Chapter 63

KAIA

The bar was alive.

Music pounded through the walls, neon lights flickered across every surface, and the entire place buzzed with that rare, wild kind of freedom that only came after surviving finals. We were officially done. No more sleepless nights. No more caffeine-induced panic. Just a celebration.

Amy slammed her shot glass down on the sticky tabletop and grinned at me, Adrien, and Nate.

"Cheers to being done with hell," she said.

I laughed and raised my glass. "And still having brain cells left."

Barely.

We clinked our glasses together, and I threw mine back. The burn of tequila slid down my throat, sharp and citrusy. I hissed through my teeth, wincing as it hit. God, it tasted like regret and freedom mixed together—but it was worth it.

I'd waited so long to feel this kind of weightlessness again. Tonight, I wanted to lose myself a little. Be reckless. Forget everything.

Adrien's arm was draped across the back of the booth seat behind me, his fingers lightly grazing my shoulder. I leaned into him without thinking. The music was loud, too loud to talk normally, so when he leaned in to speak, his mouth brushed the shell of my ear.

"You look like someone who's one drink away from dancing on tables," he murmured.

I smirked, turning slightly toward him. "You wish."

"I mean, it would make this night more interesting."

"Please, you'd love the attention."

He gave me that cocky half-grin.

"Only if it's coming from you."

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself.

"You're such a flirt."

"And yet," he said, tilting his head, "you haven't moved away."

"I'm comfortable, not stupid."

"Mmhmm. Right."

His hand brushed the bare skin of my back, just a featherlight touch, but it sent a jolt through me. God help me.

Before I could say anything else, Amy suddenly popped up from her seat like a jack-in-the-box.

"Okay! Enough sitting around. Kaia, come dance with me!"

"I—" I blinked, caught off guard. "Now?"

"Yes now! Come on, you've been in zombie-mode for weeks. It's time to bring hot-girl-Kaia back."

The alcohol was definitely kicking in. Everything felt softer, a little slower, and way more fun. So I laughed and let her pull me away, leaving Adrien and Nate at the table.

We pushed into the dance floor, right as Talking Body by Tove Lo started to shake the walls. Amy didn't hold back. She moved with confidence, pulling me into her orbit, hips swaying, hair whipping. Her hands found mine as we spun and laughed, the world around us fading into nothing but movement and bass.

And then I felt someone behind me.

An arm snaked around my waist, firm and warm.

I froze for a second—but when I turned, I saw that familiar smirk.

Adrien.

Of course.

My breath caught. He didn't say anything, just pulled me in closer until our bodies were flush. Nate had joined too, already dragging Amy a few feet away with him. Suddenly it was just me and Adrien, caught in the middle of a sea of bodies, like no one else existed.

I slid my arms around his neck, letting the beat guide my hips. He followed my movements easily, his grip on my waist tightening as we danced, our eyes locked.

I couldn't look away.

The way he was watching me—it was intense. Possessive. Like he'd wanted this for a while and was finally getting a taste.

I turned around and leaned back against his chest, letting myself move with the rhythm. My body pressed into his with every slow grind of my hips, and I felt his breath hitch right near my ear.

His hands tightened. Then I felt it—his mouth on my neck, soft, teasing kisses that made me shiver. I let my head fall back on his shoulder, my eyes fluttering closed.

Everything inside me felt like it was unraveling.

He didn't push it. Didn't rush me. But I could feel how much he wanted me. It was all in his hands, in the way his lips lingered, in the way he held me like I might slip away if he let go.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I turned around, grabbed his face in both hands, and kissed him.

There was no hesitation. No second-guessing. Just heat, and want, and months of tension snapping like a rubber band.

He kissed me back like I was the only thing he wanted. Like he didn't care who saw. Like this had been building forever and now it was finally happening.

And maybe it was the tequila, or the music, or the way I'd spent so long trying to bury these feelings—but in that moment, I didn't feel guilt. I didn't think about Callum. I didn't think about Nate and Amy. I didn't even care if half the bar was watching.

I was kissing Adrien.

Finally.

Freely.

And judging by the way he pulled me tighter, like he wasn't ready to let go anytime soon—I knew he felt the same exact way.

OoO

I didn't even remember walking to the car.

One second, Adrien and I were kissing like we couldn't breathe without each other, and the next—boom—we were in his car, the doors shut, windows fogged, the thud of the bass from the bar muffled behind glass.

I was on his lap, straddling him in the driver's seat, my hands tangled in his messy hair as his lips moved hungrily against mine. His hands were on my waist, thumbs brushing bare skin, holding me tight like he never wanted to let go. Every time our mouths met, it was heat and chaos. Controlled but wild. Like something we both needed but were still afraid to fully give in to.

My heart was thudding. Everything inside me was pulsing, burning, aching for more. I didn't care about the tight space or the way my knee kept bumping into the steering wheel. All I cared about was him—his mouth, his touch, his groan when I rolled my hips down against him. I felt the tension coil low in my stomach, thick and heavy between my thighs, and I wanted more.

God, I wanted him.

My top was too warm, too much fabric. So I pulled it off and tossed it behind me, not even thinking twice. I heard the sharp hitch of his breath, and when I looked down, Adrien was staring at me like I was the most mesmerizing thing he'd ever seen.

His eyes were dark. His lips slightly parted. His chest rising and falling so fast, I could feel it under my palms.

"Fuck, you're so hot," he whispered, voice raw.

I leaned in and kissed the side of his jaw, then moved to his neck, slowly dragging my lips across his skin. He let out a deep groan, hands gripping tighter on my hips. Encouraged, I slid one hand down his chest, fingers tracing the waistband of his jeans, just starting to dip beneath—

He caught my wrist.

Gently. But firmly.

I froze. Pulled back just enough to look at him.

"What... what's wrong?"

Adrien exhaled, his eyes meeting mine.

"We should stop."

My stomach flipped.

"What?" I leaned back, still straddling him. "Wait—why? You don't want to... here?"

He laughed softly and rubbed his hand down his face.

"God, believe me, the idea is very tempting." He glanced out the window like he needed to collect himself before he looked back at me. "But I don't want it to happen like this."

I leaned back slightly, frowning. "Why not?"

His expression shifted—serious, soft. "Because I actually give a damn about you. And this... this isn't the kind of first time I want with you. In a car. Outside a bar. Half-drunk and rushed."

Something in me melted.

He wasn't pulling away because he didn't want me.

He was pulling away because he cared.

I smiled, heart pounding in a completely different way now, and leaned in to kiss him softly.

"You're right," I whispered against his lips. "I agree with you."

He sighed like he'd been holding that hope in the whole time.

"Oh, thank God. I was starting to worry I sounded like one of those overly sensitive, emotionally aware dudes from movies."

I laughed. "You kinda do. But it's working for you."

"Good to know," he grinned.

I slipped off his lap and climbed into the passenger seat, pulling my shirt back over my head. He watched me with a look that was still full of want, but now layered with restraint.

"You wanna crash at mine?" he asked, adjusting his seat. "It's just a few minutes away."

I nodded, fastening my seatbelt. "Yeah. Let's go."

As he pulled out of the parking lot, I stared at the side of his face, watching the way his jaw flexed as he focused on the road. My chest felt full in the best kind of way—like I'd finally chosen right. Adrien wasn't just the reckless, broody guy I thought he was. He was better than that.

Becoming better. For me.

I let my head fall back against the window, my eyes fluttering shut, and for the first time in a long time, I felt peace settle into my bones.

And before the drive was even over, I was already asleep. Smiling.