City Girl

Little Bunny

As we exited the stall, I took another snort and flashed a smile at Derek. He looked at me with a smirk, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"You are so hot!" he said, sliding his pants back on.

I couldn't help but laugh, feeling a mix of exhilaration and confidence as the drug coursed through my system. "Thanks, Derek," I replied, my voice playful and light.

He chuckled, the sound rich and full of that familiar cocky confidence. "You know if you ever want to do that again-"

"I'll think about it," I replied, slipping my oversized jacket over my underwear. Ava had somehow left my actual outfit in the dressing room, leaving me to make do with what I had.

Derek's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, a mix of amusement and desire flickering in his gaze. "I'll hold you to that," he replied, his voice low and teasing.

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't hide the smile tugging at my lips.

We excited the bathroom, and walked back to the set. I needed more than my jacket and underwear to leave this place.

As we started to walk, I watched as a door in the corridor opened and Jax walked out. My body froze.

Jax's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The confident smirk that usually adorned his face was replaced by something unreadable—confusion, perhaps, or a flicker of hurt.

"Mal," he said, his voice laced with surprise and a hint of something else I couldn't quite place.

"Jax" I said adjusting my jacket ... his jacket... over my body.

His eyes flicked down to the jacket, recognition dawning as he saw it was his. The tension in the air was thick, and I could feel Derek shift uncomfortably beside me.

"What are you doing here?" Jax asked, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a storm of emotions.

I took a deep breath, trying to muster the confidence I had felt just moments ago. I felt myself sniffing, as if the drug was tickling my nose. His eyes looking into mine.

"Are you fucking high?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

His words cut through the air like a knife, and I felt my heart race. The confidence I had felt moments ago began to waver under his intense gaze. Derek shifted beside me, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden confrontation.

"Jax, it's not what it looks like," I began, but my voice faltered. It was exactly what it looked like, and we both knew it.

Jax stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as they bore into mine. "Really, Mal? Because it sure looks like you're making some bad decisions."

Heat rose to my cheeks, a mix of shame and defiance. "You don't get to judge me," I shot back, my voice gaining strength.

The tension between us crackled like electricity. Derek cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly feeling out of place in this charged moment. "Maybe I should leave you two to talk," he muttered, starting to back away.

Jax didn't even glance at him, his focus entirely on me. "Yeah, maybe you should," he said, his tone dismissive.

"No," I said, standing my ground. "I'm coming with you, Derek."

"Mal, he's the head of the art school," Derek whispered urgently to me before turning to Jax with a smile. "Big fan, by the way."

Jax's expression shifted from intense focus on me to a brief, cold acknowledgment of Derek. He didn't even bother responding to Derek's awkward attempt at flattery. His eyes were back on me, burning with disappointment, confusion, and something else. Something raw.