Never Standing Still (The Never Duet #1)(19)

It had been two weeks since Riot blew me off at the waterfront, and as much as I tried to forget about him, my mind simply wouldn’t let it happen. A few times, I’d even drafted text messages to him. Some of them were friendly, asking if he’d made it to Victoria or if he’d managed to make it back to California safely. Others were angry, asking why he’d acted childishly when we’d parted ways. A few of them, okay, most of them, were suggestive.

I was a twenty-nine year old woman, without a boyfriend or other source of regular sexual gratification, and I hadn’t been on a date in months. I didn’t do relationships, but I wasn’t keen on random hook-ups either. I needed to, at least, get to know a guy a little first. And that was what I was hoping to do with Scott.

I’d met Scott at Starbucks. I was standing in line and he bumped into me from behind, apologizing profusely, smiling wide with his white teeth gleaming at me. He was classic, upper-middle class, blond haired, blue eyed, former frat guy perfect. Well, perfect for a non-committed, one or two night rendezvous.

He was everything Riot wasn’t. He wasn’t famous, he wasn’t tall or dark, and he wasn’t occupying every corner of my mind all the time. Scott was exactly what I needed to take my mind off Riot. So, I’d invited him to come out to celebrate with my friends. Ella got her memory back, Megan got a promotion, and I just happened to be in Portland when all the excitement came about and we were going to drink.

I was about to enter the bar when I get a text from Scott.

**Hey. Sorry. Something came up last minute. I’ll try to make it if I can.**

Well, there went my plans for the evening.

It wasn’t so much that I needed Scott, or even wanted him that badly. I was just so tired of thinking about Riot, especially when it was obvious, from his lack of communication, that he wasn’t thinking about me at all. Couple that with the fact that Marcus had a setback in school the week before, causing all kinds of drama and making me second guess myself about his care, and I needed one night to just check out of my life.

I sighed, but then shook off my disappointment, hoping to rally and not waste an entire evening being mopey.

The bar was packed and the bass was pumping. I could feel the vibrations in my chest and see people’s heads bopping along to the beat on the dance floor. I spotted Megan, Patrick, and Ella at a table in the back. Next to Ella was a tall, well-built, dark-haired man who I’d never met before. As I made my way to them he took off for the bar.

I gave Megan and Ella hugs hello and waved at Patrick as he offered me a shy smile.

“Where’s your date?” Megan asked.

“He’s a little hot and cold, I’m afraid. I invited him and he said he’d try and make it, but I’m not holding my breath.”

Ella frowned and rubbed her hand up and down my arm, trying to comfort me.

“Maybe he’ll surprise you and show up,” Ella offered hopefully. Just after she’d spoken her words, the attractive man came back, handing her a drink.

Ella introduced me to her boyfriend, Porter, and then embarrassingly told me to close my mouth because, good God, he was attractive. Megan had told me time and time again that Ella had caught a good one, but he was spectacular. And also, so obviously in love with her. Since she’d regained her memory they’d been attached at the hip. She looked at him as if he were her everything and it made my heart ache a little and my thoughts found their way back to Riot.

The girls insisted I dance with them, and even though I put up a good fight, they dragged me to the dance floor. Eventually, a few songs in, after downing my first drink rather quickly, I started to loosen up. I pushed out thoughts of Riot, and I even managed to push away the hope that Scott would show up. Scott was just a bandage after all. Just someone to keep my mind occupied and off every emotion Riot seemed to evoke in me.

After a few more songs, and another drink, another bandage made his way to me, pulling me away from the girls, offering to distract me with his body. I let his hands wander, let him feel me, grind against me to the rhythm of the music and I tried really hard to not imagine it was Riot’s hands running over the curve of my hips.

Then, suddenly, the part of the night where everyone was merry and carefree slipped away into chaos.

Megan pulled on my arm, turning me away from the guy I was dancing with. “Have you seen Ella?” she yelled into my ear to be heard over the music.

“No,” I yelled back. “Where’d she go?”

“She went to get drinks ten minutes ago, but she’s not at the bar and we haven’t seen her.”

I looked around and saw Porter and Patrick making their way across the dance floor, eyes wide, looking for her. I stepped away from my dance partner, not offering an excuse or a goodbye.

“Let’s go check the bathroom,” I said, looking at Megan. She nodded and we made our way to the back of the club. I spied a hallway along the wall, but Megan must have seen it too because she pushed past me and ran toward the entryway.

“She’s over here!” Megan’s voice was pained and panicked.

“Porter!” I yelled into the club as loudly as I could, hoping somehow he’d hear me. I caught his eye when his head snapped in my direction. “She’s down here,” I screamed, pointing toward the hallway, just as I heard Megan crying out, “Shit, shit, shit!”

The next thirty seconds were a blur of activity. Porter ran past me down the hallway, Patrick came for Megan, then Porter was carrying Ella out of the club. I couldn’t help but stand in my spot and watch it all unfold. I had no idea what had happened, but Ella had looked petrified as she’d been whisked past me.