Sapphire leans over and yells in your ear. "Your bodyguard is way too over-protective," she says. "You need to loosen up, have a little fun. Besides, there's someone here who wants to say hi to you."
Jared. He's flanked on either side by two of his douchebag friends, and my heart sinks in my throat as I look at him. He walks straight toward me, but Hendrix steps between us.
"Down, boy," Sapphire says, making a barking sound. I could punch her right now. Hell, I could punch Jared right now.
"Call off your attack dog, Addison," Jared says. "I just want to wish Sapphire a happy birthday."
"Hendrix," I say, my voice tight. Hendrix doesn't move, and I stand up, nudging him to the side. "I can handle this myself," I say, irritated that he thinks of me as some incapable girl he has to protect from absolutely everything in life.
Hendrix leans in close to me, his hand brushing against the side of my waist, and it sends a shiver up my spine. "He doesn't touch you," he says to me, his tone warning. "He lays a finger on you and he's dead."
"You're threatening to kill my exes, Hendrix?" I ask. I can't tell if my words are lost in the thumping of the club music, and I think my friends are staring at us, but I don't care. I'm sitting there feeling badly about how immaturely I've behaved, thinking about apologizing, and then Hendrix goes and says something like that.
"Your bodyguard doesn't know his place, Addison," Jared says. "You might want to put him back in his kennel."
Hendrix spins around and grabs Jared by the arm, pulling him out of the VIP area. Jared's friends are on Hendrix immediately, but he shrugs them off like they're nothing, tossing Jared out into the crowd.
"I'm going to the bathroom," I say, pushing my way past them. "And I don't fucking need an escort."
I weave my way through the bodies of people in the club, my hand over my forehead, shielding my face, and breathe a sigh of relief when I reach the bathroom without anyone recognizing me. Inside, I exhale deeply, leaning against the wall and closing my eyes.
"Oh.My.God. Are you Addison Stone?" The girl looks up from the counter and sniffs loudly. She stumbles up to me, half-drunken, her eyes glassy. "I just love you. You look so hot. Can you take a selfie with me?" She doesn't wait for a response, just leans in close to me and tries to snap a photo, but I duck out of the way.
"Sorry," I say. I can't imagine the clusterfuck that would result from a bathroom selfie with this obviously high party girl, when it got uploaded to social media. I just want to get the hell out of here.
When the bathroom door opens, I'm relieved. But only momentarily, since it's Jared. "Addison," he says. "Someone said that's your brother. Is that your fucking brother out there? He's an asshole."
I roll my eyes. Not this right now. "The ladies room, Jared? Oh, that's right, it's your favorite place to get some. Not from me, though, thanks anyway."
"Of course not," he says, glancing at the cokehead who's watching us with interest. "Missionary style, boring as fuck Addison, getting it on in a bathroom?"
"Fuck you, Jared," I say, stepping around him, but he grabs my wrist, and I jerk it away.
"I came here to talk to you, Addison."
"I have nothing to say to you."
Jared turns toward the girl who's standing silently by the sinks. "Normally I'd let you suck my cock, sweetheart, but you can get the hell out of here." She stares stupidly at him, and he speaks more loudly. "Get lost."
"Asshole," she mutters, stumbling drunkenly out of the bathroom.
"I'm not staying either, Jared," I say, but he's in front of me, in my space with his hand still on my wrist, and he walks slowly forward, backing me up toward the wall. My heart catches in my throat.
"Get. Out. Now." Hendrix is opening the door, grabbing Jared by the back of his shirt. He slams him up against the wall.
"Hendrix! Don't! Please!"
Hendrix's face is contorted in anger. "I thought I told you to get the fuck out of this club," he says.
"Get out, Jared," I say. I'm terrified and I want Jared to leave, but not out of any sympathy for him. I'm worried about Hendrix. I'm worried Hendrix will do something that will get him in trouble, and that will be it.
"Nice bodyguard you have here, Addison," he says, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "We were just having a little chat about how she likes getting it on in public restrooms."
Hendrix punches him across the jaw, the blow sudden and fierce, and Jared slides down the wall onto the floor with his head down.
"Hendrix!" I yell. "Did you just kill him? Please tell me you didn't just kill him. We need to check his pulse or something." But Hendrix has his hand on my arm, and he takes me, wordlessly guiding me out the door of the bathroom.