Page 50 of Rival Desires

I didn’t stick around for her response, nothing she said would have changed my mind.

It took every ounce of concentration to keep my eyes on the road as I sped towards the club, my brain tempted to imagine worst-case scenarios of the trio passed out in the bathroom or someone spiking their drinks, or some dudes thinking it was cool to touch–

“Come on, get a grip!” I smacked the steering wheel, scolding myself to snap out of it.

By the time I rolled up to the club, my jaw was clenched so tight I could’ve cracked walnuts with my teeth. I was nursing a budding headache, but that was the least of my worries. As I hunted for a parking spot, I fired off a voice-to-text message to Rylee.

“Hey, I’m here. Meet me outside, and I’ll get you and your friends home safe.”

Time crept along, and Rylee still hadn’t replied. I tried to tell myself it was just a delayed text alert; there was no need to panic. But my imagination had other ideas, conjuring up all kinds of horror movie scenes playing out inside.

The truth was that losing someone at a young age left a mark. The fear of losing someone again never truly went away. It was like a constant companion you couldn’t shake.

I managed to wriggle into a parking spot, close enough to see the club entrance yet feeling a world apart. I quickly tapped out another message.

“You’ve got two minutes before I come barging in after you.”

I lasted all of ninety seconds before I was out of the car and making a beeline for the entrance. The bouncer gave my cash a quick glance and waved me in. Luckily, the line was short, so there weren’t too many people to give me the stink eye. Not that it mattered - I had a mission, and nothing would stand in my way.

Upon stepping in, I blinked a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the disco inferno of strobe lights and blinking colors. Once the kaleidoscope faded, I hunted for Rylee’s face in the crowd. I spotted a head of dark blonde hair that stood out like a lighthouse among the sea of bobbing heads. I recalled Nat, Rylee’s Amazonian friend, and figured I was on the right track. So, I dove into the throng, swimming my way toward Rylee, who was holding court like the queen bee she was.

Engrossed in her lively chatter with friends, Rylee was oblivious to my sneaking up on her, so I gave her arm a gentle tap. She spun around, eyes wide and glassy - a total giveaway. Yep, she was three sheets to the wind, alright. It took her a momentto recognize me, but then her face brightened like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Cory!” she shrieked, practically leaping into my arms.

I caught her instinctively, pulling her close and breathing in the heady mix of alcohol, citrus, and her own unique scent. It was intoxicating, to say the least, and my body responded accordingly. But I had to keep it together - now was not the time to get carried away.

With as much finesse as I could muster, I eased her back down to solid ground, but she wasn’t ready to let go just yet. Instead, she latched onto my arm and used me as her personal leaning post, teetering like a Jenga tower on the brink of collapse. “Hey, y’all!” she bellowed to the entire bar, “Check it out! Cory’s here!”

I glanced over at the peanut gallery, spotting two women watching the spectacle with varying degrees of amusement. Nat was all smiles, seemingly getting a kick out of the situation, while the other one – Mallory, I presumed – gawked at me as if struck by a lightning bolt. Once she registered my gaze, her cheeks bloomed into a lovely shade of rose. Yep, just as I’d predicted, all three were drunk, sailing close to the wind.

“Alright, ladies,” I announced, raising my voice to be heard over the thumping music and boisterous crowd, “Party’s over. Time to hit the road.”

“Nooo!” Rylee tugged on my arm. “Drink with us.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“Thought you said he was fun,” Nat said, folding her arms.

“Not tonight,” I said. “None of you are in any shape to drive, so why don’t you let me take you home.”

“We didn’t drive here.” Mallory rolled her eyes. “We’re not stupid.”

“We took a Noober.” Nat frowned and tried again as the other two women laughed. “An…Uber.”

“Well, that settles it, then,” I said, glancing at the burly bartender, who gave me a knowing nod. “Let me get you guys home before things get any crazier.”

Rylee shoved me, her glare fierce. “We’re not ‘guys’! We’re women. Look, boobs!” She grabbed her chest and jiggled, causing me to choke on my own spit.

I quickly regained my composure and intercepted her hand before she could lift her shirt and flash the entire bar. “Alright, alright. Point taken. But still, it’s time to go.”

Nat giggled. “Sorry, Ry, but I think your knight in shining armor’s got a point. You’re fucking toasted.”

Rylee huffed. “Fine, fine. We’ll go.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, only for it to be cut short by her raised index finger.

“On one condition,” she added, eyes gleaming with mischief. “You answer all our questions.”

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