Garrett's hand landed on your shoulder—heavy, familiar, quick.

You stood in the doorway. Solo. The music wrapped around you, and the low hum of overlapping conversations filled the space like static.

You reached for your phone. Allie would answer. She always did.

But then—a shift. A pause in the current of the room.

Not loud. Not noticeable to anyone else. But you felt it. Like the air had quietly rearranged itself around you.

You looked up.

Leaning against the wall near the staircase was a guy you'd never seen before. Dark hair, sharp cheekbones, a smirk that looked like it had been practiced in a mirror and perfected anyway. He wasn't looking at anyone else. His eyes were on you.

He didn't move. Not yet. Just watched you with those dark eyes, taking you in slowly. Deliberately. Not in a rush. Not like he was checking you out. Like he was reading something between the lines.