Thirty-nine ~ Evelyn

The first room I search has a large central dance floor with arches branching off to the surrounding walls, also lined with thinner curved structures.

The walls are adorned with iconic Parisian buildings in fluorescent paint, with a sprinkling of embedded fairy lights.

Planning out my route, I weave through the people breaking away from the dance floor to the bar. After four thorough laps, I move onto the next room.

I freeze as I walk into the space, three times bigger than then last. A sea of people fight for their spot on the dance floor. Roaring music blisters my ears as my eyes adjust to the minimalistic, and rather unhelpful, lighting.

Walking the perimeter, I strain to spot Heidi's canary hair amongst the dense crowd.

Semicircle blood-red booths back against three walls with thick partitions in case the darkness and noise wasn't cutting it. An assortment of tables are scattered around the long bar encompassing the fourth wall.

My cheeks flush as the monumental amount of heat radiating from the mass of dancers takes hold of my body.

After a second lap disorientated by the darkness and inescapable noise, I order a glass of tap water from the bar to take on my third rotation.

The iced water provides a brief relief as I search the dizzying crowd, which somehow appears to have grown.

Discouraged, I fire off a text to Heidi, hoping she'll surrender her location, and to Adam, hoping he's found her.

She may not have even gotten in. She could be stumbling around unfamiliar streets alone. The thought grips me in a spiked vice.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing alone?" A gritty voice grates through me from behind.

Nope. Not tonight.

Without looking back, I adamantly stick to my path. I won't give them the attention they're seeking.

"Oi love! He was talking to you!" A second voices cuts through me, lacerating my lungs, as a sweaty hand clutches my wrist and tugs me around. "Don't you know its rude to ignore someone."

"Sorry, it's so loud, I didn't hear you." I force the lies out, wishing to de-escalate the situation and run away.

"No worries love. Sit with us and you'll be able to hear just fine." The tall bulk of inappropriateness indicates to the booth behind me with his free hand.

"Thank you, but I was on my way to meet a friend." I persist, faking a pacifying smile.

"We insist." A second hand clamps down on my shoulder. With the two points of contact, the large man manoeuvres my stiff body down into the booth with ease. The two guys slide in after me, sandwiching me between them and the two older guys already in the booth. "See isn't that better."

Unsure of what to say, I stare at the rippling water in my white-knuckled hand, praying I could dive into the small pool.

The plastic glass is snatched from my hand and slammed against the stained table, snapping my attention back to my handsy neighbour.

His sticky hand claws my chin and roughly jolts me into a position he's happy with. He's so close that the wafting stale alcohol and sweat makes me gag.

"What did we say about manners?" He sneers, tightening his grip. My body responds as if it's my heart he's piercing.

I want to slap some manners into him, but my petite five-foot-one frame wouldn't provide much back up.

"S-sorry." I stutter, desperately searching for an out.

"Are you single?" He doesn't bother waiting for a response. I'm partially grateful, unsure of my capability to piece one together. "Must be, a man wouldn't be stupid enough to leave you unsupervised."

I press my lips together to suppress a scoff. I'm not property to be chaperoned.

His bloodshot eyes glance over my shoulder before releasing my face with a shove.

Basking in the temporary respite, I hold a gulp of the cool water in my mouth in a feeble attempt to soothe my now aching jaw before swallowing it.

The older man to my left with a seven-head and a two-toned straggly beard, rests a hand on my thigh. Upon contact, I jolt back, colliding with the other unwelcome mass. A smile slithers across his crusted lips, catapulting bile up my throat. I take another large gulp of my water to suppress the urge to spill my guts.

"Relax sweetheart." He runs his hand over my leg again before squeezing and maintaining a painful grip on my upper thigh. "You feel tense."

I f*cking wonder why you asshole!

My phone vibrates in my hand and I thank the heavens that I put it on silent. Without glancing at it or turning it over, I tap the screen until it stops vibrating. I pray that I managed to answer and that whoever called will figure out somethings wrong and come to my aid.

Because I'm definitely running out of both time and options.

My heart rate soars as Handsy's sticky hand lifts my right leg over his lap.

"Please, no!" I whimper trying to pull my leg away.

"Hush now, you know you want it. Why else would you be alone? Aren't you lucky that now instead of one guy, you have four!" His grip only tightens, as his unnerving smile grows, until I feel his jagged nails pierce my skin. He runs the back of his calloused hand across my cheek, "Now be a good girl and do as your told."

Their hands track higher and I summon all of my remaining strength to try to wiggle out of their grasp, but it's unrelenting.

"Please no. I don't want this. Please stop." I beg shamelessly in between shallow breaths.

"You ungrateful whore!" Handsy sneers as he raises his hand.

He brings it swiftly down, striking my cheek with a distant thud that snaps my head to the side.

Silent streams cascade over the burning skin as I resign myself to the inevitable.

My shallow breaths transform into gasps as I fight to push air into my constricting lungs.

Letting my head hang, I concentrate on my palpitating heart, counting the beats rather than the number of hands touching me.

How odd, my heart rate's slow, I must've miscounted. It should be through the roof with my anxiety and discomfort.

A harsh tug tears pain through my hip. A sob escapes my lips, drowned out by the music.

I have to escape. I can't be here, I don't want to feel this.

In a desperate attempt to dissociate, I stumble over things that make me happy.

Ade's dimples filled with joy.

The mischievous grin that appears when he's plotting something.

Ade secretly preordering the ingredients for my favourite milkshake.

How he always picks me up and bundles me into his arms.

I focus on the enveloping warmth and safety of Ade's arms.

"Please catch me as I fall." I shudder.

I allow my brain to trick me into hearing a barely audible "I'm coming." In Ade's smooth voice.

I wish you were.

The edges of my vision blur and darken as my mind grows hazy. I welcome unconsciousness as a gifted escape.

I distantly feel my body being hauled up, but my heavy limbs won't cooperate to support my weight.

My arms feel like they're floating above my head but I can't identify where. The only distinguishable sensation is a sharp grip on my tummy.

The pain radiates outwards. And, as if it has seeped into and poisoned my blood, the pain slowly captures every nerve in my body.

I hate clubs.

"Evelyn!" Ade's bellow rings in my ears. Soothed by the audio hallucination, I begin to give way to the fog.

My arm slaps against my hip, forcing my weight onto the other side.

A large mass colliding with my legs forces my heavy eyelids open. One of the men is curled into a ball on the floor as he clutches his head.

What the hell?

I drag my gaze upwards. Wait…that's…Ade!

"Evie!" Ade's voice rumbles through me followed by a tidal wave of relief.

I channel the energy into stumbling out of Handsy's loosened grip. Falling against a nearby wall.

The second I'm clear, Ade surges towards Handsy. Ade's fist snaps his head to side before another blow lands on his stomach. Winded, Handsy doubles over. Ade takes it as an invite to land another strike to his head.

Handsy staggers backwards into a perpendicular wall.

Ade's shoulders are squared, rising purposefully with his deep intakes of air. His stormy blues are fixed straight ahead as he stalks forward.

"Does harassing women make you feel powerful?" Ade growls through a tightly clenched jaw as his fists are wound around the material of Handsy's shirt.

"She wanted it!" He sneers through a crimson grimace.

A final hit collides with his jaw before Ade discards his body on the carpeted floor.

"Ade!" I cry, trying to snare his attention, "Adrian!"

Turning suddenly as if released from a trance, Ade's eyes find mine before rushing over.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." Ade reels off apologies through trembling lips whilst holding me at arms length.

His furrowed brows crown his glassy eyes, boring into mine. A new agonising wave wrecks though my body. "It's not your fault, it's theirs!" I choke, grasping Ade's hands on my heavy shoulders, "None of this is your fault!"

He breaks away from our eye contact, his eyes falling shut before giving a weak nod.

"Can we go home please?" The overwhelming exhaustion continues to sink its claws in deeper, and I just want to get away from here.

"Of course."

Ade supports and guides my weight. But after a few steps, he just scoops me into his arms instead.

I loop my arms around his neck and nestle my face into his shirt, burying myself in his warmth and familiar scent.

I'm safe. I release a pent-up breath and drift off.