She stares at me curiously. “I drive.”

“Would you mind giving me a ride? I only live a few blocks from here, but after everything tonight, I don’t feel safe walking.”

The thought of the guy in the blue T-shirt following me makes my stomach churn. It would be a while before anyone noticed I was even missing. I hate that I even think that way, but I watch way too much true crime TV.

“No problem,” she says, picking up my tray to show me how to balance it. “Just watch out for anyone stepping in front of you.”

I take it from her hands and carefully make my way through the packed bar. I go around to the opposite side of the table where I stood before, and set the drinks down one by one. To my surprise, the jerk in the blue shirt doesn’t even look up at me. “Anything else I can get you guys?”

“We’re good,” two say in unison.

I turn my attention to Blake’s table, noticing the way his eyes burn into me. The guy he’s with has longer dark hair and piercings along his lip and eyebrow. He’s wearing a dark gray hard rock band T-shirt that showcases the tattoos up and down his arm.

And the women they’re with are pretty . . . beautiful actually. Both model thin, one with a short, trendy blonde bob and the other sporting dark, naturally wavy hair—the kind you see in shampoo commercials.

“Sorry it took me so long to get over here. What can I get you guys to drink?”

“I’ll take a Cosmo,” the woman with longer hair replies.

“Vodka and cranberry, please,” the other adds.

I focus my attention on Blake, but he doesn’t say anything, not at first. “What time do you get off?” he asks, zero amusement in his voice.

“I don’t know,” I reply, tapping my pen against my notepad.

“Ask.” The way he says it makes it sound more like a command than a request. He’s irritating, but this isn’t like home where I can tell him to screw off and slam my door.

“What can I get you to drink?” I ask, changing the subject. Everyone at the table is looking between us like we’re two tennis players in the middle of a long volley.

The other guy clears his throat. “I’ll take a shot of whiskey.”

My eyes lock in on Blake again. He’s annoyed, that much is obvious, and I’m starting to feel the same way. “Would you like something to drink, Blake?”

“Water,” he says simply, eyes narrowing in on me.

I walk away without replying, quickly making my way back to the bar. When I’m close enough to grip the top of the bar, I pull myself up against it. It’s my shore after a long swim. The finish line after a marathon. It’s just too bad I have to go and do it all over again.

Just when I’m starting to settle down, two strong arms cage me in. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. “What time do you get off work, Lila?” Blake. Why does he care so much? Up until yesterday, he was just another guy.

I lean forward until my chest meets the bar. He’s too close . . . way too close. “I’m getting a ride home. You’re off the hook, okay?”

He steps closer, his chest pressing to my back. “Who?”

He makes it hard to breathe. Hard to think. “Dana, the other waitress.”

“Sure?”

“Positive.”

“In that case, I’ll take a shot of whiskey.” His warm breath tickles my ear, sending a trail of shivers down my back. I want to scream for him to leave me alone, but my body is thinking something entirely different.

I nod, tightening my grip on the bar.

“Good. And, Lila, don’t think I didn’t notice how your body reacted to me just now.” The tip of his nose brushes my ear before he walks away, leaving me flustered. I want to hate him, but my body is drawn to him like a magnet.

“Who the hell is that?” Dana asks, startling me.

“My new roommate.”

“I give it one month,” she says. I glance over, taking in her oversized smile.

“One month for what?” I ask, signaling for Charlie.

“Before you sleep with him.”

She couldn’t be more wrong. Or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t imagined what his skin would feel like against mine a time or two. “Whatever.”

She laughs, leaving me standing alone.

THE MORNING SUN SEEPS through my curtains a little earlier than I’d like. It was almost three in the morning when Dana finally dropped me off at home. By the time I showered the bar off my skin and relaxed enough to fall asleep, it was well past four.

Rolling over to my side, I notice I only slept four hours. If I’m going to be working at Charlie’s, I might need to replace Mallory’s pastel curtains with something darker, or invest in one of those little masks to cover my eyes.

Before I left last night, I asked Charlie about my schedule, and he said he needed me every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. It didn’t sound like much, but Dana divulged that the place is pretty much dead every other night. The tips are good—enough to get me by while I have cheap rent, but maybe I can find another job during the week to get me out of this apartment sooner.

I nestle myself between the pillows and pull the warm down comforter up past my eyes. I don’t have to be to work until seven, and if I don’t get more sleep, I’m going to regret it. Especially if the crowd is anything like last night.

After a few minutes with no success, I throw my arms up. My mind wanders to Blake. Even last night, when I was trying to fall asleep, my mind drifted to him. He’s the epitome of what I don’t need or want in my life right now. He’s too intense and a little rough around the edges.

I won’t allow him to control me. I’m certainly not going to let him pop up at my place of employment and act like he has a say in what I can and can’t do.

Just as my eyelids start to grow heavy, music blares from the other side of the apartment. Head-banging, wood-splitting music ricocheting off the walls. Asshole.

After a couple minutes of trying to ignore it, I gather my wits and throw my comforter off. I yank my door open with such force it hits against the wall with a thud. Without hesitation, I stalk across the living room and push Blake’s bedroom door open, ready to tear him in two.

I’m stopped dead in my tracks before I get the chance. The woman with short blonde hair straddles Blake’s naked body. His eyes are closed tightly, his hands gripping her firm ass, moving her carefully against him. I clench my teeth to keep myself from screaming out as a burning sensation fills my chest then seeps down into my stomach. Seeing him with her shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Feeling defeated and annoyed, I disappear into my bedroom and sink into my warm bed without being noticed.

When I wake up hours later, the house is quiet again. For a while, I lay still, listening to the sound of the wind against my windowpane. A light dusting of flurries falls from the gray sky. It’s one of those days I just want to stay in bed in a pair of sweats and devour a good book, but my stomach growls, putting an end to that idea.

I pull my thick terrycloth robe from the back of the chair and tie it tightly around me to chase away the chill.

After taking a deep breath, I slowly open my door. If Blake’s home, there isn’t any sign of him. His door is closed, and the apartment is silent.

I can’t keep doing this. There’s no way I’m going to be able to live here with him; I feel like a prisoner sequestered to her cell. I don’t want to think about what he’s doing, or what I might walk in on.

I pour myself a bowl of cereal and sit down at the small dining table. This is how it should be, I think, pulling my knees to my chest. Quiet. Peaceful. Comfortable. Alone. My eyes fixate on the snow falling outside as my mind wanders off.

There’s still so much I want to do with my life. Coming here was obviously the first step, but the last thing I want is to get stuck working at Charlie’s for the next few years just to escape my old life. I want to live in a place I love, spending my days doing what I love. No matter what it takes, I’m going to get there.