quickly as I could to avoid any chances of bumping into him as I left. The club that Laceysent me the address to was located a few miles from campus and was a popular spot for college students looking to let loose after a grueling week of classes. She had given me the rundown that it’s notorious for its wild parties, questionable drink specials, and a dance floor that pulsed with energy until the early hours of the morning. I could’ve used the excuse that it wasn’t my scene as the initial thought made me uncomfortable, but I then realized I haven’t done this enough or at all, to determine what my scene was, so I said fuck it. I may not be the poster child for late night escapades, but I think it’s time for a change of pace.

The ride to the club was uneventful, though my nerves hummed with anticipation. Was it because I’ve never done something like this before, or because I was secretly excited about Fletcher’s reaction? I wasn’t sure. The building came into view, a neon sign that flickered with the wordIgnitein bright blue letters over the partygoers outside. When I parked, I double checked the little bit of makeup I had thrown on before I left, making sure my mascara hadn’t smudged and that my lip gloss was reapplied. I smoothed out the high waisted black cargo pants I was wearing in combination with the white strapless crop top and matching white sneakers. My hair was styled into a high ponytail since I didn’t have time or energy to do it. As soon as I step foot from the truck, a squeal travels in the air and Lacey runs up to meet me from where she and her girlfriend must have been waiting.

“There you are!” Her familiar brown hair tickles my nose as she throws herself around me in a hug that catches me off guard. “You came, I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Give me more credit than that, I keep my word,” I chide.

She takes my arm in the crook of her own as she begins walking us back toward the club entrance, her girlfriend joining in step beside her. “It’s not that I thought you would flake! But there is obviously some reason that you didn’t show up today, and it certainly doesn’t look like it’s because you’re sick. Unless you really just like to punish yourself with more makeup work. Anyway, this is Harper.”

Harper smiles at me, reaching out to shake my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” I say as I glance over at her. She’s pretty, the perfect complement to Lacey in the way yin is to yang. Where Lacey has long brunette hair and chocolate eyes, Harper has blonde hair that cascades in soft waves around her shoulders, barely brushing the tops, and bright blue eyes.

Her smile is redirected to Lacey who gives her a nonchalant shrug. “I certainly hope that means they’re good things.”

“Only that she can’t stop saying all three hundred and sixty-five ways and reasons she’s in love with you,” I say with a grin, bumping into Lacey with my hip. Her cheeks flush red.

Harper laughs, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “I don’t doubt it,” she teases, glancing at Lacey with a playful smirk. “She’s got it bad, huh?”

Lacey shoots her a quick half-amused, half-exasperated look but doesn’t deny it as we come to our place in line to go inside. “I might just be a little bit in love with her,” she admits, her voice softening, though there’s a hint of teasing in it too. The way they look at each other makes me feel like I’m witnessing a secret, a quiet bond that’s been years in the making. I slowly unloop my arm from Lacey’s, who immediately grabs Harper's hand. “Although, a part of me might come to regret ever introducing you two if you gang up on me.”

We all laugh as the line moves forward. Fortunately, it appears to be moving quickly. The faster we can get inside, the better I will feel versus being outside exposed in case Fletcher comes to search for me. I’m half-surprised to find that he hasn’t called or texted to check in on me. We make our way to the front of the line, and I can see flashing lights inside as the booming music floats outside. The atmosphere draws goosebumps out over my skin as we’re let in, and it feels sensual and intoxicating as we move through the writhing bodies toward the bar. “What do you want?” Lacey yells out over the music, a new song pouring out of the speakers that I don’t recognize. I know deep down I should probably stay sober. It would be the smart thing to do given my most recent circumstances…

“Whatever you’re having is fine.” I’m not gonna let those circumstances or Fletcher stop me from having a normal college experience. We sit there for a few minutes before the bartender hands us back three colorful shots and three cocktails. I sniff both, making a face at the strong smell of whatever alcohol is floating around in the shot, but the cocktail has a cucumber floating in it.

Harper chuckles at me. “Rainbow shot and a cucumber cooler. Bottoms up.” She holds out her shot as we toast and down the tart drink. The liquid burns a path down my throat, and I cough a little, feeling the sharp kick of the vodka. I glance at Lacey and Harper, their eyes glinting with excitement, and for a moment I forget about everything else. The music pulses around us as we make our way out to the dance floor, cocktails in tow, and the world feels both far away and close, like I could lose myself in this moment. It takes me a few seconds to find my rhythm, but when I do, my hips match the beat and sway in time with the music. The crowd moves around us, a blur of bodies, but it’s as though I’m in my own little bubble, caught in the energy of the night.

I close my eyes, letting the pulse flow through my body, letting it vibrate in my chest. Lacey laughs, pulling me in for a spin, her hair flying around us as she twirls. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten to get details from you for why you skipped today. But it looks like you’re getting the hang of this!” she shouts over the music, her voice high. I grin, my confidence building with each passing moment. I didn’t expect to feel this free, not tonight, not after everything that’s happened. But here, in the chaos of the dance floor, I feelnormal.Harper slides in next to me, bumping her hips against mine in time with the beat. “Let’s go!” she yells, raising her glass in the air. I laugh, catching her infectious energy, and we all dance together, laughing like we’ve been friends forever.

The night seems to stretch on, the worries of the past several weeks melting away with each step, each drink. I lose track of time, letting the music and the people around me carry me away. My phone has buzzed several times where it rests inside my pocketagainst my thigh, but I haven’t cared enough to check it. Tonight isn’t about anything or anyone else, so when I feel strong hands snake around my waist on the dance floor, I let them embrace me as I sway against the stranger.Renegadeby Aaryan Shah plays over the speaker in a sensual and hypnotic rhythm, the bass vibrating deep in my chest as the stranger pulls me in close. The heat of his body presses against mine, and for a split second, everything feels like it’s happening in slow motion. The world is a blur of neon lights, sweat, and thumping beats. Lacey and Harper are dancing across from us, Lacey throwing a wink my way.

I let go, sinking deeper into the rhythm of the songs as they change, moving with him. His hands are firm on my waist but start to trail up my sides, brushing the underside of my breasts, guiding me as we sway together, and I can’t deny the rush of excitement that floods through me. The way he touches me feels familiar. He leans in closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he murmurs something I can’t quite catch over the music. His breath is warm against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine as I catch whispers of what could be a cedarwood soap, maybe pine. The mixture of alcohol and the overwhelming energy around us makes my head spin, and I feel a tug at the corner of my lips. The next song ends, and I find myself parched, needing another drink, but as I pull away his grip tightens on me, holding me there as the next song begins. I hesitate, torn between the pull of the dance floor and the need to quench my raging thirst.

The tension lingers for a moment, thick and uncertain, but I decide to give in to one more dance. I let the stranger lead me back into the beat, my body pressing back into his once more. And just when I think I’ve finally outsmarted Fletcher, I hear a voice, deep and familiar, cutting through the music. “You’re really going to pretend like I’m not here, little viper?” The words are mixed with a teasing and a frustrated edge, and I freeze, my heart skipping in my chest. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I spin around in his arms and two shards of emerald glass cut through the haze, pinning me in place. The music fades and all I can hear is the pounding of my ownheart, the air thick with the tension between us. I should say something, anything, but the words are lodged in my throat, caught between anger and surprise.

Fletcher stands there, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, but I know better than to believe it’s anything other than a wolf in sheep's clothing. “What happened to staying inside?”

I tilt my chin up in defiance, throwing my arms out to my sides. “Technically, I am inside.”

His gaze darkens, a glimmer of amusement dancing there before being overtaken by something sharp and demanding. “I don’t care about your technicalities, Dylan.”

I almost falter at the growl that escapes him in barely contained irritation, but I don’t let him see that. “I don’t take kindly to being told what to do.”

He chuckles, the sound menacing. “You’re going to learn. You’re going to learn that when I say something, it means something. When I say you’re mine, I don’t just mean physically. You’re mine to protect, too. You don’t get to run off and potentially get yourself killed.”

I take a step back, my chest tightening. “I’m in a public place, Fletcher, with my friends. Nothing is going to happen to me here.”

His nostrils flare as he takes in more of my appearance. “You’re right, because we’re leaving. You’re not staying here, especially not in what you’re wearing.” I look down at the outfit I chose, knowing that although casual, it’s also bold and slightly daring. A smile quirks at the corner of my lips but I quickly squash it, though not fast enough. “You think this is funny?”

“I’m an adult, Fletcher. I can wear what I want.”

“An adult who doesn’t know how to dress herself,” he growls, stepping forward and grabbing my wrist in a piercing grip. His thumb presses into my pulse, as if he can feel how fast my heart is racing.

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