The longer Arielle stood there, the louder the room seemed to grow. The music thudded through her chest, rattling her ribs like a second heartbeat. Bodies brushed past her, some laughing, some shouting over the bass, some spilling drinks that left sticky trails on the floor.
And yet—she only felt him.
Adrian.
Standing too close. Looking at her too intently. His presence drowned out everything else.
Her fingers clenched around the strap of her bag as she tried to gather herself. "I don't really like parties," she said finally, her voice small against the chaos. "I should probably—"
"You're not leaving." His tone was steady, quiet, but it sliced through the music like a blade.
Her breath caught. "You can't just—"
"I can." His eyes flicked down to hers, dark and certain. "And I just did."
Something in his calmness unnerved her more than if he had raised his voice. There was no room for argument in his tone, no crack she could slip through to escape.
Before she could respond, a girl stumbled over, her laughter high-pitched and slurred. She looped her arm around Adrian's, pressing herself against him without hesitation.
"Adrian," she purred, leaning closer. "I've been looking for you all night. Come dance with me."
Arielle froze. The girl was beautiful, dressed in something glittering that clung to her curves. She looked like she belonged here—confident, carefree, alive. Everything Arielle wasn't.
Adrian didn't even glance at her.
He gently removed his arm from the girl's grip, his expression unchanged. "Not interested."
The girl pouted. "You're no fun." With a dramatic huff, she flounced away, tossing Arielle a curious glance before disappearing into the crowd.
Heat crept up Arielle's neck. She should've felt relieved. Instead, she only felt the weight of Adrian's unwavering attention pressing down on her again.
"Why?" The word slipped out before she could stop it.
Adrian tilted his head slightly. "Why what?"
"Why me?" Her throat tightened as she forced the question out. "There are… so many other girls here. You could…" She swallowed. "You don't even know me."
His lips curved—slow, deliberate. Not a smile. Something more dangerous.
"Oh, Arielle," he said softly, and the way her name rolled off his tongue made her shiver. "That's where you're wrong."
Her stomach dropped.
Before she could speak, he stepped closer, leaning in until his words brushed her ear, low enough only she could hear.
"I've always known you."
Her breath stuttered. She tried to take a step back, but her shoulder bumped into the wall. She was trapped, the noise of the party a blurred backdrop as her pulse thundered in her ears.
"Adrian—"
"Drink?"
The interruption snapped the moment. A boy appeared suddenly, holding out a red plastic cup with a grin. He was tall, sandy-haired, the type who probably thrived in parties like this. His eyes flicked between Arielle and Adrian, lingering longer on her.
"You look like you could use one," the boy said, smiling.
Arielle hesitated. The cup smelled faintly of alcohol, sharp and bitter. She wasn't used to drinking, but maybe holding one would make her feel less awkward. Less out of place.
Before she could reach for it, Adrian's hand shot out. He plucked the cup from the boy's fingers, gaze cold.
"She's not drinking," Adrian said flatly.
The boy blinked. "Dude, chill. I was just—"
"Walk away." Adrian's voice didn't rise, but there was steel beneath it.
For a moment, tension thickened between them. Then the boy raised his hands in mock surrender. "Whatever, man. Sheesh." With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, he melted back into the crowd.
Arielle stared, her chest tightening. "That was rude," she murmured.
Adrian turned back to her, unconcerned. "He wasn't worth your attention."
"You didn't have to—"
"I don't like people touching what's mine."
The words landed heavy between them, almost swallowed by the music, but she heard them. Every syllable.
Her pulse stumbled. "I'm not—"
"Yes, you are."
The certainty in his voice rattled her more than anything else tonight. He didn't say it with desperation. He said it with conviction, like it was a fact she couldn't rewrite.
She didn't know whether to argue or run.
The lights flashed overhead, laughter rang from the kitchen, someone cheered as a new song started—but Arielle couldn't shake the feeling that none of it mattered. None of it existed outside of this invisible thread tying her to Adrian.
She had the sudden, dizzying realization that he wasn't just watching her anymore.
He was pulling her into his world.
And the terrifying part?
She wasn't sure she could resist.