Page 70 of The Library

Let’s have a girls’ night. We’re going to Blaze.

Blaze. The hottest nightclub in the city. Neon lights, pounding music, and alcohol flowing like water. It’s the perfect place to get lost, to let go, to forget all the fucked-up shit going on in my life. Tonight, I need that. I need to drown out the constant buzz of uncertainty and frustration that’s been following me since Sebastian walked out the door.

My phone buzzes almost immediately with Anna’s response.

Anna:Fuck yes!

I smile for the first time in days, feeling a rush of adrenaline. I’m going to dress up, get drunk, and dance my ass off. Maybe I’ll even flirt with someone just to piss Sebastian off. I want him to feel the frustration I’ve been feeling for the last four days, theuncertainty, the lack of control. It’s my turn to pull the strings, to show him I’m not just some puppet in his game.

I toss my phone on the bed and head toward the bathroom. The shower steams up quickly as I step under the hot water, letting it wash away the tension in my muscles. My mind is spinning, torn between the excitement of a night out and the lingering anger at Sebastian. I don’t know why I’m so torn about this. I should be furious with him, but deep down, I can’t deny the way my body reacts every time I think about him. About the way he controls me, dominates me.

But control is a two-way street, isn’t it? I have power, too. And tonight, I’m going to use it.

The hot water pounds against my skin, but it doesn’t compare to the heat that builds inside me when I think of Sebastian’s hands on my body, the way he bends me to his will. I close my eyes, imagining the look on his face when he sees me in that tight dress, the one that hugs every curve. I want to push him, challenge him, show him that I’m not afraid to play with fire.

He’s made me crave him, crave the danger, but tonight I want him to feel the burn. I want him to see that I’m more than a toy to be controlled. I’m going to remind him that two can play this game—and when I walk out that door looking like sin incarnate, he’ll know I’m not just waiting around for him anymore.

And if he wants me, he’ll have to come find me. After all, he will always find me, isn’t that what he said? Let’s see just how true that is.

When I step out of the shower, I wrap myself in a towel, staring at my reflection in the fogged-up mirror. My skin is flushed, my hair damp, and there’s a fire in my eyes that wasn’t there before. Maybe it’s the defiance. Maybe it’s the anger. Ormaybe… it’s the thrill of knowing that I’m pushing every one of his buttons.

As I towel off and walk into the bedroom, I rifle through my bag, pulling out the tightest black dress I own. It’s short, borderline inappropriate, and I know exactly how much attention it’s going to get at the club. Perfect.

I slip it on, adjusting the hem so it barely covers my thighs, and take a step back to look at myself in the mirror after doing my hair and makeup. The girl staring back at me isn’t the same girl who first walked into Sebastian’s life. No, this girl is different. She’s bold. She’s pissed off. And she’s not going to let a man, no matter how powerful or dangerous, control her without consequences.

Grabbing my phone, I snap a quick selfie and send it to Anna.

Ready for Blaze. Let’s burn this city down.

I sit on the edge of Sebastian’s bed again, my fingers tapping against my thigh as I wait for her response. I’m still fuming, still hurt that Sebastian can’t trust me the way Ty apparently trusts Anna. But at the same time, there’s this nagging part of me that knows I won’t be able to walk away. No matter how angry I am, no matter how much I hate the way he keeps me in the dark, I’m still drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

My phone buzzes with Anna’s response.

Anna:Damn, girl! You look hot! Can’t wait. See you at Blaze in an hour.

I smile, even though my heart is still pounding with the weight of everything that’s been going on. Tonight, I’m going to have fun. I’m going to drink, dance, and forget about all of this. At least for a little while. But deep down, I know this isn’t over. Sebastian and I aren’t over. Not by a long shot.

As I slip on my heels and grab my jacket, I take one last look around Sebastian’s house. The silence feels heavier now, like the walls themselves are holding secrets I’m not privy to. But that’sgoing to change. I’m done being in the dark. Sebastian is going to have to tell me everything, or I’m walking.

I head for the door, my heels clicking against the hardwood floor, and take a deep breath as I step outside. The cool night air hits my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. I don’t know what the future holds for me and Sebastian, but I do know that I am taking back control.

The city lights blur as I step out onto the driveway, the adrenaline kicking in as I start to walk to my car. My phone buzzes again with another message from Anna before I even get to my car.

Anna: I’m calling us an Uber. Be there in 10.

Perfect. I tuck my phone into my clutch, my thoughts still bouncing between the excitement of the night ahead and the unresolved tension with Sebastian. It’s hard not to think about him, even when I try to distract myself. He’s always there, lurking in the back of my mind, his presence like a shadow that never leaves.

The ride to Blaze is a blur of neon lights and pulsing music from the radio, Pray by Xana playing. Anna’s chatter keeps the conversation light, but I can feel her eyes on me, like she knows I’m holding something back. I don’t tell her everything. Not yet. I’m not even sure I know how to explain the complicated mess I’m in with Sebastian. But she senses it. She always does.

When we arrive at the club, Hotel by Montell Fish is playing, the music is already pounding through the walls, the heavy bassline vibrating in the air. There’s a line out the door, but Anna flashes a smile at the bouncer, and before I know it, we’re slipping past the velvet rope and into the chaos of Blaze. The place is packed, bodies moving in rhythm to the beat, neon lights casting a hazy glow over everything. It’s the perfect place to get lost, to forget, even if just for a few hours.

Anna grabs my hand, pulling me toward the bar. “Shots first, then we hit the dance floor!” she shouts over the music, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I nod, forcing a smile as we reach the bar. The bartender gives us a once-over before pouring two shots of tequila, sliding them across the counter with a wink. I down mine in one gulp, the burn of the alcohol making me wince, but it helps. It dulls the edges, takes the sting out of the anger that’s been bubbling under the surface since Sebastian left.

We move to the dance floor, the music pulsing through my veins, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in it. Anna’s laughing, spinning around me, her carefree energy infectious. I try to match her, but there’s still that part of me that can’t fully let go. Every beat of the music reminds me of Sebastian, of the way he controls everything, including me. And no matter how much I try to push him out of my mind, I can’t.

It doesn’t take long before my phone buzzes in my clutch again. My pulse quickens as I pull it out, half-expecting to see a text from Sebastian, but it’s just another message from Anna, probably sent while we were standing next to each other on the dance floor.

---