I drove like a madman to the club.
I don’t remember the drive—only the pressure in my chest, the way my hands gripped the wheel like I was holding myself together by force. Red lights meant nothing. Speed limits were suggestions. All I could think about was her.
The moment I stepped inside the club, the noise hit me first—music pounding, bodies packed tight, lights flashing like chaos dressed as luxury. I scanned the room immediately, instinct sharp, eyes cutting through faces, searching.
And then I saw her.
In a room full of people trying too hard to be seen, she didn’t try at all—and still, she shone. She was impossible to miss. Like everything else faded away. Time stilled, like the room had been built just to frame her.
She looked untouched. Unblemished.
She hadn’t seen me yet.
