— Everleigh

I couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was looking at me. I wasn't conceited or self-absorbed, but it was like every person in the world had eyes on me, and they were reading me like an open book. Every step I made, every wave I bid, and every direction I looked... I felt like I was being watched.

I turned around and eyed my surrounding to see if I noticed anything unusual. There was nothing. My eyes narrowed as I made my way to the front of the club where the bouncer immediately recognized me.

"Hey, E!" Clyde, the bouncer, exclaimed. He was a bigger guy. Despite his angry demeanor and resting bitch face, he was the sweetest guy I had ever met. I never understood the phrase 'gentle giant' until I met him. I remembered how scared I was to meet Clyde, but the moment I introduced myself as 'E', his entire face lit up and all my nerves melted away.

I always introduced myself as 'E' because everyone always made it their mission to talk about how 'white' my first name was. I never thought I'd be insecure of my name, but there I was... going by a letter in the alphabet to avoid hearing laughter and jokes about 'Everleigh.'

"Hi, Clyde! How's the night been going?" I asked him. I ignored all the people standing in line, trying to get a spot into the club. I knew they were probably growing agitated based on the loud puffs of air and groans they let out as we talked.

"It's pretty packed tonight," he answered.

The streetlights were bouncing off Clyde's bald, brown head as he slightly bent over to open his little gate as he had set up to help regulate people coming into the club. After checking a woman and her group of friends' IDs, he let them in just before shutting the gate again.

"Sounds like more tips." I chuckled.

"Got that right!" he exclaimed.

"Alright, well, I guess I better go clock in. See you after?" I asked him.

"I'll be here," he said. With that, he went to go check more people into the club. The moment I entered, the loud music hit me like a bus. The bass moved throughout my entire body, and the LED lights in the dark room forced me to take a minute to adjust to them.

"E!" Xyah shouted over the music. She was supposed to be off of work, but apparently she had other plans. Plans like getting drunk. She was swaying back and forth as she caught up to me and latched onto me.

"E! My baby!" she yelled.

I looked down to see her dressed in a mini-dress. It was white with cut-outs along her waist. She looked very cute.

"What are you doing here? Are you by yourself?" I asked her. The thought of abandoning my whole shift and just walking her home crossed my mind.

"It's not like you care," Xyah told me. My brows came together at her assumption. Of course I cared.

"What?" I questioned.

"You needa' stop acting so innocent all the time. Especially with Andre," Xyah slurred, pointing an accusatory finger at me. I narrowed my eyes at her in complete confusion.

"I don't know what you're talking about—"

Suddenly, Andre came up behind her. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off of me. I couldn't tell if he was drunk or not, but he didn't look nearly as wasted as her.

"Hey, E, I got her," Andre told me. I looked at him skeptically. I knew in his own sick, twisted way that he cared for Xyah, but it still didn't sit right with me.

"I should make sure she gets home—"

"Don't worry about it," Xyah stammered out. "I wanna go with him. Don't be... a buzzkill!" she giggled.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I have to get to work, anyways," I said, pointing toward the back area.

"Gon' ahead," Andre told me.

"Bye, Bitch!" Xyah laughed.

I sparred her one last glance before walking off toward the back. Her words were resting on my mind heavily. She had been acting strange lately for no reason at all. I had to mentally remind myself to ask her about it later.

Before I could enter the employee area, I bumped into someone. For some reason, recognition fell across my body as the masculine scent wafted into my nose. My body released every bit of tension it had been clinging onto as I gazed at a hard chest.

"Sasha?" I asked. Looking up, I caught his eye. His pools of gray grasped the attention of my own before my gaze wandered down his black v-neck and pants. His tattoo was peeking through his t-shirt as his strong biceps and thick veins practically threatened to rip the shirt with one flex.

"I have to talk to you," Sasha stated. I wasn't even allowed to protest before he grasped me by my forearm and dragged me into the bathroom. A woman was by the mirror, washing her hands, but the moment she saw Sasha, she practically ran out. With her gone, Sasha locked the bathroom before turning to face me.

I didn't know why, but being locked in such a small space with Sasha made my heart skip a beat. My nerves picked and pried at my skin to the point that I could almost feel myself begin to sweat.

"I need you to never watch my fights again," he told me. My brows pulled together. It wasn't like I planned on ever returning after that whole Kyle situation. Something never felt right after that day. I just couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was.

"Why?" I asked.

"Just don't. I don't think you understand just how unsafe it is," he told me. I caught the desperation in his voice as his accent grew thicker. "You've already made a mess of things."

"A mess?" I voiced.

He looked at me as if I had just said the sky was green.

"Yes, a mess." He exhaled loudly.

"What mess? My friends invited me to a fight. I went. I never expected that whole thing with Kyle. I don't really see how any of this is my fault, or how I could've made a mess of things..." I began. Then, I thought back to his whole 'unsafe' comment, and my thoughts only began to triple. "And I'm tired of everyone talking about how unsafe it is. I saw plenty of girls at that fight. I know how to protect myself. I'm not a naïve little girl anymore."

He reached out to grab me by my arm, thrusting me toward him. "But you are."

I stared him in his eye, searching for something. All I could see was nothingness. He was completely empty.

But you are.

I pulled myself away from his grip. I hated the new Sasha. I missed the person he once was. The boy who was thoughtful and selfless. The one I admired most of all. The one who was my first crush. He wasn't that person anymore. Maybe it's because he isn't Sasha, he's Kayo.

"I won't go to your stupid fights anymore. Just leave me alone, 'k?" I raised a brow. I didn't wait for his response as I pushed past him and over to the door. The moment I went to reach for the door handle, he stopped me by grasping my hand in his own. I shouldn't have felt the butterflies in my stomach. I blamed my child-self for the betrayal to my mind with my body.

He quickly realized how intimate of a grasp he had on my hand and released me like I had burned him.

"I will never leave you alone. I can't," he told me. Once again, those stupid butterflies fluttered around in my stomach.

Again, he realized the intimacy of his words and cleared his throat. After the loud silence overtook us, he sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. So many questions were surfacing in my mind, but none had the energy to shoot right out of my mouth. So, I stood there, waiting.

"Tell me when your shift ends," he demanded.

"What? No. Why?" I questioned.

"I told you that you made a mess of things. You got yourself involved in dangerous business. I don't want you to get hurt," he explained.

He was being vague. Every answer he gave me only sprouted more questions.

"Why do you care if I get hurt or not? You don't even know me," I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "When do you get off of work?"

"Just stop," I told him. "I don't need you to protect me. I'm fine."

"You'll see for yourself," was all he said. Finally, he unlocked the bathroom door and walked out, making sure to slam it shut behind him.

Rolling my eyes, I muttered under my breath, "Asshole."

—
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