Later that night, they went out to a club drinking, dancing, and getting wild. They had just arrived, yet it felt like they needed to be there, like the music was calling them. Lara dragged Nova onto the dance floor, the two of them moving like nothing else in the world mattered, like their lives weren't full of chaos.
What they didn't know was that Liam was there too, on the VIP side with Ryan. Ryan was the first to notice them.
"What the fuck?" he muttered, standing up straighter. "She didn't feel the need to tell me she was out clubbing?"
Liam glanced in the direction of his stare. "Who's here? Lara?"
"Yeah and what the fuck, she's dancing with a man!" Ryan snapped, restless and furious.
"Did you tell her you were here clubbing?" Liam asked a teasing smile on his face.
"Why would I?" Ryan shot back. "I'm not touching any woman here, but she's busy dancing with some stranger?"
He turned toward Liam like this was somehow his fault.
"How do you know he's a stranger?" Liam said, deliberately twisting the knife. "He might be a stranger to you, but how do you know he's a stranger to her?"
Ryan scoffed. "Man, fuck you, I'm going to get my girl."
He stormed off, heading straight for Lara.
When Liam turned his attention back to the dance floor, his eyes landed on Nova.
He didn't know how it happened, but suddenly, he was completely lost. The way she moved free, effortless held him in place. He couldn't look away, his gaze followed her every step, every sway, until someone stepped in, pulled her close, and began dancing with her.
Liam nearly stood up, his jaw tightened, anger flaring in his chest. He wanted to take her away from him, but on what right? He had met her just yesterday, yet she had already lodged herself in his mind, refusing to leave. Not to mention that he has a girlfriend.
And that realization made him even angrier.
Ryan got Lara's hand and moved her away from the man she was dancing with.
"What the fuck were you doing? Is this how you're behaving when I'm not around?" He yelled with an angry face
Lara just looked at him without saying a word
"Who is that Motherfucker?" He asked angrily
"I don't know him" She said that looking down
"Then what we're you doing with an asshole you don't even know?" Ryan was so angry
"I'm sorry" Lara was still looking down
"For fuck's sake you should've told me where you were going tonight, you know damn well this is my favorite club and I come here like every day but still…" He couldn't finish his sentence after Lara hugged him tight.
"That dance meant nothing, I was just trying to accompany Nova, she is not okay" Lara tried to make things right
"Where is her? What happened?" He asked curiously
"There" She pointed where Nova was dancing with a man. "Some shit t work"
Nova still dancing with the man that grabbed her and started to talk
"I'm sorry I grabbed you without your permission, hope you don't mind" He said gently with a soft voice.
"Well if I mind, I wouldn't be in your hands dancing with you don't you think?" She said with a smile not knowing Liam is here and he is looking at her.
"Thank goodness, I was scared you would've pushed me but I said fuck it I'm going to try my luck" He said that and Nova laughed
Liam is looking with fury in his eyes but what will he do? He is wondering himself like why is he being like this.
"Your face is not strange to me, do we know each other?" She asked curiously
"I expected that actually, I'm one of the talents you applied makeup to, yesterday" He smiled then added "My name is Rick"
Nova showed a realization face "Ooh shit I'm sorry, I forgot that completely… but your face wasn't strange at all"
"You worked hard that day, it won't be easy to remember everyone… but I hope you won't forget my face again" He smiled at her
"Yeah I won't "
At that moment, Lara appeared beside them and gently grabbed Nova's hand.
"I'm sorry," Lara said to the man, offering him an apologetic smile.
"No worries," he replied easily, stepping back.
"Are we going home already?" Nova asked, walking beside Lara.
"No. Not yet," Lara replied, her tone careful. "Something happened, so we're moving to the VIP room to chill."
Nova slowed. "Is Ryan here?" she asked suspiciously.
Lara sighed. "Yeah and he saw me, yelled like…" She breathed out sharply. "I honestly thought he was going to make a scene."
"Then go by yourself," Nova said lightly. "Have fun, I'll stay here."
As soon as she said it, her eyes betrayed her. She accidentally glanced toward the where Ryan was standing and immediately regretted it, Ryan caught her stare, he lifted his hand and waved.
"Fuck," Nova muttered under her breath. "Why did I look at him?"
Lara laughed, grabbing her arm. "Let's go, girl, expensive shit is waiting for us up there."
Nova hesitated, and then turned back toward the dance floor, Rick was still standing there, watching her with an easy smile, she lifted her hand and waved goodbye.
He nodded, amused. "See you around, makeup queen."
She smiled and then let Lara pull her toward the VIP room.
When they got in the room it was just Liam, talking on the phone, Ryan got in holding Lara's hand leading her where he sat before, leaving a place to seat that's near Liam, but she was scared to sit near him so she just said
"Lara I will be down there with Rick, see you later" She said that and turned to leave
"Are you scared of this Nigga?" Ryan asked laughing
"What? No… it's just that… there is no place for me here, I don't have anyone to talk to, so I will just be down there" Nova turned but Liam stopped him
Liam thought about how they were dancing down there so he had to stop her "You can talk to me, I don't have someone to talk to"
"We don't know each other, what will we talk about?" She asked with hint of anger on her face
"We can start by knowing each other like what you were doing down there" He wasn't even ashamed of saying that he just said without realizing
"So you were looking at me? What…?" She couldn't even say anything she just opened the door to leave.
"What was that?" Lara asked Ryan with a whisper
"This is so new to me" He answered Lara and turned to Liam "Yoh Bro, what was that? We're you looking at her all the time? That's creepy bro"
Liam just stood up and leave to look for her, he called her name but she didn't turn until he reached her and grab her hand but she shoved it away, and walking away again, Liam was so impatient he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to the wall, she struggled to push him away but he was stronger than her.
"What do you want?" She asked "Don't you feel ashamed? After what you told me you should feel ashamed… leave me" She said in anger and Liam leave her hands
"I didn't mean to look at you like a stalker but it just happened and in there I just gave an example…" He tried to explain the issue "I don't want you to misunderstand the situation okay?"
"I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional I swear" He looked at her
"What do you want from me? You're my boss after all" She said her anger eased a little
"That is why I want to know something" He told her that but she just looked at her showing a 'what is it' face. "What happened last night?"
"As expected you are here to know what happened to your girlfriend, if I Insulted her or what" She chuckled "Get out of my way"
"Wait no, just wait… I'm not here to clarify anything, I just want to know what happened that's all" He said
"Just get the fuck out of my face?" She insisted
"Why are you being stubborn? Just tell me what happened, you seem so mad that day and Eva… can't stop talking about you and that makes me curious" He is still asking
"That I had a crush on you and she knew that's all, I have nothing to do with her anger and that crush ended long ago now leave me alone " She pushed him and left him there.
He just stood there watching her going out of his sight until she disappeared.
*****
The next day, across town, Liam stood in his luxury apartment, staring out the window. The view was stunning, but his mind was elsewhere.
Restless, he decided to walk on the beach, a place he often went to clear his head. The salty breeze filled his lungs as he wandered along the shore, his thoughts still circling back to Nova. 'Why am I thinking about her so much?' he wondered. 'It's just because of yesterday. Just curiosity'.
He tried convincing himself, but when he stopped for a drink at a beach café, he saw her, Nova. She was walking by the ocean with Lara, their laughter carried by the wind. That smile. It triggered a memory, sharp and clear. The video call. Months ago, a fleeting conversation. She'd laughed then, too.
He remembered when he complimented her "You've got a cute smile" she covered her face with his hands shyly
"You'll forget me in a minute," she'd joked.
But he hadn't. Liam watched from a distance, conflicted. This is madness. 'She's just a girl I barely know', Yet, the more he watched, the harder it was to look away.