Paddy leaned back on his couch, phone in hand, staring at the message he'd just typed out to Y/N. They'd been officially dating for a week now, and everything felt...perfect. But a small part of him wondered if it was too good to be true.
"Hey, when can I see you again? Maybe this weekend?" he typed. He hesitated for a moment before hitting send, hoping she'd respond quickly.
Y/N was at her desk, typing up a report when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and smiled when she saw Paddy's name.
Before she could reply, her coworker Jake strolled over, leaning casually against her desk. "Hey, Y/N," he said with his trademark grin. He had brown curly hair and brown eyes, however, he was well-built and tall. "A bunch of us are hitting up that new club downtown on Friday night. You in?"
Y/N paused, caught off guard. Jake was charming and fun, but since she'd starting sating Paddy, she hadn't thought much about hanging out with other guys. Still, this sounded like a casual group thing, nothing serious.
"Sure," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "Why not? Sounds fun."
Jake's grin widened. "Great. I'll see you there."
Y/N's phone buzzed again, pulling her attention back. She picked it up and saw Paddy's message:
"Hey, when can I see you again? Maybe this weekend?"
She smiled and quickly typed a reply. "Friday night's busy, but how about Saturday? I'd love to see you."
Paddy read her response, his brow furrowing slightly. Friday night's busy? She hadn't mentioned any plans before. He debated asking what she was up to but decided against it. He didn't want to come across as insecure.
"Saturday sounds great. I'll plan something special," he wrote back, his heart feeling a bit heavier than before.
Friday,
Y/N and her best friend Jess laughed as they finally found a parking spot near the crowded downtown club. The neon lights reflected off the rain-slicked streets, and the pulsing bass from inside the club was already setting the mood.
"This is going to be fun," Jess said, looping her arm through Y/N's as they walked toward the entrance.
"Yeah," Y/N replied, glancing at her phone. She had just sent Paddy a quick text: "Made it to the club!"
Paddy responded almost instantly. "Be safe. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"
Y/N smiled at his message as they stepped inside. The music was deafening, and the dance floor was packed. She stuck close to Jess but kept her phone in hand, texting Paddy throughout the night.
"This place is wild!"
"Jess is dragging me to the dance floor, lol"
"Miss you."
Paddy's replies were steady and reassuring. "Miss you too. Don't drink too much, alright?"
But as the night went on, Y/N didn't heed that advice. After a few rounds of drinks, she was feeling lightheaded and giggly. Jake had joined their group, and while Jess was off chatting with someone else, Jake stayed close to Y/N.
"You look amazing tonight," Jake said, his voice smooth as he handed her another drink.
"Thanks, Jake," Y/N said, her words slightly slurred. She sipped the drink, not noticing how Jake's hand lingered on her arm.
As the night wore on, Y/N's texts to Paddy became more sporadic and incoherent. Paddy, growing uneasy, finally called her when she stopped replying to his texts. But she didn't answer his call, or when he called her two more times.
