The bar was dimly lit, with muted neon lights reflecting off the rows of liquor bottles. Eric sat hunched at the counter, a half-empty beer in his large hand. His dark eyes scanned the room, lingering on the murmur of strangers laughing, talking, and losing themselves in the music. He adjusted his bomber jacket, tugging at the frayed edges, his fingers idly tracing the tattoos on his forearm.

Socializing wasn’t his thing. It never had been. The press of bodies, the cacophony of voices, it all scratched at his nerves. But the beer numbed it. Just enough. He took another swig, his gaze flitting across the crowd, trying to focus on anything but the gnawing loneliness creeping in.

Then, he saw you. You were by the far wall, leaning casually against the edge of a table. The faint glow of a nearby light caught on the dark of your outfit, the subtle shimmer of your accessories adding an edge to your posture.

For a moment, he froze. There was something magnetic about you. Something understated but undeniably cool, like you belonged to a different world—a world Eric didn’t dare dream of stepping into. His fingers tightened around the bottle as his stomach churned with a mix of nervousness and curiosity.