Page 9 of Secrets Unveiled

Now Frieda, she came around in middle school; she was in and out of foster care most of her life. Her parents were big-time drug addicts and couldn’t take care of her. She was living with her grandmother, but when she passed away from cancer, she found herself in foster care. One day, Ophelia and I saw her walking down the street outside of the club, and we called her over. She told us she was going to the corner store for bread for her foster mom. I told my dad about her that day and how she was practically on her own. My dad, being the man he is, found his way to Frieda’s foster home, and a few weeks later she was adopted by none other than Sam himself and his late wife, Julie. Ever since then, she’s been our fourth.

It’s funny how the club brought us together. The four of us have been through it. From birthdays, heartbreaks, schools, and even deaths. I would do anything for these girls and I know they would do the same for me. We joke about it, but the club is what brought us together. The center of our friendship, a gravitational pull that links us together.

We pull up to the club, the rain still pounding on the windshield as we all look at one another. Ophelia gives us a countdown before all four of us take off towards the entrance to Capital Vice. There’s a line at the door for entry, but the moment the bouncer sees the four of us, he steps aside, unlatching the velvet barricade and making way for us to enter.

“Thanks, Lance!” I say to the big man before I reach up and kiss his cheek. Lance is, could you guess, a member of the club as well. He makes extra money here at Vice every weekend because his girlfriend is expecting their first child any day now.

“Be careful in there, sweetheart,” he says to me in my ear before letting me go inside. I give him a smile and a quick nod before I head through the tall black doors. The music is so loud it makes my chest vibrate with every drop of the bass. It’s crowded tonight—college students and locals are flooding in over the final days of summer break, and it makes the atmosphere that much more fun. I follow the girls to the bar as we all place our order for a drink. The bartender hands me my whiskey sour, and I turn to scan the club.

The large square cages that are suspended in each of the corners are packed full, as girls dance and sway to the music. Some are so drunk they struggle to stay upright. The dance floor is equally crowded, so I turn to Ophelia and suggest we go to the second floor. She nods in agreement and turns to Bristol and Frieda to tell them the plan. I grab Ophelia’s hand, and the four of us make our way to the spiral staircase in the corner of the dance floor. I prefer the upstairs level, if I’m being honest.

Once at the top, I scan the room and see my favorite table is open. Pulling Ophelia’s hand, we make our way through the crowd and practically dive into the circular booth, laughing with one another.

“What fucking luck? This is the best table up here!” Bristol yells over the music.

“Yeah, and it’s my favorite table at that!” I yell back, giving her a high five when the waitress approaches us.

“Hey, Skylar! How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while,” I say to my favorite waitress here at Vice. Sky is a tall brunette with the most captivating smile; it’s no wonder Saxon has it bad for her. I stand, giving her a hug. She gives me a tight squeeze back.

“It’s so good to see you, girl. I’ve missed you,” she says in my ear before we pull away, but not before I notice the haunting smile she gives me. Grabbing her shoulders, I give her a look of concern before she gives me a nod of reassurance.

“So, girls, what are we drinking tonight?” She gives each of the girls a warm smile. I give myself a mental note to ask Saxon what’s going on between them. The four of us all but finished our first round on our way up here and place an order for our second.

“Vodka soda, please!” Frieda says first.

“Ohh, same, please!” Bristol agrees.

“I’ll have a rum and coke, please.” Ophelia puts her hand up with my order.

“You got it ladies; I’ll be right back.” Sky leaves us, and I turn to my best friends, who have all started to sway to the music. It’s EDM night at the club, my absolute favorite night.

“Come on, let’s dance!” I yell at the girls. The four of us stand up and head to the floor. The music is so loud it helps drowns out the haunting memories that always find their way back in every year around my birthday. I close my eyes, letting the music seep into my core, moving and swaying with my four closest friends as we all let go and feel the energy of the night blanket over us. I needed this night. I needed this feeling of absolute freedom from everything around me. No stress from the upcoming semester, the club, or the emptiness I feel with every birthday since my father died. My heart and soul needed this escape, and I couldn’t be more thankful to Ophelia for arranging this evening.

Opening my eyes, I grab hold of my best friend and hug her so tight she squeals in my ear.

“Thank you so much for this,” I whisper in her ear. She pulls back, giving me a smile. Her mouth is moving, but I can’t hear her from the sound of the music. We both laugh and embrace each other again before going back to dancing. A moment later, I see Sky delivering our drinks to the table, and I grab the girls as we all head back. Falling into the booth, we grab our drinks, each taking a sip before allowing the harsh liquor to burn its way down our throats. Sky is always a little heavy on the alcohol, but we never complain. We prefer it.

Taking another sip of my drink, I catch a glimpse of a man standing at the bar. His dark eyes meet mine for a split second before he turns toward the bar, grabbing his beer and continuing his conversation with the man beside him. My eyes roam over his body as he leans into the bar top. His broad shoulders stretch his black shirt across his back. I half expect him to bust out of the fabric at any moment. He’s wearing dark blue jeans that accentuate his ass in the most delicious way. As my eyes roam up his legs, I stop at his forearms. The veins that rope around his arm and stretch across his hands have me staring at his fingers that are loosely holding the neck of his bottle.

I get a jab to the ribs. I wince and turn to Ophelia.

“Ouch, what was that for?” I yell over the music. But the moment I turn my head, I’m met with a pair of silver, animalistic eyes making their way towards me.

“Fuck, already?” I moan, just as Saint and Saxon breach the top of the stairs and make their way towards our table.

I steal another glance towards the bar, but the person I was hoping was still there is now gone. Just my luck.

SAINT

I follow Sage’s line of sight as she looks over at the bar. The only person she knows at the bar is Skylar, and she is busy running up and down the bar serving drinks. Saxon claps his hand on my shoulder as he leans into the side of my face, telling me he is going to the bar to grab drinks. I snort, knowing exactly why he’s going over there. I give him a nod as he brushes past me and heads to where Sky is serving a group of college guys at the end of the bar.

“No bullshit!” I call to him, not wanting to get into a fight tonight over whatever the fuck he and Sky are. He doesn’t turn around, merely lifts a middle finger over his head at me. I shake my head, smiling to myself. The two of them have been playing hard to get for way too long; the sexual tension is about to spill over the dam.

“This place is packed tonight!” Owen yells from beside me. I give him what most call a bro handshake, pulling each other into a hug and slapping each other on the back.

“Where are the twins?” I ask, but before he answers, I hear the two arguing from behind me.

“I fucking beat you. What are you talking about? I was in the parking lot first!” Finn yells as Brooks shakes his head in denial.

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