Page 7 of Fall

"No promises . . . but I will try to tell you some stuff. There’s a lot to tell," I say, knowing I didn’t tell her anything that happened in France this past year. I should have, but I was stupid enough not to because Izzy had been so busy and stressed with all the changes in her life. And then, there was the car accident.

"Tomorrow," Izzy says with a stern look, making me smile. It doesn’t suit her, acting all serious, and she ends up laughing at me.

We finish getting ready before going down to the kitchen. I slip on my silver heels, giving me a little height boost, but I don't need it. Izzy’s black heels are far higher than mine because she is so much shorter than I am. I kind of wish I was her height sometimes, it’s difficult to find a man as tall as me, or taller. And I like taller men, like Harley.

Nope, stop that thought.

We walk down the stairs, with Izzy grinning at me the whole time. She looks so happy to have me here, but then, I never expected less from Izzy. You know, sometimes in life, you have that bond with someone who isn’t blood? Well, that is my bond with Izzy, a sisterly bond.

"I'm a lucky man." Izzy stops by the door to the kitchen as Blake walks out, his words slow and seductive. He walks straight to her and slides an arm around her waist, pulling her to his chest. The look he is giving her should be illegal, and Izzy is a very lucky woman.

"I’ll meet you in there," Izzy says as she giggles at something Blake whispers to her, and I look away as they kiss.

I walk around them toward the kitchen, wishing, in a way, I had met as good guy as Blake seems to be. My ex is anything but good, and I thought I was crazy in love with him.Look where that got me, I think.

My gaze finds Harley's first, like he is the only person in the room, and I struggle to pull my gaze away. I check out his tight, black shirt and black jeans, which make him look bloody amazing. His dark-brown hair is tied back, like usual, showing off his bright-green eyes, which seem brighter as he takes me in from head to toe. I do eventually look away, the pressure of his gaze making me nervous, and see Luke leaning against the sink, smirking at me and then looking at Harley.

"What do you think?" I twirl a little for everyone who’s staring at me. Well, just for Harley. In fact, I don’t even know why I’m asking if he likes what I’m wearing. I guess some part of me just wants to hear his answer.

"I love the dress." Luke playfully winks at me, but Harley never answers.

I try not to let it annoy me, but it does a little. As handsome as Luke is with his tattooed arms, well-trimmed beard, and tight clothes, which show off his massive build, he isn’t Harley. There’s just something about Harley that makes me unable to stop thinking about him.

Izzy and Blake come into the room looking rosy-cheeked, and Izzy’s lipstick is a little askew, but it doesn’t matter as she seems so happy. It’s hard to actually look away from them both, with how comfortable they look with each other. I have to admit to myself that I’m a little jealous because I wish I had met a good guy like Blake instead of where my life ended up taking me.

Izzy lets go of Blake’s arm and walks over to stand next to me.

"Let’s go," Izzy says, hooking her arm with mine as she leads me out of the kitchen, and I feel Harley's eyes on my back. I can’t explain how I know he is looking at me, but I can.

"Come on, man, we’re leaving," I hear Luke say, and I turn to see him pat Harley’s back as he is still watching me silently, like I knew he was.

The taxi bus is already outside when we leave the house, and the taxi driver is holding the door open as he speaks on his phone. The middle-aged man nods at us, his eyes spending way too long watching Izzy and me.

“Eyes up here, mate, if you know what’s good for you,” Blake warns him as I get into the taxi with Izzy.

The driver says something I can’t hear, but the tone is easy to understand, he sounds scared, and I don’t blame him one bit. The King brothers and Blake look a scary lot altogether.

After everyone is in, I sit in the taxi bus quietly as I watch the town. It's a quiet village with beautiful, grey stone houses built around a large river. We pass the massive, grey stone bridge I saw on the way in. It is arched and looks very old. I gaze behind me, and my eyes lock with Harley, who is staring at me.

I can't pull my eyes away until we stop outside a building in the middle of the town. I can't see much other than the name outlined in lights and the front door. There is also a massive queue in front of the club, and they aren't letting many people in so it must be busy. I can’t say I’ve been to many clubs because we lived in a small town in France, and I would have to travel to the central city to go out. By the time I turned eighteen, I was too busy with setting up my business with my brother and editing books for low rates to build a client base.

And then I met him, and there was no way he would let me go out to clubs like this. He never let me go out at all, not unless he was at my side and watched my every move. I’m going on twenty . . . yet as I look at the club, I’ve never felt older or more lost.

The sound of Luke sliding the door of the taxi bus open snaps me from my thoughts.

We all get out, and I follow Luke up to the club and to the bouncer. The bouncer grins at Luke when he sees him, and they do a manly hug and handshake–clearly, they know each other–before he lets us in. The club is boiling hot, and the loud music fills my ears straight away when we walk in.

Thank god for my small dress.

I find myself staring around at all the shiny surfaces and the bottles lining the wall behind the bar. It’s a very well decorated club, and it’s clear someone has spent a lot of money on it. It's not trashy at all. There is a shining dance floor, with stools around it and people sitting on them, talking as they drink cocktails. There’s also a glass balcony overlooking everything. While I'm staring around the room, I see Harley walking toward the bar, and several girls turn their heads to watch him. I can't blame them, the man is hotter than any guy I’ve seen in a long time. There’s something about him that makes you not want to look away, and, in my case, makes me want to be near him. He looks back, like he can feel me watching, and I pull my gaze away.

“I can’t believe we never went clubbing, you remember when we were fifteen and it’s all we wanted to do? We used to beg Grayson to take us, but he wouldn’t,” Izzy says with a laugh, referring to my oldest brother.

“I remember him walking out of the room and telling us to leave him alone, he was a moody asshole back then.”

Izzy laughs and links her arm in mine as we follow Luke upstairs to the balcony. The moment the balcony doors shut, the light music from up here can be heard, and it’s clear the room is soundproof. Elliot is at the bar with some men in suits. He waves at us as we come in.

I sit on one of the leather couches facing the dance floor with the others. Izzy and Blake sit together on one, and Luke sits next to me. I don’t know how long I sit, quietly watching the people dance, losing themselves to the music and wondering if that’s what I need, to lose myself to music and just forget everything for one night. To just lose myself and my past.

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