My Alpha My Witch

Restless Escape

Amy’s POV

The broken doorknob still bothered me. How did it snap off with just a simple pull? I kept replaying the moment in my head, and it nagged at me all the way to the restaurant. I stayed quiet the whole drive, too distracted to make small talk with David. Not that he noticed much, or maybe he did, but he just wanted to leave me alone to my own world, smiling to himself as if nothing could ever go wrong.

When we arrived, I could already feel the familiar sense of discomfort creeping in. This place, the restaurant, the staff, the way people whispered as we walked in, everything reminded me of the status we carried. The Brassfields and the Wesleys were household names in Berkeley City. Everyone knew we were wealthy, practically royalty around here. It wasn’t a new rumor, but somehow, as I got older, the weight of it all became suffocating. The attention, the expectations, it made my skin crawl.

I could feel the eyes on me. They probably thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. My birthday was all anyone could talk about on campus. Everyone wanted to be invited to the party of the year. But none of them knew me, not really. Except for Mel, who was practically my childhood friend. She was the only one who knew the real me, who didn’t care about the name, the money, the fame.

David, sitting across from me, noticed my silence and leaned in. “You alright? You’ve been kind of quiet,” he asked, his voice soft, but I couldn’t even feel the concern in it because I didn’t care.

I forced a smile. “I’m fine, really.”

David nodded, but there was doubt in his eyes. “Okay, if you say so. But, uh... the waiter’s been waiting for you to order.”

I blinked, realizing I hadn’t even noticed the waiter standing by our table, patiently waiting for my response. My face flushed in embarrassment as I took the menu from him, scanning it quickly.

“I’ll have a big bowl of ice cream and... pepperoni spaghetti,” I said without really thinking. I just wanted something ridiculous to shake up the monotony of this evening. The waiter’s expression was priceless, he clearly wasn’t expecting that combination. Even David looked a little surprised, but in true David fashion, he didn’t question me.

“I’ll have the same,” he said, giving me a quick smile. I could tell he didn’t want to make me feel weird, though he probably thought I was a little nuts.

David was just... too nice. Too perfect, really. The kind of guy who was thoughtful, respectful, and everything a girl was supposed to want. But that was exactly the problem. He was a total mommy’s boy, someone who had never tasted life beyond the sheltered bubble we both lived in. I didn’t want that, I wanted something real, something raw. Someone who could take me out of this perfectly manicured world and show me the fire and chaos that existed beyond it.

But here I was, sitting across from David, eating ice cream and spaghetti like it made any sense. He tried to tell me to slow down, politely, of course, but I ignored him. I shoveled the food in faster, not caring that people were probably staring. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Halfway through my meal, I took out my phone and sent a quick text to Mel: *"Staying at yours tonight."* It wasn’t like she’d mind. I’d practically moved in with her since her mom passed away. There was no way I was going to leave her alone to deal with that kind of grief, so I made it a point to be there every night, even if it meant dealing with my own family’s objections.

Tomorrow was Sunday, and I had plans. I’d take Mel shopping, try to get her mind off things for a while. And maybe, just maybe, I’d run into him. That guy I couldn’t stop thinking about, the one who seemed to linger in my mind no matter how hard I tried to shake him off.

David was still watching me, and I could feel the weight of his gaze as I checked my watch. I knew I was cutting the night short, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out of there, away from the expectations, the suffocating politeness.

“I have to go,” I said abruptly, pushing my plate away. “Mel’s expecting me.”

David looked a little taken aback, but he nodded. “That’s fine,” he said, but I could tell by the tightness in his smile that it wasn’t. He wasn’t fine with it, but he wouldn’t say anything. He never did. He was too nice.

I grabbed my bag and stood up, offering him a small, polite smile. The kind you give to people when you’re not really sorry but you don’t want to make things awkward.

As I left the restaurant, every staff member bowed their heads in that exaggerated, reverent way they always did when I walked out. It made my stomach turn. I couldn’t stand it, the way people treated me like some kind of untouchable royalty. So, instead of calling for the family driver like I was supposed to, I waved down a taxi. If my mom found out, she’d probably throw a fit, but I didn’t care.

As the taxi pulled away, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. For now, I was free, at least until tomorrow. And as I looked out the window at the city lights passing by, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d see him again, that hard-hearted guy who’d been bugging my mind. He was more outspoken than the guys in college, no wonder he chose Jackson as his friend. He chose the right bestfriend.