Gorgeous (Editing)

chapter 4.

It was him.

James.

I turned around slowly, like my body already knew what my mind was trying to deny. He stood in front of me, solid and real, wearing that same familiar expression—disgust mixed with entitlement. The smirk hadn’t changed. Neither had the way his eyes looked at me, like I was something he owned and had misplaced.

Some things never change.

The music around us blurred into noise, distant and meaningless. All I could see was him. The memories hit all at once—uninvited, relentless. His hands. His voice. The way he used to look right before everything went wrong.

He had hurt me.

Not accidentally. Not playfully. He hurt me because he wanted to. He enjoyed it.

I could still feel it—the slaps, the way he never stopped when I begged him to. The names he called me when I cried. The way he twisted everything until I was the one apologizing. Until I believed I deserved it.

My chest tightened. Panic flooded my veins, sharp and fast.

I wasn’t free anymore.

He was.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I whispered, my voice barely working. I focused on breathing. In. Out. Stay upright. Stay here.

“I’m just here to have fun, princess,” he said casually. “Don’t I deserve that? After being locked up for two years?”

Prison.

The word made my stomach turn.

I looked around, desperate for something familiar. Someone. Dominic. Jade. Anyone. But the room felt too big, too full, and somehow still empty.

“I want to go,” I said, taking a step back.

He stepped forward instead, grabbing my arm, pulling me against his chest. The smell of him—cologne and something bitter—made my vision blur.

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere,” he said quietly. “I think you owe me.”

That look in his eyes—

I knew it.

It was the same one he used to wear before everything broke.

“Get the fuck away from her.”

Jade’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.

James released me slowly, his smile widening as if this amused him.

“I was wondering where you’d gone,” he said to me. “Nice to see you too, Jade.” His gaze lingered, cruel and deliberate. “Don’t worry, princess. This party isn’t over.”

He leaned closer, just enough for me to hear.

“I always get what I want.”

Then he walked away.

I don’t remember how I got to the bathroom. I just remember locking the door and sinking to the floor as everything I’d been holding back finally spilled over. My hands shook. My breathing came out wrong. I pressed my palms to my face, trying to make it stop.

He was back.

That was all I could think.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror afterward—eyes red, face pale, lips trembling. I barely recognized myself. I didn’t feel strong. I didn’t feel brave.

I just felt tired.

When I left the bathroom, I searched the crowd again. Dominic was there, surrounded by people. Laughing. Distracted. I didn’t want to explain. I didn’t want to be a burden.

I needed to leave.

“Hi,” I said to one of the guys nearby, forcing my voice to stay soft. “I’m a friend of Dominic’s. Could you maybe help me get back to my dorm?”

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. Of course. I’ll grab my jacket.”

Outside, the rain had started. He handed me his jacket without hesitation, and I slipped it on gratefully.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

In the car, silence settled between us—comfortable, not pressing. I gave him my address and stared out the window, letting the streetlights blur.

“You and Dominic close?” I asked quietly.

“Yeah,” he said. “We are.”

When we arrived, he waited until I was safely inside the building before driving off.

“Daniel,” he’d said earlier, when I finally asked his name.

I waved once before the door closed behind me.

Tonight could have ended much worse.

And that thought terrified me.