While the girlfriends of the stranger guys offered Lisa the opportunity to smoke with them, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of engaging in another act of reckless behavior.
"No," she said firmly. "I don't smoke either."
Her gaze shifted, and she continued, "I'm not going to let you damage my lungs like the way you made me drink."
Despite her initial refusal, Hardin, sensing her reluctance, pushed her further, knowing that she would only comply if he exerted his authority over her. He knew she would only comply if he spoke up and ordered her around like he always did.
"Did you hear what these cuties said?" Hardin's voice carried a blend of casual persuasion and subtle command. He leaned closer, his tone smoothing into a coaxing murmur. "Don't be a prude. One puff won't hurt. It's natural for people to smoke in clubs and parties."
Just as Lisa was about to finally give in and try smoking just to keep the peace with Hardin and his new friends, Jake unexpectedly appeared. His voice cut through the chaos, ordering Hardin and everyone else to stop their reckless behavior.
"And it's only natural for shitty f**kers like you to leave her alone and stop pressuring her like she can't speak for herself." Jake's voice rang out, loud and authoritative.
Hardin's face flushed with anger as he stood up, his posture aggressive. "And who the hell do YOU think you are?" he demanded. "Mind your own business, moron."
Jake remained undeterred. "Well, I'm not like that...You either quit making her do dirty things or else you'll see what's coming at you."
Hardin scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Ha, trying to talk big aren't you? Don't get so jacked up."
He turned his attention back to Lisa, his voice dripping with possessiveness. "She's my girlfriend and I'll say or do whatever the f**k I want her to do it with me. No one put a gun to your head and told you to come bother us, bro."
Jake's gaze hardened as he looked directly at Hardin. "So this is how you treat girls? You don't get to control her like she's some sort of possession., a**hole"
He took a step closer, his voice filled with contempt. "She's a human being! Not a ragged doll you throw in the trash and pick it back up when it can't be replaced."
While Jake was sternly telling Hardin to stop forcing Lisa to do the things she doesn't want, this only angered the possessive jerk even further. As Hardin's aggression escalated and he resorted to violence against Jake, everyone around them became nervous. Jake's stern admonishment had only fueled Hardin's anger further, leading to a physical altercation between the two men. The force of Hardin's punch sent Jake crashing to the ground, his right eye bruised from the impact. Despite the pain, Jake remained determined to defend Lisa from Hardin's aggression. Summoning his resolve, Jake slowly rose to his feet, his gaze unwavering as he faced off against his adversary. In a moment of retaliation, Jake seized a small glass shot filled with alcohol and struck Hardin back on the head, shattering the glass.
Hardin's cries of pain pierced the air as he writhed on the ground. "AHHH... Ahhh... OWWW!" he yelled, his hands clutching at his head. "My eyes! I can't see sh*t!"
Feeling the urgency of the situation and the need to remove themselves from the escalating violence, Jake swiftly turned to Lisa and grabbed her arm, signaling for her to follow him out of the nightclub. His grip was firm yet, assuring. "Let's go, Lisa. Let's get you out of here."
As they made their way through the crowd and towards the exit, Lisa couldn't help but steal a glance back at Hardin, lying on the floor in pain from the altercation. As Jake urgently led Lisa out of the chaotic nightclub, the adrenaline coursing through their veins propelled them towards his car, their only means of escape from the situation inside. Lisa, still reeling from the shock of the altercation and the effects of the alcohol she had consumed, struggled to keep pace with Jake as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her senses. With each step, Lisa's vision blurred and her legs grew increasingly unsteady. The combination of the emotional turmoil and the intoxicating effects of the vodka left her feeling faint and disoriented. As they reached Jake's car, Lisa's strength began to falter, her body swaying dangerously on the brink of collapse.
YOU ARE READING
Dear Chaser
RomanceLisa Everhart, an 18-year-old freshman at Barnard College in New York, had just recently began her spring semester in which she is finding it tougher to adjust. She happened to share physics class with a guy named Jake Walsh whom she's had a secret...
