Chapter Nine - Pandemonium
A week has passed since my date with Kaden and it's seven on a Friday night. I am sitting on top of my bed, working on an assignment on my laptop when I hear footsteps stop outside my door and Eva and Maddox whispering rapidly. Rolling my eyes at how not so discrete they are being, I get up and walk to the door, opening it. They freeze before looking at me with sheepish smiles. I arch a brow and wait for them to speak.
"We're going out tonight." Eva states, Maddox nodding enthusiastically behind her.
"Okay, have a good time!" I smile, frowning when they shake their heads.
"No, we as in the three of us." Maddox elaborates, pointing to all of us.
I immediately shake my head, trying to close the door when Maddox and Eva push against it, making me groan loudly when they force their way into my room. I walk towards my bed and sit down on it with a huff.
"Come on Luna, what's so wrong with going to a club with us?" Maddox whines while Eva is fully raiding my closet.
"Um...need I remind you of the last time we went clubbing? You both ended up becoming so wasted that Eva was dancing on top of the bar while you were running around with your top off screaming." I deadpan, watching as they blush in embarrassment.
They are silent for a minute before begging me to come, saying how it wasn't going to be like that this time and that they will just have a few drinks and then come back home. I sigh and nod, only after making them promise that we will leave when I say so.
They cheer in delight, Maddox walking out of the room to get ready while Eva pulls me up and towards my closet. We look for a dress that I can wear and she gasps when she finds a copper, sequin embellished dress. I smile and agree that this will be perfect, remembering when I was obsessed with everything and anything copper.
It's a wrap over design, mini length with long sleeves and a plunging neckline that I am comfortable with. The whole fabric is covered in copper sequins and it comes to mid-thigh.
I grab a pair of undergarments and walk into the bathroom with the dress in hand. After taking a quick shower and washing my hair, I step out and dry my hair and body, putting on some lotion before slipping on the dress and walking out of the bathroom.
Eva is already dressed in a white strappy bodycon dress with a curved hem. It brought out the green in her eyes and she looks like the definition of hot. She compliments me when I walk out in the dress, curling her blonde hair loosely so it falls in sleek waves.
I apply my base such as foundation, concealer and powder whilst she is styling her hair. After she is done, she does a brown smokey eye with winged liner and a nude lip. I work on straightening my dark brown hair while she does her makeup. Eva can do perfect eye makeup so she didn't need any help in that area.
After we are done with our makeup and hair, we decide on some heels. I choose my black heels with three straps while Eva chose her favourite black lace up heels. After tidying up our mess, we grab our clutches and make sure we have our essentials for a night out.
Maddox knocks on my door and tells us that the taxi is here and we call him in, his eyes widening when he sees us...or mostly Eva. He snaps out of it and grins widely, telling us we look great before we make our way downstairs. We make sure the door is locked before piling into the car and greeting the driver, Eva glaring at me when I push her in first so that she sat beside Maddox.
The reason we are taking a taxi even though Maddox has a car is because I persuaded them to. Both him and Eva like to party hard and get very drunk every time they go clubbing and since I haven't touched a steering wheel for two years, I'm not comfortable driving everyone back.
Eva tells me the club is in downtown Berlin and we arrive in no time. The city is lit up with bright lights and everyone is out for a good time tonight. The driver drops us off on a nearby street and we pay him before making our way towards a club called 'Pandemonium.' It is the one Maddox had visited last week.
We queue in the line and it was around nine at night when we make our way towards the bouncer and show our ID. I follow Eva and Maddox inside the club which smells strongly of alcohol and sweat. It is lit in neon colours and an unfamiliar pop song is playing loudly.
We immediately walk towards the bar and order our drinks. I didn't drink alcohol much but Eva and Maddox assure me that it isn't going to get that crazy and they too will only order a few drinks. I find that hard to believe considering how every other clubbing night turns out with me having to find them in the club and drag them to the car.
The bartender sets down our drinks and I pick mine up. We sit at the bar chatting for a bit, ordering more drinks and finishing them before Eva pulls Maddox and I to the dance floor.
The dance floor is crowded and the floor has an electric blue and purple hue, the walls reflecting disco lights. I feel light and free as we dance to the rhythm of 'This Is What You Came For,' by Calvin Harris and Rihanna. A laugh escapes my lips as Maddox twirls Eva and I around.
When the song ends, we order more drinks, Maddox deciding to get us three shots each that we down in a matter of seconds. I've reached my limit and know that I don't want to drink anymore, chuckling when a slightly drunk Eva begs Maddox to dance with her to her favourite song.
Even in the dark club I can see how his face lights up and he quickly finishes his drink before letting Eva pull him to the dance floor. I smile when they bust some moves before the song slows and he pulls her close, resting his hands on her waist as they sway to the music, lost in each other's eyes.
I look around the club, seeing some booths to my right that people have occupied when my eyes land on familiar faces. I'm almost sure it is them, my suspicions confirmed when they turn to look up at man who has brought them their drinks.
I wave at Kaden when our eyes lock, blue to dark brown. I see him stand but then get interrupted by Eva rushing up to me and pulling me off the stool, making me yelp in surprise.
"It's 24K Magic! You can't not dance to this!" She yells over the music as I let her pull me to the floor again.
I laugh when they start singing along to the music, joining in when they get to the second verse. I hear Bruno Mars' voice blaring from the speakers as people dance to the sound of his music. My arms brush against other people's bodies as I dance and I smell sweat in the air from how close everyone was. The bass thuds like the beat of a heart in my chest and I sway my hips in time to the rhythm.
We dance to three more popular songs before the song changes to an upbeat mix and I feel as if the ground shakes when people jump in time to the music. I have moved away from Eva and Maddox on the third song which is slightly slow and sensual. Feeling a little uncomfortable on being the third wheel, I somehow find myself at the edge of the dancefloor now and as 'Party Monster,' by The Weeknd starts to play, I surrender myself to the upbeat yet dark music and let it take control of my body
I don't care that I am dancing by myself, but by verse one, warm hands grip my hips gently and turn me around, my eyes connecting with familiar ones. I realise that I forgot about him, but he certainly didn't.
His eyes are now a stormy, dark blue and they're intensely staring at me. I bite my lip, causing his gaze to focus on the action, before wrapping my arms around his neck. His grip tightens on my hips and he pulls me impossibly closer, making my breath hitch.
He starts moving his body in time to the beat, causing me to snap out my trance and mirror his actions. I can't deny the rush of heat I feel when one of his hands slips down to rest just on top of my butt.
I suddenly feel warm, feeling like my body is on fire when it brushes against his. We are so close that our lips are a breath away. I close my eyes in ecstasy when his hands roam the curves of my body as we gyrate. He twirls me around and I breath out in surprise, my back pressed up against his chest.
My head falls back to rest against his shoulder, the sound of his name drowning out in the loud music when his lips met the base of my neck, trailing a path of hot kisses up to my jaw. My fingers disappear into his dark hair while he grips my hips, the song turning slower and more intense and our bodies moving sensually in time to the music.
Twirling around as the song is nearing its end, I boldly cup his cheek and rub his bottom lip with my thumb. They are soft and plump just like I remember and I'm craving to have a taste. His dark eyes burn with lust and something so very dark that has me so overwhelmed. I have never felt so high just by someone's touch.
He answers my wish by leaning down and smashing his lips to mine in a hot, fiery, demanding kiss. The world falls away around us and my mind is reduced to a jumbled mess of thoughts as my senses are overcome with lust and passion. His tongue swipes across my bottom lip and I open my mouth, our breaths mingling. I can faintly taste the strong tones of whiskey on his tongue as we battle for dominance.
His hand cups my face, his thumb caressing my cheek while the other wraps around my waist and pulls me up against him, trying to get as close as possible. I love the way our bodies mould perfectly against each other, until there is no space left between us and I can feel his racing heart against my chest.
I feel like I'm free, as if I'm walking on clouds up high in the sky. My hands crave to feel him and I do just that. I let my arms wrap around his neck, playing with the ends of his hair and somehow, I hear a groan of pleasure that escapes him in the loud club. The heat of his touch travels through my veins, warming me up instantly.
My body trembles with desire and the euphoric state that I'm currently in before we pull away, gasping for much needed air. I'm breathless once more as he peppers feather-like kisses to my cheek and jaw. My fingers tighten on his soft strands and I tug, a fiery blush on my cheeks when he pulls back at the action and gazes down at me with adoration and tenderness.
"Did you come alone?" He asks loudly over the music, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my hand.
I shake my head. "No, I came with Eva and Maddox but stepped away so I wasn't third wheeling."
He chuckles and grabs my hands, leading me towards a booth which his friends occupied. It isn't hard to find as there are lamps above every booth so we easily make our way over to them. There are five men, excluding Rico. I wave when Kaden introduces me to everyone, chuckling in amusement at Rico who is cheering, slightly drunk. I sit down on the outside of the booth, Kaden draping his arm across my shoulders.
"So, Luna, how is nursing going?" A man called Matt asks, taking a sip of his whiskey.
"How do you know that I study nursing?" I ask, frowning in confusion.
The five boys and Rico chuckle like I've just told them a hilarious joke before Matt turns to me. "Kaden here hasn't shut up about you ever since you two met!"
"Hmm, is that so?" I turn to face him, seeing a light blush on his cheeks as he avoids my eyes.
I mentally coo at how adorable he is being when he slouches in his seat, as if wanting to disappear. The boys laugh and tease him, causing him to glare at them. Wanting to take him out of his misery, I lean forward and peck his cheek, staring into his surprised eyes.
"That's very cute." I smile, rolling my eyes when the boys holler at the action.
We continue chatting and I get to know that they are all close friends. A blonde haired, brown eyed man named Owen reminisces about how Kaden and his twin brother Axel, who is sitting right beside him, was on their team and how they got more hits on the other boys in a paintballing session they had two weeks ago.
"I bet you twenty euros we'll beat you tomorrow." Derek scoffs, downing his drink before setting it on the table.
"I bet you forty that you'll be covered in paint in the first ten minutes." Rico teases, nudging a man called Chris who sat beside him. Chris had ginger hair with a unique shade of green eyes.
"Fifty says he'll be hiding behind a rock or something when we split." Kaden chuckles, taking a sip of his drink.
Derek runs a hand through his light brown hair, his blue eyes shining in amusement as he turns to me. "Whose team are you on Luna?"
"Oh! I'm team Kaden so..." I trail off, laughing when Chris high fives me as we watch Derek glare at us in a mocking manner.
I feel Kaden pull me closer and his hand finds mine underneath the table, intertwining them and resting them on his jean clad thigh. He smiles down at me and his blue eyes twinkle brightly, a happy glint in them.
"Luna, you should totally come!" Rico suddenly adds, the boys nodding enthusiastically.
"Oh, I don't know..."
"You can bring Eva or Maddox." Kaden suggests, his thumb rubbing across my skin.
I bit my lip unsurely, thinking if one of them will be free tomorrow. I knew Eva will be but Maddox is meeting up with one of the societies he had joined so I have a feeling he will decline. The boys try convincing me to come, saying how we would have a great time.
"Okay, I'll bring Eva along." I nod, smiling when they cheered before I turn to Kaden. "You don't mind, right?"
"Of course not. I'd love it if you came." He grins before offering to get me a drink which I decline.
We are talking about the details of tomorrow when someone slips in on the seat beside me. The conversation come to a halt and I turn to look at a man who looked to be in his early thirties sitting a bit too close to my liking. I shuffle closer to Kaden, slightly uncomfortable when the man presses up to me unnecessarily.
"It's been long boys, how're you all doing?!" He greets everyone before turning to me. "Kaden! Who's this pretty lady you've got here?"
I didn't like the way how his beady eyes roamed my figure. His breath reeks of cigarettes and alcohol and he's giving off a bad vibe. With the way Kaden and the boys have tensed up, I know this isn't someone they like much less talk to.
"This is my girl." Kaden says in a possessive tone that would have butterflies fluttering in my stomach had the situation been different.
His voice is hard and offers no further explanation, tucking me into his side and draping his arm across my shoulders. The man grins creepily before telling me that he's a friend and that it's nice to meet me. But what has me tensing up is the hand he places on my bare knee, rubbing it slightly.
Kaden has him by the collar in an instant. "Don't f*cking touch her."
Rico and the boys are out of their seats in a flash since Kaden and I can't stand up until the stranger moves out. Matt pulls him out of his seat and leads him away with Owen and Chris following them.
I have moved out to stand by the booth, Kaden following as I feel his chest against my back. We are watching the boys escort him outside and it's only when Rico tells Kaden to calm down do I turn to him. Derek and Axel are saying how he'll be taken care of and that he doesn't need to go after him but it's proving to be useless when the anger in his eyes doesn't lessen.
I cup his cheek and pull his face down so that his eyes are on me. Wrapping my other arm around his waist, I rub his back in soothing circles to calm him down. His blue eyes are dark as they stare back at me, fists clenched as his body trembles in anger.
"Calm down, I'm okay." I smile, rubbing the pad of my thumb across his smooth cheek.
"Bastard! What made him think it was okay to touch you?!" He seethes, looking back towards the direction the boys went.
"Kaden." I speak firmly, catching his attention. "He's not worth wasting your energy over."
He stares at me for a few seconds before a sigh escapes him and he nods, wrapping his arms around my waist. I hug him back as he embraces me tightly, feeling his lips press against my temple.
"Whipped!" Someone coughs, making us pull away to stare unamused at Derek.
He shakes his head making us roll our eyes and point to Rico and Axel. He looks to see them both pointing at him with wide grins and he groans, shoving them lightly. They take their seats again and just as Kaden pulls me down to sit next to him, I receive a text from Eva that they're thinking of leaving and have already called a taxi.
"Okay, I'm going to go so I'll see you guys tomorrow?" I ask for confirmation, standing up and grabbing my clutch.
"You're not going because of what happened are you? Because if you are I -"
"No," I laugh, interrupting Kaden and easing his worry. "My friends are ready to leave and our taxi is outside."
"Oh, okay let me walk you out." Kaden replies, standing up from his seat.
"You don't have to." I protest, but he insists and I nod.
I say goodbye to the guys, thanking Matt, Owen and Chris for handling the stranger as they join us at the table again. I tell them that my friends are waiting when they ask why I'm leaving before bidding them good bye and walking out with Kaden, our hands intertwined.
We make our way through the crowd of dancing people towards the exit, finally walking through the doors of the club. I sigh in relief when the cool air greets my warm skin, the change in temperature welcomed.
Spotting my friends on the sidewalk as they wait for the taxi, I turn to Kaden and tell him that I'll see him tomorrow, preparing to say goodbye. But he pulls me flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist. I look at him in confusion, waiting for him to speak.
"I'm sorry about what happened, Luna." He sighs heavily, resting his forehead against mine.
"Like I told you, it's okay. You stopped him before he did anything else." I smile reassuringly but that still didn't ease his worry. "Kaden...seriously, don't worry about it that much."
"I feel horrible though." He grumbles, taking hold of my hand. "I should have beat him up right there."
"No. It's not worth it." I shake my head, caressing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow okay? Text me the address of the place by tonight?"
He shakes his head, making me frown in confusion. "I'll pick you up by four tomorrow."
"We can take a bus -"
"I want to pick you up." He states, making me give in and nod.
I push up on my tiptoes and press my lips against his in a short kiss, blushing as I pull away. "Goodnight, Kaden."
"Goodnight, Luna. Text me when you reach home so I know you're safe." He murmurs, pressing his lips to mine again before letting me go.
I nod and step away, turning and walking over to Eva and Maddox who are getting into a taxi and waving at me to hurry up. I rush to the car and hop in, closing the door before strapping on my seatbelt.
I see Kaden standing there, staring at the car and I roll down the window and wave as the taxi starts to pull away. He smiles and waves back, his figure becoming smaller and smaller as we drive away.
Next update: Monday! I have exams later on in the week so I want to focus completely on studying, therefore instead of Thursday there will be an update on Monday.
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- R.W.