Page 76 of Midnights
Everything happens at once. Kane steps closer, his voice going from sexy to demanding. “What exactly happened?”
Rachel starts pacing, muttering about hunting someone down and making them pay. Cam glances between all of us, assessing how close we are to a full-scale eruption. And the tension in the room suddenly thickens, pressing down like a brewing storm.
I glance at Kane again, and it’s unsettling how calm helooks while simultaneously radiating something dangerous. His body language is deceptively relaxed, but his eyes arelethal.He looks like he’s five seconds away from losing it.
I swallow, forcing a breezy, unconcerned tone. “It really is nothing.” Their stares burn into me, and I shift under the weight of it. “It didn't hurt that badly.''
Thatwas the wrong thing to say.
Kane steps closer, his jaw locking tight. “What. Happened?”
Each word is clipped and dripping with barely-contained anger. I meet his stare, leveling him with the best unimpressed look I can manage while half-naked in my damn pajamas.
“For the record, I can take care of myself,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, daring him to argue. “I appreciate the concern, really, but everyone needs to calm down.”
Rachel looks even more ready to throw hands. Kane is still too quiet. And Cam hasn't said a word. He doesn’t need to knoweverything. I’m a big girl. We handled it and made it home safe.
No harm, no foul. Except, well… the bruise.
“I bruise easily,” I add casually. “And honestly, I practically tripped. He was already holding my arm, so it wasn’t intentional.” I shrug, hoping that will be the end of it.
But Kane’s expression barely shifts. His jaw flexes, but that intensity in his eyes doesn’t waver.
“I’m going to go get dres—“ I start, desperate to change the subject, but Rachel cuts me off.
“You’re beingwaytoo nice about this,” she snaps. “That guy was a creep. He stared at us all night, hitting on you, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
I can feel the temperature in the room drop. Cam drags a hand through his hair, already looking like he’s mentally preparing for whatever comes next. And Rachel, oblivious to the sudden lethal shift in energy, keeps going.
“Then, when we left, I swear he followed us outside. We got in the Uber fast, but—”
Kane's head tilts slightly. “What do you mean,followed you?
I rollmy eyes, throwing my hands up. “Okay, now you’re both being dramatic.”
Kane’s voice cuts me off. “Did you see him again?”
I falter. His stare sharpens, pinning me to the spot. I cross my arms, shifting uncomfortably. “No,” I admit. “I mean—”
Rachel snorts. “Tell that to your arm.”
I wince. She’s exaggerating, but also… she’s not entirely wrong.
“To be fair,” I hold up a hand, “he didn’tactuallymake me fall.” I glance around like there’s an escape route, but Rachel’s on a roll now, and there’s no stopping her.
“I was drunk, that's not fair. Honestly, if he didn’t have a hold of me, I probablywould’vefallen over when I turned around.”
Cam stays suspiciously quiet, but I see him typing away on his phone.
Rachel mutters something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like,“you’re too nice,” followed by something about still murdering the guy if she ever sees him again.
Kane hasn’t taken his eyes off me. It's like he’s trying to read between the lines. Lines that don’t even exist.
“Did he touch you anywhere else?” Kane finally asks.
My frustration bubbles up.
“No, that was it.” I cross my arms tighter. “Honestly, we were drunk, and this whole thing was just a weird, harmless situation that wasn’t intentional. And I’ll decide who touches me, thank you.”
