Daniel’s POV.
The music still pulsed from the house, but my focus was elsewhere now. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the window. The dim light of the party flickered, casting long shadows across the lawn, but it was Aria inside that held my attention. I’d been gone less than ten minutes, but already I could feel the tension starting to build in my chest again.
What the hell was she doing?
She was back on the dance floor, laughing, caught up in the crowd. Jason was with her again, his hands lingering too close to places they shouldn’t be. My stomach twisted as I watched him pull her in closer, his grip firm on her waist, pulling her against him in a way that had no business being casual.
I saw her look over her shoulder, as if she could feel my eyes on her. Her gaze met mine, and for a moment, the rest of the world disappeared. There was something in the way she looked at me-challenging, daring me to make my move. I wanted to yell at her, to drag her out of there and never let her come near people like this again, but I couldn’t. I didn’t.
She turned away, flashing a grin back at Jason. It felt like a knife through my chest.
Then, a movement caught my eye. Jason. He was acting weird now, too casual, too slick. I frowned, narrowing my gaze as I watched him take a drink from a nearby table and slip something into her cup.
I wasn’t imagining it. The way his fingers hovered over the rim of her drink. The slight shift in his posture as he dropped whatever it was in.
My heart slammed in my chest.
I wanted to run. Wanted to storm back into the house and confront him right then, but I stayed put. My eyes locked on Aria as she took the cup from his hand, smiling in a way that didn’t feel quite right. The music seemed to throb in my skull as I waited for her to drink, that sick feeling growing with every passing second.
She lifted the cup to her lips, and for a split second, I felt like I was watching everything in slow motion.
Then, she drank.
The panic hit me like a wave.
She was going to get sick. She was going to-God, no. No, no, no.
I started to move before I even thought about it. My feet moved faster than my mind. She didn’t notice me at first, her head turning slightly as she danced, but I could see her stagger, just for a second, her steps unsteady as the drug took hold.
Shit.
The room around her started to spin. The music, the people-they blurred. Her face flushed, her eyes slightly glazed as she reached for the edge of the table to steady herself. It wasn’t subtle. Aria had always been sharp, always aware of her surroundings. She didn’t fall apart like this.
I was already halfway across the room before I realized it. I had to get to her. I had to get her out of here.
She didn’t see me. Not yet.
But Jason did. And when I saw him lean toward her, I knew. I knew exactly what he was planning. He was going to take advantage of her.
He moved in close, his hands sliding down her arms to steady her as she swayed, too disoriented to fight him off. And before I could even get any closer, he was leading her away, pulling her toward the back hallway. Toward a bedroom.
The fury in me boiled over.
I pushed through the crowd, not caring who saw me, who got in my way. Jason had his hand on the door handle, pulling her into the room, and I could see her, her steps slow, her vision too blurred to know what was happening. The door clicked shut behind them.
I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate.
I shoved the door open with one solid punch, splintering the wood as it slammed into the wall.
Jason turned, his face paling as he saw me.
“Get the hell off her!” I snarled, my voice low, deadly.
Aria was slumped against the bed, her eyes half-closed, her body limp.
Jason started to raise his hands, his lips curling into a sneer. “What the hell, man? She’s fine-”
I didn’t let him finish. I launched myself at him, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him back. His head hit the wall with a sickening crack.
“Don’t ever touch her again,” I growled, pressing my fist into his chest, feeling his breath catch.
I turned back to Aria, her face pale, her lips trembling slightly. I didn’t know what Jason had given her, but it was already taking its toll. She could barely stand on her own.
I scooped her up in my arms, my heart racing as I felt the weight of her body against me, limp and unresponsive.
Jason scrambled to his feet, cursing under his breath, but I didn’t give a damn.
I walked out of the room, past the confused faces of people who had been too drunk to notice what was happening. The music still blasted from the speakers, a blur of noise, but all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.
I didn’t stop. Not even when someone tried to stop me at the door. I shoved past them, the cold night air slapping my face as I made my way to my car.
I laid Aria gently across the seat, buckling her in quickly, my hands shaking as I checked her pulse. She was breathing. Just barely.
“Please,” I whispered under my breath. “Please, stay with me.”
And then, I slammed the door shut and sped off into the night.