Chapter 6

Alice Lewis The room was still shrouded in darkness when I opened my eyes. The scent of alcohol, cigarettes, and something purely masculine still lingered in the air, clinging to the messy satin sheets around me. My body was sore in a new way—a way I liked. And then, I saw him. Lying beside me, completely naked, his breathing deep and steady. The faint light filtering through the slightly open curtain spilled over his skin, tracing shadows along his defined muscles and the tattoos covering part of his chest and arms. It was as if each line of those tattoos told a story—one I would never know. He was beautiful. In a dangerous way. In a way that made women lose their minds. And apparently, I had lost mine. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as memories of the night before came rushing back. The way he pulled me close, the way he kissed me with hunger, the way he made me forget everything beyond this room. But now, as I watched him sleep, the only thought echoing in my mind was: What the hell was I thinking? This wasn’t supposed to happen. I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away—not like this, not so intensely. The worst part? I had no idea if we had used protection. My mind was too hazy from alcohol and pleasure to remember. “Shit.” I ran my hands over my face, desperately trying to piece together fragments of the night, but before I could drown in the whirlwind of my thoughts, my phone vibrated. My entire body froze. I grabbed the phone with trembling fingers, feeling the blood drain from my face when I saw the name on the screen: Saint Olivia Hospital. My mother. The rest of the world disappeared. The room, the warmth of that mysterious man’s body, the memories of the night before—everything vanished like smoke. I pressed the answer button with a desperate urgency, barely able to breathe as I brought the phone to my ear. “Hello?” My voice came out shaky, almost a whisper. “Miss Lewis? This is Nurse Elen from Saint Olivia Hospital. I’m calling to inform you that your mother will be transferred within a few hours to Montgomery Hospital.” My heart slowed a little, the immediate panic giving way to a sharp relief. It wasn’t an emergency. It wasn’t her condition worsening. I let out a shaky breath and pressed a hand to my chest. “Oh, God... I thought it was...” I stopped, trying to steady my voice. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be there as soon as possible.” “All right. We’ll be expecting you.” The call ended, and I remained sitting on the edge of the bed, gripping the phone tightly. I needed to go to the hospital. I needed to be with my mother. And above all, I needed to leave this place. I slid out of bed slowly, careful not to make a sound. The man—who looked more like a Greek god—was still asleep, his expression relaxed, oblivious to the fact that by the time he woke up, I would already be gone. A part of me wanted to stay. Wanted to see him open his eyes, wanted to feel—just one more time—what I had felt in his arms. But that was never the plan. I couldn’t get attached. Not after today. Not after my life stopped being mine. I hurriedly got dressed, grabbed my shoes, and left the room in silence. I looked around carefully, making sure no one saw me leaving. I rushed down the stairs, still trying to catch my breath from the earlier shock, and as soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk, I hailed a taxi. The cold night breeze sent a shiver down my spine, but not as much as the strange feeling in my chest. I had enjoyed that night. A lot. But it was already in the past. And now, so was I. The taxi pulled up in front of me, and as the door opened, I took one last look at the club I had just walked out of. At the man I had left behind. At the version of myself that existed before this night. Alice Lewis died here. From today on, I am someone else. I closed my eyes for a few seconds as the car started moving, and when I opened them, I picked up my phone again, my hands trembling as I swiped across the screen. Countless missed calls. Urgent messages from my best friend. But it was the last one that sent ice through my veins: "Alice, where are you? For God's sake, answer me. It's about the guy you went drinking with. Are you still with him? You have no idea who he is." My breath hitched. I stared at the screen, at the screaming words before me, and then it hit me like an anvil to the head. "I really spent the night with a stranger..." "Shit… what should I do?" I took a deep breath. I tried to steady myself as the car rocked gently with the road, then replied to Clara’s message. "I’m fine… heading home now. So? What do you have to tell me about the man from last night?"