LADY OF THE NIGHT

CHAPTER TWELVE

NOT NEEDED WAKE UP CALL

ANDREA

The ride to Aurora’s place is quiet, almost too quiet, and it gives my mind far too much space to wander, space to think. Space to replay moments I probably shouldn’t be dwelling on and to imagine things that would make a normal person blush and honestly, I’m shocked at myself for even going there.

I shift slightly in my seat, staring out the window as the city lights blur past, but the distraction does little to help as my thoughts keep circling back, stubborn and vivid.

The faint traces of grey my eyes caught in his beard and that alone had thrown me off more than I expected, it gave him this edge, mature, experienced, dangerous in a way that didn’t need to be loud. Then there are his lips… God. Full, firm, the kind that make you think of things you shouldn’t be thinking about in the middle of a quiet ride home and I am thinking about them.

Too much.

My mind drifts further, betraying me completely now, conjuring sensations that feel too real for comfort, the memory of how close he had been, the heat between us, the way my body reacted without permission, it’s overwhelming, my imagination takes it a step further, filling in gaps that never even happened, and I have to press my lips together to steady myself, feel of his breathe on my neck had me having goosebumps to imagining what his hand would do wrapped around my neck

This is wild.

Completely, absolutely wild because I have never been this person, I have never been the type to crave anything s****l, never been driven by that kind of desire. It’s always felt distant to me, like something other people experience more intensely something I could take or leave.

Aside from a few moments from some awkward groping here and there, a couple of sloppy kisses, I haven’t really shared anything physical or deeply intimate with anyone.

Not even with Dickson.

The thought of him pulls me back slightly, grounding me just enough to reassess myself.

Dickson has been in my life for years, we’ve been friends since our university days, back when everything felt simpler, lighter, didn’t even start dating until last year, when he moved to Russia because of the job he got here.

I remember that night clearly.

He invited me out with nothing unusual about that, we’d done it plenty of times before but there was something different in the air that evening, something heavier, more intentional and then, somewhere between laughter and conversation, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

Just like that, no grand speech or dramatic buildup snd I said yes.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not entirely sure why.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s good-looking and anyone with eyes can see that, he’s charming in his own way, persistent, and undeniably kind but when he looked at me that night, when he asked me that question

My heart didn’t race.

There were no butterflies, no overwhelming urge to close the distance between us, no heat pooling low in my stomach, no sudden need to touch him, to feel him closer, nothing like what I felt tonight and that realization sits uncomfortably in my chest because no matter how much he’s tried, suggesting I sleep over, gently pushing for us to take things further, I’ve always held back. Always found a reason to pause, to delay, to redirect.

At some point, I even started wondering if something was wrong with me, maybe I’m just too messed up to have a s*x life and that part of me just doesn’t exist the way it does for others.

But now…

Now I’m not so sure, I let out a quiet breath, leaning my head back against the seat.

The truth is, I accepted Dickson because I felt guilty, he came all the way from New York to build something here, to start fresh and I was already part of his life. It felt easier to say yes than to question things too deeply, easier to go along with it than to risk hurting him by rejecting him outright.

At least, that’s what I told myself maybe it was more complicated than that.

Aurora, on the other hand, never bought into it.

My best friend has never been fond of him, not once, zhe never says it outright in a way that starts a fight, but it’s always there in her tone, in her looks, in the way she changes the subject whenever his name comes up and if she could dig up dirt on him to justify her feelings?

She would have done it a long time ago and that’s just who she is.

The car finally slows, pulling up to the assigned spot, and I snap out of my thoughts as reality settles back in, I step out, the cool air hitting my face, and without wasting time, I head straight for the building. My legs carry me quickly, almost impatiently, and by the time I reach the staircase, I’m already taking the steps two at a time.

I need to move, I need to do something that isn’t thinking.

By the time I reach Aurora’s floor, my breathing is slightly uneven, but I don’t pause, I hear a click once and the door is opened almost immediately.

“Welcome.”

Her voice drifts from somewhere inside the living room, casual and distracted, like she’s already halfway buried in something more important.

I step in, closing the door behind me, and walk further inside. It doesn’t take long to find her crouched over her system, eyes locked on her screen, fingers flying across the keyboard like they have a mind of their own.

I don’t even bother trying to understand what she’s doing.

No matter how many times she’s tried to explain it to me, it always sounds like another language entirely.

“Thank you. Do you have anything in the freezer? I’m freaking hungry,” I say, dropping my bag and stretching slightly.

She doesn’t look up.

“Your dumbass boyfriend has been blowing up your phone, so you might want to reach out while you’re at it,” she replies, her tone flat, already moving on like she hasn’t just dropped that information on me.

And just like that, reality check.

I sigh softly, rubbing the back of my neck, talk about a wake-up call, I reach for my main phone, which has been off for most of the evening, and the moment I power it on, the screen lights up with notifications.

A lot of them.

Missed calls.

Like too freaking many

I blink, scrolling slightly.

At least twenty.

“Wow” I mutter under my breath.

That’s excessive.

I mean, I know he doesn’t know exactly what I do or where I am most of the time, but calling this early and this much? That’s borderline chaotic.

I open my messaging app next, and it’s not any better to be greeted by messages.

Also a lot, I skim through them quickly, my eyes picking out the only part that actually makes sense through the flood of texts.

“Sorry I’ve been trying to call you. I have my birthday party by 5 p.m. and wanted to know if you would be around.”

I pause.

Blink, then blink again.

His birthday?

Today?

Oops.

A small wince pulls at my expression.

I didn’t even know and honestly, I’d usually be annoyed getting a last-minute invite to my own boyfriend’s birthday party? That’s the kind of thing that would normally irritate me. But in this case

I can’t even blame him, I had no idea it was his birthday in the first place and that’s on me.

We’ve always had this unspoken agreement with no unnecessary intrusion into each other’s personal spaces, we don’t pry, don’t push, don’t demand more than the other is willing to give, I don’t know his friends.

He barely knows mine.

The closest he’s ever gotten to my personal circle is meeting Aurora once, back in school and even that was inevitable because we attended the same school although different departments

So maybe this distance is something we both created and now I’m feeling the weight of it.

Still, compared to everything else swirling in my head tonight, this feels like the easier problem to solve.

Knowing I’ve already committed a far greater sin at least mentally, I decide not to overthink it, I type out a response quickly.

“Would be there, send the location. Happy birthday, love.”

I hit send before I can second-guess myself.

There.

Done.

Guess I’ll have to figure out a last-minute birthday gift too and that thought lingers for a second before I push it aside, already moving on to the next thing that needs handling.

I pull up another contact and send a message to Sarah, briefly updating her about the change in plans. If there’s anyone I trust to handle things when I’m unavailable, it’s her.

She’s reliable and efficient and also very, very nosy.

I can already imagine her reaction when she sees the message especially the part about me having a boyfriend she hasn’t met yet, she’s definitely going to have questions. A lot of them.

Probably a lecture too but that’s a problem for later cause right now, I don’t have the energy for it, I need food.

Real food and good sleep.

A lot of sleep.

My body is starting to catch up with me, the exhaustion settling in beneath everything else, the tension, the confusion, the lingering heat I’m still trying to ignore.

I glance toward the kitchen, already planning my next move, one step at a time.

Let the day take care of itself.