Chapter 19: Resist

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Joe's POV

"JOE," I heard Ally screaming.

She rushed to get help as I grappled with him. We crashed into a table, sending glasses shattering to the floor.

Suddenly, Mikey and Jack were pulling us apart until security arrived.

"What's going on here?" a burly bouncer demanded.

"This guy," I gasped, pointing at Ally's date, "was trying to force her to leave with him."

The bouncer turned to Ally, who was standing nearby. "Is that true, miss?"

Ally nodded, tears threatening to spill.

The bouncer's face hardened and gestured to another security guard.

As they restrained the guy, who was shouting protests and threats, I turned to Ally.

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" I asked, my voice tight with concern, scanning her for any sign of injury.

She shook her head, her breath still unsteady from the adrenaline.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice as the commotion around us faded into the background. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she whispered, her hand brushing lightly against my arm, "Let's go to yours."

--

The ride to my apartment was silent, the weight of the night's events hanging heavy between us.

Ally stared out the window, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. I wanted to say something, anything to comfort her, but words seemed inadequate.

As we arrived, I opened the door, and we stepped inside.

The night had been a whirlwind. The flirtatious banter between us, the way we gravitated toward each other, dancing around the tension that had been brewing since the moment we locked eyes at the club.

It had all felt easy, natural, like slipping back into something comfortable. But now, with the night's drama winding down and the silence of my apartment hanging in the air, everything felt… heavier.

“Want something to drink?” I asked, moving toward the kitchen.

“Yeah, sure,” Ally replied shyly.

“Tequila ok?” I asked, pulling a bottle from the cabinet.

She nodded. As I poured the drinks, she leaned against the counter, watching me.

“So… it was quite a night, huh?” I said, sliding a glass over to her.

She raised an eyebrow, taking the drink. "Yeah. It was.”

The tension from the club still lingered between us. We had been pushing boundaries we probably shouldn’t have been pushing.

“You’ve still got moves on the dance floor,” I added with a smirk, taking a sip from my glass.

She laughed softly, but there seemed to be a vulnerability in her smile. “And you’re still quite the flirt.”

I shrugged, leaning against the counter opposite her. "Only when I have the right partner.”

Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else fell away.

She looked away first, taking a long sip of her drink. But when our eyes fell on each other again, something else seemed to have caught her attention.

“Joe…” she started, setting her glass down on the counter, “You’re bleeding.”

“What?” I frowned, reaching up to touch my face, “Shit. Must’ve been from the fight.”

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