Complacent [Duplicity Niall]

The night air hit me like a slap, the humidity doing nothing to cool the heat still crawling up my skin. My hands shook as I pulled my shorts on, feet moving on autopilot away from the bar. Away from Luke. Away from everything.

The penthouse. I just needed to get back there, grab my stuff, and get the hell out.

My phone. My keys. My wallet. The backpack with some of my clothes.

I didn’t belong here. I didn’t even know why I came in the first place.

The streets blurred together as I walked, the alcohol dulling the edges of my panic but not enough to erase it. Every few steps, I caught myself glancing over my shoulder, my pulse still too fast, my breath uneven. I hated this. I hated him. I hated myself for letting it happen.

The building loomed ahead, all glass and steel, towering over the street like it was untouchable. The lobby was empty except for the guy at the front desk, who barely glanced up as I stepped inside.

The elevator ride was slow. Too slow.

When the doors finally opened, the penthouse was quiet. No one was here. Good.

I stepped inside, my bare feet making no sound against the floor as I crossed into the living room. My bag was right where I left it, slumped against the couch. My phone was on the coffee table, dead. I grabbed it, then started shoving the rest of my things into my bag.

I should have moved faster.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

I froze.

I hear Niall and Liams voices, talking about getting "fucked up." Shit.

Obviously the only logical option is to throw myself off the balcony.

"Madi!" Niall says, like a kid seeing candy and asking his mom to buy it.

Liam echoed his call of my name, and I throw my bag down next to the couch, as if I wasn't just packing all my belongings.

"Oh, hey, I was wondering where you guys went," I say, kicking my bag down, sitting down on the couch, very casually.

"We're gonna drink. You joining us?" Liam asks, and Niall snorts.

"Of course she is," He shakes his head, grabbing red solo cups.

His gaze flicked to my bag, still sitting beside the couch where I’d just dropped it. I nudged it with my foot, hoping he wouldn’t ask questions.

I forced a smirk, "Yeah, duh."

Niall laughed, dropping an arm around my shoulders, his breath warm against my cheek, as he shoves a cup at me.

I hesitated, but Niall tugged me toward the kitchen, his fingers curling around my wrist. “C’mon, just one drink,” he coaxed, his voice dropping an octave. “You’re not gonna make me beg, are you?”

I arched a brow, ignoring the way my pulse spiked at the way he said it. “That depends. How good are you at begging?”

Liam groaned from the couch. “Jesus. Just take the damn shot before he starts getting on his knees.”

Niall smirked, blue eyes locked on mine as he grabbed a lime wedge from the counter and handed it to me. “I don’t beg, love. I get what I want.”

Cocky bastard.

But instead of calling him out, I plucked the lime from his fingers, making sure to brush against his skin just to see if he’d react. He did. His eyes darkened just a little, enough to send a thrill through me.