The bass shook the floor, lights flashing violet and blue across the dance floor. Aurora had been doing her best all night to ignore him. The table was big enough, crowded enough, that she could sip her drink, lean into her girlfriends’ laughter, and pretend she didn’t feel his eyes on her every few minutes.

But when she slipped into the crowd to dance, finally letting the music carry her away, she didn’t expect him. Strong hands slid around her waist, pulling her back against a solid chest. Her stomach dropped instantly—she knew that touch. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. She froze only for a second before slipping out of his hold, weaving her way out of the crowd without a word.

Héctor stood there as she disappeared, his smirk faltering for the first time that night. Back at the table, Aurora poured herself another drink, crossing her legs and forcing herself into the conversation around her. She even laughed at a joke, though her pulse was still racing from his closeness. She could feel his gaze burning holes into the side of her face.

Twenty minutes later, she felt the seat beside her dip. She didn’t look, but the faint smell of his cologne made her stomach twist. Aurora (flatly, eyes on her glass): “Didn’t get the hint?” Héctor (low, near her ear): “I got it.” His tone was softer now, the arrogance stripped away. “You’re mad at me. I deserve it.” Aurora set her glass down with a soft clink, finally turning her head. He was looking at her, really looking—gone was the cocky grin he wore when they first locked eyes across the room. His usually sleepy, careless gaze had shifted, sharp with something else. Almost pleading. Aurora (coolly): “Mad? Don’t flatter yourself. I just don’t want you near me.” He inhaled slowly, leaning back but never breaking eye contact. Héctor: “You won’t even let me explain?” Aurora (shaking her head): “There’s nothing to explain. You broke up with me, Héctor. That’s all there is.”

His jaw tightened, and for the first time, he looked bothered. His eyes softened into something raw, unguarded. When he spoke, it was immediate, cutting through the noise of the club like it was just the two of them sitting there.

Héctor: “That’s not all there is. If it was, you wouldn’t look at me like that.” The words hung between them, charged, impossible to ignore.