Alex’s POV
The club was loud, the bass vibrating through the floor beneath my boots. Colored lights strobed over the dance floor, casting shadows across the crowd, but I wasn’t here for the music or the drinks. Truth was, I didn’t even know why I came out tonight. Maybe I was bored. Maybe I was tired of watching Roman and Ariana wrapped up in their perfect little world while I played the role of supportive best friend on the sidelines.
I leaned against the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey, when I spotted her.
Maddie.
She was sitting alone in a booth tucked away in the corner, a half-empty glass in front of her. She looked different—messy hair, smudged mascara, her usual sharpness dulled by alcohol. But there was something about the slump of her shoulders, the way her eyes kept flicking
