Page 8 of Scarred Hearts

Several minutes that felt like an endless hour of sickness passed.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

“Why’s someone knocking… on a public bathroom… door?” I choked as I heard the door creak open, and the music blared in before it closed again.

“Hey,” Amber greeted whoever it was. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Wait!” I shouted.

“Gia?”

No! Oh God. I sighed at the sound of Tyler’s voice. “Yeahhh?” I choked again.

“I brought you some water.”

2

GENTLEMANLY THING TO DO

TYLER

It’d been five long months since I had a night to myself. When Jenna’s call came, telling me they were taking the kids to a theme park for the weekend with Luke and his family, I hesitantly agreed to let mine tag along. A wave of guilt washed over me as I thought about how much I needed the break. It’d been over a year since Mila passed away, and the guilt still felt intense and heavy in my heart that my kids had lost her.

Losing both of my parents at once had been difficult, but losing my wife was a different kind of pain. I felt like a piece of myself had been ripped away, leaving an incomplete puzzle behind, but it felt nothing like I thought it would. Naya, my daughter, would often ask when her mom was coming back. Each time it broke me because I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted. Now, it was just my three kids, and me.

A year of holidays came and went. With the help of my family and friends, we tried our best to make them special. But tonight, I needed a break from the suffocating feeling that seemed to consume me every day.

When Chance and Amber insisted that I join them for a night out at a club, I reluctantly agreed. The last place I wanted to be on my only day off was in a crowded nightclub. But I also didn’t want to spend another night alone in my empty house. Tonight, I needed some air, even if it was nightclub air.

Against my better judgment, I made the call to Victoria, asking her to accompany me. She’d been filling in at Luxe for Giovanna, but no one could ever truly replace her. She was a force of nature, and it was difficult for me to admit that to myself.

As Victoria and I stepped through the doors of the club, a sense of unease washed over me. I’d known for some time now that she had feelings for me. At work, she’d constantly flirt with me, but I thought nothing of it at first.

After Mila had been gone for a while, some of the other dancers started showing interest as well. Most of them meant no harm, and I wanted to believe that Victoria was innocent too. But she seemed to be working harder than the others to catch my attention.

When I looked up and saw Kirsten with a friend, it took me a moment to realize that it was Giovanna without her signature pink hair. I hadn’t seen her in so long. My heart skipped a beat. She was the last person I expected to see tonight. Part of me didn’t even want to see her. Though I knew she belonged at Euphoria, there was a selfish part of me that wished she would go back to California. Her presence stirred a confused feeling inside me.

However, the moment she took Chance’s drink, I felt sorry for her, internally sighing before she got up to go dance. As much as I tried to fight it, I found myself unable to peel my gaze away from the way she moved. She was one of the most mesmerizing dancers I’d ever laid eyes on. I’d be a liar to not admit that, at the very least.

Victoria kept her lips near my ear, whispering but I wasn’t paying enough attention to process her words. While I kept my gaze on Giovanna, her hand crept up my thigh. Several times, I coaxed her away, but she’d persist a little further. Unlike the standard VIP tables at Euphoria, the coffee tables in front of us hid nothing.

Giovanna paid no attention to me while bent over in front of Kirsten, rotating her hips before spinning away to dance with Amber. Within a split second, she hurried to the bathroom with her fist over her mouth. I knew Chance’s concoction was going to hit her like a truck, and she’d end up naked in a ditch if I didn’t do the gentlemanly thing and get her water at the very least.

Irritated, I reached for a water bottle sitting in the center of the table and three cocktail napkins, my irritation growing as I watched Amber and Kirsten rush after her. The minute Lizzie took a step to follow, I grabbed her wrist, and she spun around, ready to defend herself against any potential attackers. When she saw it was just me, her expression softened.

“I think Gia’s sick,” she yelled over the music, gesturing toward the bathroom.

“I’ll handle it,” I replied. “Go back to the table while no one’s out here with you. I don’t want to have to kill someone tonight for fucking with you.”

Smiling like she always did, she tucked a strand of her medium-brown hair behind her ear and sashayed back to the table, still dancing with her drink in hand. As a runway model, she was rarely phased by pressure but knew the rules about being alone.

I could’ve walked away. Maybe I should’ve. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Huffing in frustration, I straightened my posture and made my way through the crowd toward the Ladies Room, ignoring any further thoughts.

When I turned down the glowing green hallway, I came to an abrupt halt when I nearly collided with Kirsten.

“Oh!” She froze before a sly grin spread across her face. A grin that made me suspect she knew exactly what had happened between Giovanna and me.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, hoping she couldn’t hear me over the blaring music. “She okay?” I said louder.

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