Rylan POV
[ I was sitting in the living room, staring at the TV, though I wasn't really watching it.]
[ The house was unusually silent tonight. Too silent.]
( The maid moved quietly around, doing her work. Dad, Aira's mom, and Noah had gone out for dinner. And Aira… she was at a party.)
A fresher's type party.
( I leaned deeper into the couch, a stupid movie playing in front of me, but my mind was nowhere near the screen. I didn't even know why I had turned the TV on. Maybe just to fill the emptiness.)
- I was missing her.
- I hadn't expected it to feel this heavy.
(Earlier, at the dining table, when she had casually said, "You can drop me at Ava's house if you want," something inside my chest had bloomed. I felt light. Happy. Overjoyed.)
[ It was such a small thing—but it meant everything to me.]
- And now… I was here.
- Thinking about what she was doing.
- Who she was with.
- If some guy was standing too close to her.
- Jealousy twisted painfully in my chest.
( I should've been there. But what could I do? It was a fresher's party. I wasn't invited. I didn't belong there.)
( I sighed and slumped further into the couch, staring blankly at the TV like an idiot.)
- Then my phone rang.
- I frowned and reached for it from the table.
{ Lewis.}
I sighed before even answering.
"What do you want now, Lewis?" I muttered.
[ Loud music blasted through the phone. Voices. Laughter. Chaos.]
"R-Rylan," he said loudly, almost shouting over the music, "where is Aira?"
[ I sat up straight instantly.]
My heart skipped.
"What?" I asked sharply. "Why are you asking about Aira?"
"Just tell me," he said, sounding serious now. "Is she at a party tonight?"
[ My jaw clenched.]
"Yes. She's at a party with her friends. Why? And what are you doing at a fresher's party?"
He sighed, then chuckled. "Dude, fresher's party means new girls. And where there are new girls, I'm obviously there."
[ I ran a frustrated hand through my hair.]
"I don't care about you," I snapped. "You said you saw Aira. So what?"
[ There was a pause.]
"Rylan…" he said slowly, "I think she's drunk."
[ My heart dropped.]
"What?" I shouted, standing up from the couch. "What are you saying? What do you mean she's drunk?"
"I'm serious," Lewis replied. "She can barely stand straight. And her friends—something feels off here."
[ My blood started boiling.]
"Where is she?" I demanded.
"I'll send you the location," he said quickly.
( I didn't reply. I ended the call,I grabbed my car keys,my jacket and slammed the door behind me harder than I meant to.)
( The night air felt cold against my skin, but my chest burned. My hands were already shaking as I unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. The door shut with a heavy thud, trapping me inside my own thoughts.)
- Aira.
- Drunk.
- At a party.
[ I clenched my jaw and started the engine.]
( The dashboard lights flickered on as I pulled out my phone and opened the location Lewis had sent. My fingers hovered for half a second before tapping it.)
- Start route.
- The map loaded.
- Too far.
[ I cursed under my breath and pressed the accelerator harder than necessary.]
( The city lights blurred past as I drove, my mind racing faster than the car. Every red light felt personal. Every second felt stolen.)
- Why did I let her go alone?
- Why didn't I insist on dropping her?
- Why didn't I just go with her?
[ My grip tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.]
( Cars moved painfully slow ahead of me. A long line of traffic stretched endlessly, taillights glowing red like they were mocking me.)
"Move," I muttered, frustration dripping from my voice.
[ The signal turned green—and still nothing moved.]
[ I hit the steering wheel once, hard.]
( Images flooded my mind without permission. Aira laughing. Aira swaying. Someone's hands too close to her. Someone touching her when she wasn't fully aware.)
[ My chest tightened painfully.]
I forced myself to breathe.
- In.
- Out.
( The music from a passing car thumped loudly, reminding me exactly where she was headed—noise, alcohol, strangers.
Another red light.)
( I leaned back in my seat and dragged a hand down my face, exhaustion and anger mixing together. I checked the phone again. The location pin blinked steadily.)
- Still there.
- Still too far.
( The car finally started moving, and I pushed forward, switching lanes whenever I could. Horns blared. Someone shouted something I ignored.)
[ All I could think about was getting there.
Minutes felt like hours.]
[ Then—finally—the traffic loosened.]
( The road opened up, and I sped up, my heart pounding with every second that passed. Neon lights began appearing in the distance. Loud music echoed faintly even through closed windows.)
[ The party venue.]
( I slowed down as I approached, scanning the crowded entrance. Groups of students stood outside, laughing, drinking, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.)
[ I pulled into the parking area and shut off the engine.]
- For a moment, I just sat there.
- Hands still gripping the wheel.
- Heart racing.
- Mind screaming.
[ Then I opened the door and stepped out.]
[ The bass from inside the house hit me instantly.]
- And I knew—
- Once I walked in, there was no turning back.
[ The moment I stepped inside, the noise swallowed me whole.]
( Music thumped through the walls, heavy bass vibrating straight into my chest. The air was thick with alcohol and perfume, lights flashing in chaotic colors. People danced, laughed, shouted—completely lost in the moment.)
{ I wasn't.}
[ My eyes scanned the crowd immediately—fast, sharp, desperate.]
- And then I saw her.
Aira.
( She was sitting on a couch, laughing with her friends. For a split second, my chest softened at the sight of her smile—free, careless, beautiful.)
- Then Luka stepped closer.
- He bent down, slipped his hand around her waist—
- And everything inside me snapped.
- The music disappeared.
- The crowd vanished.
- All I could see was his hand on her.
- I moved before I could think.
( In seconds, I was there. I shoved Luka's hand away, pulled Aira toward me, and gathered her into my arms. Her head pressed against my chest instinctively, like she belonged there.)
[ My voice came out low. Dangerous.]
"How dare you touch her."
Luka's eyes widened. "What the hell—"
[ I cut him off with a glare sharp enough to slice.]
[ He straightened, jaw tight, eyes locking onto mine.]
"Listen, Rylan," he said, forcing calm. "I was just helping her—"
"Helping?" I interrupted coldly. "She's not even in her senses, and you think touching her is helping?"
[ I stepped closer, holding Aira tighter.]
"If you really wanted to help, you'd have called her family. Someone she trusts."
[ Luka stared at me for a moment, then ran a hand through his hair in frustration.]
"You think I'm like that?" he snapped.
"Look at yourself, Rylan. I'm not the one who goes around with girls. And I don't even have her relatives' numbers saved."
[His eyes burned into mine.]
"So don't judge me before judging yourself."
[ The words hit—but I didn't loosen my grip.
Not even for a second.]
- Because whatever he said, one thing was clear—
- Aira was drunk.
- And she was safest right here.
[ I let out a slow, humorless breath.]
[ Then I looked at him—really looked at him.]
"You're right," I said quietly.
[ Luka frowned, clearly not expecting that.]
"I do judge myself," I continued, my voice calm but deadly. "Every single day. For the mistakes I made. For the time I wasted. For the way I failed her when she needed me most."
My arm tightened around Aira—- -Possessive.
- Protective.
"But here's the difference between you and me," I added, leaning in just enough for only him to hear.
"I don't touch what I can't protect."
[ The color drained from his face.]
[ I straightened, my eyes cold, final.]
"And right now," I finished, "the only reason you're still standing here is because she doesn't need to see me become someone worse."
[ Silence slammed down between us.]
- A line like that didn't need shouting.
- It ended things.
-I held her closer and looked straight at him again.
"You like her," I said flatly. "Everyone knows that. You watch her, laugh with her—play the safe guy.".
[ My jaw tightened.]
"But you don't touch her like a lover."
( Luka's lips parted, anger flashing in his eyes, but I didn't stop.)
"Look at her right now," I continued coldly. "See whose arms she's in. See where she feels safe."
[ I glanced down at Aira, then back at him.]
"And she's mine."
Luka took a sharp step forward, fists clenching. "You don't get to—"
"Okay. That's enough."
( Lewis stepped between us instantly, one hand raised, his voice firm. He shot Luka a warning look that said don't push this further.)
[ Before another word could be spoken, Aira shifted in my arms.]
( Her fingers curled into my shirt, gripping the fabric like an anchor. She tilted her head slightly, eyes hazy but warm, a soft smile touching her lips.)
"Rylan…" she murmured.
[ That single word did more damage than any punch ever could.]
( I felt it—the way Luka's expression cracked, just slightly. The hurt he tried to hide as his gaze flickered to Aira… then away.)
[ I brushed a strand of hair back from her face, my voice softening only for her.]
"We're going home, Aira. Okay? Just rest."
- She nodded slowly.
- Trusting. Completely.
[ I adjusted my hold and scooped her fully into my arms.]
[ Before turning away, I gave Luka one last look—cold, final, unmistakable.]
- Then I walked out.
( People stared. Whispers followed. The music kept playing behind us.)
- I didn't care.
[ Because the only thing that mattered was the girl in my arms.]
- And I wasn't letting go.
( I pushed through the door, the night air hitting my face as I carried Aira toward my car. Her head rested against my chest, her breathing slow, uneven.)
[ Footsteps followed me.]
"Yo, Rylan."
- I didn't stop.
[ Lewis jogged up beside me, frustration clear in his voice.]
"What the hell was that back there, man?"
( I opened the car door carefully and eased Aira into the passenger seat, making sure she was comfortable before straightening.)
Lewis crossed his arms. "You didn't have to go at Luka like that."
[ I shut the door a little harder than necessary.]
"He touched her," I said flatly.
Lewis ran a hand through his hair. "He was helping her, bro. If I hadn't been there—"
[ I turned on him, my eyes sharp.]
"If you hadn't been there, I still would've walked out with her."
Lewis exhaled slowly. "That's not what I meant."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"What if he lost his temper? What if it turned ugly? You had her in your arms, Rylan. One wrong move and she could've gotten hurt."
[ I looked back at the car—at Aira, peaceful, unaware.]
"That's exactly why I ended it fast," I said quietly.
[ Lewis studied me for a second, then scoffed.]
"You're impossible, you know that?"
- I didn't respond.
[ He shook his head, softer now.]
"You're lucky it was me who stepped in. Luka's not stupid, but pride makes people do dumb things."
[ I opened the driver's door and paused.]
"She's not a situation," I said without looking at him. "She's not a risk. She's not a lesson."
- I met his eyes.
"She's mine to protect."
[ Lewis sighed, defeated.]
"Yeah… I figured you'd say that."
- I got into the car, started the engine.
As I pulled away, Lewis called after me, half-serious, half-warning— "Just don't make me break up your fights every time, okay? I'm not your personal referee."
- I didn't smile.
- But for the first time that night, my chest felt steady.
- Because she was safe.
And as long as she was with me, nothing else mattered.