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***
It is almost 9 p.m. when I slip on a pair of ankle boots to pair with the black skater dress I picked out. Rylee wanted me to wear something fancier, but I pointed out that we don’t know the vibe of this club, so it’s better to play it safe with a more casual outfit to avoid standing out. There is nothing worse than walking into a new establishment you’ve never been to and having all eyes on you. It makes me uncomfortable, so it’s always safer to dress casually than to stand out in the crowd.
I turn to Rylee who is sitting on her bed scrolling through her phone, already dressed and ready to leave in a bright orange romper and black high heels. She looks stunning, as usual.
“I’m ready,” I announce, slipping my phone into the small side bag I bring with me on nights out. “Are Jaycee and Candie ready, too?”
“They’re already downstairs waiting for us,” Rylee says as she stands, slipping her phone into her pocket. “Oh, they said Miles is here to see you. Something about him having already texted you earlier today to say he was dropping by.”
I facepalm myself and shake my head. With everything that had happened today, I forgot that he had texted me to say he would be stopping by to check in on me, something he likes to do every week when he gets the chance.
“Right, I forgot about that,” I murmur as I leave the bedroom with Rylee hot on my heels.
As we make our way down the staircase, I spot Jaycee and Candie standing by the front door with Miles. He’s smiling as the two women talk over the top of each other, clearly excited to see him.
Miles is a familiar face in the sorority house. When I got accepted to live here after all the other accommodations had been filled, Miles and my Aunt Jas—who took us in after our parents’ death—helped me move in. He made a point to get to know all the girls who lived in the house. Something about wanting to make sure I don’t live with any weird people. Because of this, and the fact that he’s on the school soccer team, whenever he drops by, he’s flocked by a swarm of women who want to talk to him. I find it amusing because he always looks overwhelmed, his eyes begging me to help him, but I know he loves the attention all the same.
When I reach the bottom of the staircase, Miles’s eyes lock with mine, emerald with blue flecks, and his brown hair a mess around his ears. It’s like looking in the mirror. He’s wearing his training jersey that is covered in grass stains. He smiles, ignoring what Candie is saying as he watches me walk toward them.
Candie stops speaking when I join the small circle they had formed around Miles, her cheeks turning a soft pink as she stares at the floor. I know she has the biggest crush on my brother. It’s so obvious how shy she gets around him. He hasn’t noticed—at least, I think he hasn’t—but I think it’s very sweet.
“Thank you for keeping my brother company,” I say to the girls with a smile. “I’ll only be a moment. I’ll join you in the taxi in a bit.”
The three girls head out the front door, but not before waving goodbye to Miles, to which he happily returns. When it’s just the two of us, I raise a brow at him. “You don’t need to check in on me so much. You know I’m more than capable of looking after myself.”
“I know,” he says with a nod, but I know he doesn’t believe what he just said. “Anyway, where are you going tonight? The outfit paired with the ice blonde section in your hair is giving Y2K.”
“Hey, I think it pairs well together.” I roll my eyes playfully. Two-toned hair is the trend right now, so I don’t regret dying a section at the front blonde. “But the girls and I are going out for some drinks downtown.” I won’t mention the name of the bar because I do not doubt that Miles would find a way to keep a close eye on me, whether it be by going to the club himself or finding out if someone he knows is there and asking them to keep tabs on me. I wouldn’t put it past him. Either way, it’s not something I want to deal with.
Miles lowers his eyes at me, shifting slightly on the spot. “Be careful, Evie. Make sure you keep a watchful eye on your surroundings. There are a lot of weird people in Pullman.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “You’re so dramatic, Miles. I’ll be fine, I promise. I don’t think I’ll need to worry about ending up on a true crime podcast when I know I can call you for help if I need it.”
Miles nods but doesn’t say anything as he stares at me. My brother has always been intense, but lately, he seems… on edge when it comes to my safety. I just thought it was trauma from what happened to our parents, but now I’m starting to think it’s more than that.
But I don’t have any reason to believe it is anything other than him just being overprotective.
“There have been a few murders around the city, so please just be careful, Ev,” he finally says, a lingering double meaning to his words that I can’t quite understand. I’m not even going to try. Miles has always been one to talk in riddles at times.
“Of course,” I agree, eyeing him carefully, trying to see beyond the wall he has put up between us.
“Okay, you’ve checked in with me and see that I’m alive, so can I go now, Mr. Intense? I’m sorry I can’t stay to talk longer.”
That brings a smile to his face, washing away the intense gaze his eyes held moments ago.
“Yes, you can go. But make sure to call me if you need anything, okay?”
I chuckle and lean in to hug him goodbye. “Yes, I will.”
As I’m walking out the front door, one of my housemates, Amara, walks past the foyer with a cup of instant noodles in her hand, the steam blowing across her smooth skin. Her pale blue eyes are intense as they stare me down, offering a dirty look as she passes by and heads upstairs, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.
I don’t know what it is about Amara, but I simply do not like her. She gives me a weird vibe. Apparently, the feeling is mutual.
When I join the girls in the waiting taxi in the driveway, the driver turns up the loud pop music at Jaycee’s request, and we all wave goodbye to Miles as he gets into his car. The drive to Black Rose is short, but that could be because I was distracted by Jaycee passing around her flask filled with Tequilla, offering everyone shots. I was not about to say no to a cheeky shot before going to the bar.
The driver drops us off at the front of the building, and I’m surprised to see that the line of people waiting to get in is wrapped around the building. Candie wasn’t kidding when she said that this place is building its way up to be the hottest bar in downtown Pullman.
Thankfully, Jaycee’s source for getting us on the invited list works and we’re able to bypass the line of unhappy people waiting in the humid summer air. Rylee holds my hand as we enter the dark venue, the only source of light being the strobe lights from above the DJ deck that is set up in the right corner of the room and the display wall of alcohol bottles behind the bar. The décor certainly fits the name of the venue. The bar top is sleek black wood, red tablecloths cover the black tables scattered around the room, and the walls are red brick, giving the room a gothic feel to it. My shoes stick to the black linoleum floor as we push past large groups of people. I don’t even want to know what I’m stepping in right now.
