Into The Fire [H.S.]

2

By the time I had pushed open the club door I was almost dead on my feet. I carried my skateboard with me to the back of the club. Squeezing through the throng of bodies thrashing around. The music was loud, the lights were dim as fuck. Pulsing irrisdescant purple, then blue, then red.

It smelled like sex, alcohol, and drugs, with just a hint of bo and too many different perfumes and colognes.

My eyes scanned around looking at the hundreds of bodies gyrating. I needed to get out of here before the strobe lights and the smell made me puke.

There was a set of stairs in the back that I took up to the second floor. When I got to the top a security guard gave me the once over.

"Bracelet." He snapped at me.

"Don't need one." I shook my head.

"You can't come up without a fucking bracelet."

I hear Miguel bark something out in Spanish. Something along the lines of she's the owner's sister you dumb fuck. The security guard stepped aside with his hands raised.

I gave him a smirk blew Miguel a kiss and made my way to the back. I set my board up against the wall outside of Javi's office then rapt my fist against the door.

I peeked my head in.

"Hey manita."

"Hola mano."

Javi had always been able to read me like a book. He must have seen something in my eyes because he immediately stood up and walked over to me. "Que Paso?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to get into it now. Not here. Not with how fucking exhausted I was.

"Nah, dimelo." Javi demanded.

Fucking mother fucker. "I got fired from the bar. I was ten minutes late."

Javi chewed on his lip. "I'll go talk to him."

"No. The last thing I need is for you Miguel and Jae to go down there and scare the fuck out of him. I'll figure it out." I shook my head.

Javi nodded. I could tell he wanted to push, but I think he knew from the look on my face that pushing me right now wouldn't be a good idea.

"I'm almost done here give me 10 minutes."

"You got coffee?" I asked.

He nodded "Si. Back in the lounge."

---

I sit down to drink my coffee on one of the plush couches in a more private room in the back. When I come in here Javi doesn't like me to linger in the open areas. Especially not up here.

I hear Javi's laugh coming from the hallway. A thick Irish accent in the distance. My face turns up into a smile.

My brother's best friend co-owns the place. "Echo echo echo echo...." He calls to me from down the hallway.

Taking my coffee I follow his voice. "Nialler. You Irish bastard." I'd known Niall since I was thirteen. He also happened to be my ex.

"Te amo. Mi Corazon. Come give me love." He holds his arms out to me. I step into them as he wraps his arms completely around me. Niall gives the best hugs. He always has. So comforting. He pulls back slightly. "You look tired."

"Thats a nice way of saying I look like shit." I shook my head at him. In another life he and I would have been perfect together. A part of me would always love him, but I couldn't trust him with my heart again, and I couldn't trust myself with his.