Page 1 of Sky Full of Stars

Chapter One

Balancing two beer bottles under one arm, I take out my phone and tap out a message to Lance, letting him know I’m back from the bar, and waiting where he left me when he went to the bathroom. A couple of guys look over at me. I don’t smile or give any sign I want to talk but one comes over anyway, making me roll my eyes. Who even tries to meet someone in a club like this? When he opens his mouth I can barely hear a word he’s saying. He’s ok looking, tall and slim and wearing a suit with the tie tugged down but I have zero interest in talking to him. He smiles like he just said something amusing. I point at my ear, shake my head and give him a shrug that hopefully says, back off. He just leans in closer, his hot breath blowing against my face. I try not to cringe away too obviously.

“Lost a friend?” he asks.

“Boyfriend,” I shout back at him, making sure to put space between our faces.

The guy nods. He looks sceptical, thinking I’m trying to fob him off. “Why would he disappear on a hot chick like you?”

Hot chick? I arch a brow. His eyes roam down my body. It feels like I’m being undressed.

“Yeah, you’re fucking gorgeous babe.”

When his fingertips run up my bicep his eyes widen a little.

“Wow, you have some seriously sexy arms.”

“All the better for choking you out with,” I mutter, looking around again for Lance, still no sign of him and nothing on my phone. Office boy didn’t hear what I said, he is smiling drunkenly at me. I pull away without saying anything more and walk away from him. I don’t look back when I hear him calling something I literally have no chance of, or wanting to hear.

Working my way through the crowds, I see the sign for the bathrooms. I didn’t want to come to this place, it really isn’t my scene, but Lance wanted to let off steam after a stressful week at work, and hitting a club, drinking and dancing was what he wanted to do. He’d gone to a play with me last weekend that he didn’t want to see, so I agreed. Compromise was what relationships were all about, right? I could tough this out for a few hours. But getting pawed by half drunk assholes was a hard limit. Also, being left alone for close to twenty minutes wasn’t sitting well with me either. It doesn’t take this long to go to the bathroom. Sighing, not caring about the drinks, I place them on a table and head towards the far side of the dance floor where the neon sign for the restroom is blinking.

Once I break through the crowd there is a smaller group of people in the darkened hallway. Women laughing from inside the ladies room catch my attention. I probably should go to the bathroom myself. I wonder if I can convince Lance it’s time to leave. It’s hot and I’m sweating even in a t-shirt. I glance about again, trying to spot my wayward boyfriend.

There is a couple in the darkened corner of the hallway. Her leg is hooked around him, her hands in his hair, they’re going at it like a pair of teenagers. The guy has his hands up her skirt in front of all of these people. I shake my head a little. I wouldn’t be caught dead getting felt up in a club but I wasn’t about to shame anyone else for it. They aren’t hurting anyone. I turn again and try to see through the crowds. The woman moans, loudly, the music isn’t as loud here, just a throbbing baseline. Against my better judgement and trying not to feel like the world’s biggest perv, I side eye the couple. The woman throws her head back, her mouth open and gasping. Is she about to have an orgasm in the middle of a nightclub? I almost laugh and can hear other snickering around me, one guy whoops and shouts, “well played, dude!”

The stranger high fives another guy behind me and I’m turning towards them to give them a disapproving look when the man turns his head, I’m guessing to welcome the cheers.

My heart jumps into my mouth. Lance?

I stand there, watching my boyfriend as he takes his fingers from inside another woman and starts to bow. My mouth drops open as he straightens up with his trademark grin, then he glances my way, his eyes go wide.

“Fuck,” I see his mouth move, more than hear the curse.

“Are you kidding me!” I shout.

He pulls away from the woman and moves towards me. “It’s not what you think.”

Did he really just say that? Did he believe I was stupid enough to think there was anything other than what I just saw going on here? He grabs my arms, a desperate look on his face and all I can think about is what is on his fingers. I shrug out of his grasp, disgust and embarrassment clear on my face.

“Jenna, I didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t mean to?” I’m no longer sure whether I’m more shocked by what I just saw, or what he is saying to me.

“Dude, for real, you totally just got busted.”

I glare at the idiot behind us, who sheepishly ducks his head and turns away, but he doesn’t leave, he wants to see what is going to happen. He wants to see how I’m going to have an epic freak out, put on a show. I glance over Lance’s shoulder, the woman is still standing there, adjusting her skirt. She isn’t looking at us, as she pulls out her phone. It wasn’t even worth anything to her. She and Lance just fucked up my relationship, and for what?

My arms are shaking. I can hear Sam, my trainer’s voice in my head. Don’t lash out. It is one of the rules of the gym. I could get myself into more trouble than it is worth. Is this guy actually worth my time? I’d thought he was. Five months of my life, five months of caring and putting in the time with him. My fist clenches and I itch to move my arm but I don’t. I can’t even hear his protests and apologies anymore. All I can see is the girl turning to her friends and heading to the bathroom, jumping the queue. That pisses me off even more.

“Jenna, fuck please listen to me.”

I whirl around and dodge through the crowds. Fuck him. Fuck this club and fuck those assholes who are still laughing. Lance follows me, I hear him shouting my name. I don’t want to speak to him. In fact, never seeing his face again is high on my agenda right now. People are crashing into me and I stumble, almost falling. The guy in the suit sees me coming and tries to catch my attention as I shove past him, again I don’t hear him. Lance catches up to me, he grabs my arm and pulls me around, trying to keep me against him. He’s apologising over and over, his face pleading with me.

I can smell her on him. “Get your filthy fingers off me,” I snarl.

“Jesus Jen, calm down, just let me explain.”

I finally see red. Right now, looking at him in this moment, I couldn’t give two shits about Sam’s rules. I pull my arm back and throw a right hook straight into his face. His head snaps back and he stumbles into someone, who shoves him off them. Lance lurches back towards me, clutching his face in shock. I take some small satisfaction in seeing blood pouring from his nose.

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