Temptation (NEW)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The alley ended with a tall brick wall that would be nearly impossible to climb. I could only assume he entered one of the few side doors that were down there. The left building was a closed down bar that hadn't been touched in months. I doubt he was desperate enough to hide in a musty, deserted bar that probably had homeless people seeking shelter inside of it. The one on the right was a notorious club for having dancers in skimpy little outfits. It's a sleazy place despite the rich people crawling around inside of it. I've never been inside, but I've heard all of the rumors about it. I can't imagine how Sasuke could have gotten inside, but it was worth taking a peek.

I paced to the solid metal door and turned the handle with ease. At first glance, all I could see was lots of bare skin on men and women that were walking around. The main lights were dim with strobe lights illuminating the small section I could see sparingly. Faces were hard to make out so I decided to inch a little further inside. With a better view, I could tell it was the back side of the building where dancers and staff gathered to take a break. Off in the corner, I could recognize the skin that I had memorized down to all of the little tiny details a little over a year ago. My heart sank at the realization. I think I might have stopped breathing for a second.

"Hey!" shouted a burly, menacing voice. It nearly made me jump out of my skin. "What the hell are you doing?"

In a blink of an eye, a tall man stood in front of my line of sight. He was huge—almost a borderline giant. The look he was giving me was a thousand times more intimidating than his height. It sent shivers down my spine to have this monster of a man in front of me, especially knowing what was to come next.

The hard concrete was suddenly on my back in an instant. My sight went blurry for a moment from the harsh impact and I could have swore I was seeing stars. The shock quickly dissipated and all of the pain began to radiate around my body. I could hear the same metal door slam shut, leaving me in the quietness of the alley. I didn't have much time to think about what I had seen once I could hear the clacking of heels coming towards me. I'd take this secret to the grave.

"What the hell?" Ino shrieked. "Why did you just run off from us? Just to look into some strip club like a perv?"

"S-Sorry," I strained. My voice was giving away how much pain I was actually in from that harsh fall. Well, more like harsh shove.

"Did you see something?" Sakura asked. I've come to learn that she was a lot more patient compared to Ino. She had her moments, but she was a little more forgiving.

I shook my head, trying my best not to seem suspicious. The last thing I needed was for them to discover Sasuke was inside of that place. If he didn't want me to know, then surely he didn't want them knowing either. My lips were going to be sealed.

"I guess it was all the appletinis," I sighed as I forced myself onto my feet. It was a piss-poor lie but it was all I could think of in this state.

My knees felt pretty weak once I stood. It was a combination of pain and panic. I didn't really want to stay out any longer. All I wanted to focus on was figuring out my next steps with Sasuke. I desperately wanted to see him and figure out what has happened with him. If there was a chance that I could help him, then I wanted to take it.

"I might catch a cab back home," I added, probably looking as pitiful as I felt.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Sakura sounded less concerned and more curious. She wasn't stupid. I think she could tell that a few appletinis wouldn't make someone dart down an alley unprovoked.

"No, I'm fine," I insisted. I could feel myself getting flustered as they eyed me up and down. I needed to get away from them quickly before my calm demeanor deteriorated.

"O-Okay," Sakura agreed half-heartedly. "Let us know when you get home."

I was quick to make my exit. I didn't want to waste another second. The entire cab ride home, I stared at Sasuke's contact. I debated sending him a flurry of text messages demanding that he explain himself. My thumbs would type a message but I'd immediately erase it all once I was done. It was a lot harder to convey my thoughts and emotions through a text. There were no words for how I felt. Relieved? Distraught? Worried? Angry? Devastated? I really think it was every emotion one could possibly feel. It was suffocating to feel this way and not be able to do anything about it.

When I made it back inside of my apartment and settled in for the night, I decided to look through his social media. I wondered if there had been clues that I was missing this entire time. I like to think I had all of his rare posts memorized by now, but maybe I didn't. Most of his pictures were of landscapes or random mood-inducing images. The selfies he had posted didn't allude to any odd backgrounds. One looked like he was in bed. Another was outside and it looked like he was on a patio. No matter how hard I looked, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Until I studied the finer details, of course. I examined his clothes a little harder. They were nice looking, maybe even designer. Sasuke used to be rich when he lived off of his parents' money, but he rarely ever displayed that in his clothes. For the most part, he was casual. I didn't know what it could mean other than he gets paid nicely. But who knows anymore? I've already been shocked once tonight.

I tried to just swallow it all and forget it. Obviously he didn't want to see me–he darted away as soon as I was close to him. But then I thought more about how he looked when he first met my eyes. He was soft, almost a little happy. There was surprise in his eyes but also relief. I pulled out my phone again and went back to his contact. I thought long and hard about what to say to him. It had to convey the right feelings I felt tonight.

It was nice seeing you.

I hit send and immediately tossed my phone onto my bed. Even if he did reply, I was terrified of what he could say. Regret instantly filled my veins and I couldn't shake the feeling. As an attempt to avoid my phone for a while, I sank into my pillows and hid myself underneath the sheets. Sleep is always a good option for hiding from your problems. Tomorrow's me can deal with the outcome. You know, if there even is one.