Chapter 2: The Nexus
1270 Words
Riri twirled once in front of her mirror, her lips forming a smile as she smoothed her dress down her thighs, hair falling in dark waves across her shoulders.
She was heading to The Nexus Club, one of the hottest places in the city—Nyx had said.
She grabbed her bag, hung it over her shoulder and smiled. The only problem was Damien. That vampire shadow would never let her breathe, but he couldn’t exactly stop her either. She was twenty, not some child to be babysat.
Quietly, she headed down the stairs. The house was silent. Relief filled her chest when she reached the door and Damien was nowhere in sight.
Her hand had barely touched the knob when his voice came.
“And where are you going dressed like that?”
Riri froze. Her smile dropped instantly. She turned slowly, finding him at the foot of the staircase, tall and imposing.
“Well, if you must know, I’m going out. I’m meeting my friends and boyfriend, we’re going to the club.”
Damien was in front of her in a blink, his height towering over her, blocking the doorway. “I told you,” he said calmly, “you shouldn’t be out at night.”
“I don’t understand you!” Riri’s voice rose sharply. “I am not a child, Damien. I don’t need you. Don’t you think you’re taking this whole bodyguard thing too seriously? Tell my dad I’m fine and I don’t need you following me around like a stalker.”
“You can’t go out,” he said again. “Go upstairs.”
“I am not going upstairs!” She pointed a finger at his chest, glaring up at him. “I just got here, and I’m not about to sit around this house doing nothing. I’m going.”
Damien’s gaze hardened. “What club?”
“Nexus,” she shot back. “Why? Going to give me another lecture?”
His expression darkened. “Who gave that address to you?”
“My friend, Nyx. Why?”
“You don’t know what Nexus is, do you?”
Riri rolled her eyes. “It’s a club, Damien. People drink, people dance, people have fun. That’s what clubs are.”
“It’s not just a club, Riri. It’s notorious and dangerous. If you go there tonight, you might get into trouble.”
Riri crossed her arms. “Notorious, well, a club isn’t a library. There’s bound to be some noise and all.”
Damien’s hand remained buried in his pocket. “It’s a notorious club, Riri. You can’t go there.”
Before she could snap back, she heard the sharp click of the door lock. She looked just in time to see Damien step forward and twist the key, sliding it into his pocket.
Her jaw dropped. “You, did you just—”
“You should get some sleep,” Damien said, his tone dismissive.
Riri clenched her teeth and rattled the doorknob. It didn’t budge. She yanked harder, then kicked the bottom of the door in frustration.
“Ugh!” She pulled at her hair, groaning. The clock on her phone read 9:05 p.m.
She turned around, pacing back and forth, restlessly. Damien had disappeared upstairs.
Her eyes turned toward the kitchen. Slowly, she walked across the room. And then she saw the back door. It wasn't locked. A grin spread across her face, mischievous and triumphant. “Guess he’s not such a smart man after all,” she muttered.
***
“Riri! Riri!”
Evie and Nyx called out excitedly as soon as she stepped through the entrance.
“Oh my gosh, Riri, you look so good. Hot as always,” Evie said, giving her a playful wink.
Riri smiled warmly. “I’m so happy to see you guys.”
“Us too!” Nyx grinned, tugging her closer.
“Everything just happened so fast, but I’m glad I’m here anyways.”
“Right, let’s have some fun. Hmm, but you’re a bit late though,” Evie teased as they walked further inside.
“I know, something came up at home,” Riri said quickly, brushing it off. She didn’t want to go into the details.
The moment they stepped fully into the club, the thick mix of cigarettes, alcohol, sweat, and perfume hit her. The bass of the music was so heavy it seemed to rattle her chest, vibrating in sync with her heartbeat.
“This is the Nexus, huh?” she said, almost in awe. Riri suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
“Yup,” Nyx replied proudly. “Actually our first time too. We’ve heard so much about it. It’s supposed to be the baddest club ever. The vibe here is always crazy.”
Riri smiled faintly as they pulled her toward the main floor. She tried to let herself sink into their energy. “Where’s Charles?” she asked.
“Oh, you two are the clingiest couple,” Evie teased, making Riri blush.
Honestly, she just wanted to have fun tonight. She’d grown up with only her father, and there had always been a void she was trying to fill. Her way of coping was to seek out new things, new places, new feelings and little adventures that made her feel less hollow inside.
And then, Charles appeared through the crowd. His eyes lit up the moment they landed on her. He came forward, kissed her cheek, and grinned.
“Hey, baby.”
Riri smiled back, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
As they pulled away from the hug, Charles looked at her with a faint smile. “You never came back earlier,”
“Oh, right,” Riri said. “There was a fight outside, and someone tossed the knife randomly.”
Charles’ brows furrowed.
“And then I saw my dad,” Riri added casually. “He just dropped me off. I was going to call you before, but I saw Nyx’s text, so I thought I’d just meet you at the club.”
He smiled smoothly, then slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “Let’s just have some fun.”
He leaned in, kissing along her neck. The gesture should’ve felt natural, he was her boyfriend, and they’d been together for over a year. She didn’t know why, but kisses on the neck always left her feeling strangely unsettled.
Charles glanced at her. “Let’s dance.”
She nodded quickly. She preferred that to his kisses.
He pulled her onto the dance floor, his hands firm on her waist while hers rested on his shoulders. At first, the music was soft, but then the DJ switched it up to something more energetic. Suddenly, the crowd was jumping, moving wild with the beat, and Charles tugged her along into the chaos.
“Should we go get some drinks?” he shouted over the noise.
“You know I don’t drink alcohol,” she reminded him.
“Right, okay. I’ll grab one for me and something else for you.”
“Hmm, okay.”
Charles kissed her cheek lightly and disappeared into the crowd toward the bar.
Riri stayed on the dance floor, swaying a little but feeling awkward now that she was alone. She moved away from the centre, standing at the side.
She was just standing when suddenly, a hand held her wrist.
The person holding her wrist slowly looked up, revealing that pair of silver eyes.
“Damien…” she whispered in shock.
He looked into her eyes “I told you not to come here.”
- Writer
