“Maybe. Is it?”
Her grin ticked to one side, eyes averted as she shuffled off my lap, leaving only her calves connecting with mine as she painted herself into the corner near the door. “That would be too easy, wouldn’t it?”
She arched her eyebrows once before sliding the door open and rising to her feet in one move. I followed her up, determined not to let her out of my sight. Not yet.
“Not gonna tell me what landed you in that closet? Was is when that freshman requested OneDirection? That would have thrown me over the edge too.”
I caught her smile in profile, hair a veil of gold as I followed her through the crowd, careful to avoid the DJ station entirely by slipping through the kitchen and out the back door.
“So you’ve been here before.” I uttered when she made a hard right and slipped out of an unlocked gate nestled between the aging brownstones. Brooklyn College had bought everything on this block up a few years ago and given the buildings a facelift for student housing, this block was jock row now. I’d been reminded of that the second I walked in and saw half of the rugby team doing keg stands.
“Where haven’t I been in this town? I’ve been around the block quite a few turns at this point.”
“Does DJing take you into the city too?”
“I am the city,” she only shrugged, continuing to walk through the darkness.
“Never thought I’d see an entire city fit into one tiny coat closet.”
That caused her footsteps to stumble.
She finally turned, making eye contact for the first time since we’d left that coat closet. “What’s your name?”
“Cruz.” I replied, wanting to leave her with something, if only my name.
“Cruz,” her face softened a minute, brown irises sparkling in the light of a street lamp. “Ever feel like you’re so of something that there’s no escaping it? Even when it’s meant to be happy, something about it is just so…suffocating?”
I stood speechless, hung suspended by her words.
She turned, soft strides leading her away from me again, as if she’d never even needed my reply at all.
“Next you’re going to tell me escaping into the inside of a closet is the only answer.” I double-stepped to keep up with her, taking a hard left and coming up on Prospect Park. “I happen to believe that every person is exactly where they’re meant to be in life, there’s a reason you are where you are. If you’re unhappy…maybe you haven’t done everything you're here to do yet.”
I caught her casting a wary gaze, picking up her pace.
“All these players in a game no one asked to be a part of, bouncing on and off the stage, reckless and confused. None of it matters, do you think they know that? None of them matter.” She ranted softly, waves of emotion consuming the air around us.
I wondered if this was what it was like when everyone met her, like she’d cast a spell, hypnotizing with her rebel charm school vibe.
“You think there’s anything else out there, Cruzy-Boy?” Her words drew me back to the present. I could hardly keep up with her shifting stream of consciousness—I couldn't predict what was coming next.
“Maybe.”
“Reality.” Sadness shaded her angelic voice.
“Bites?” I was the only one laughing at my bad 90s joke.
“I hate going to those parties alone, paycheck or not.” Her lips pursed when she turned to look at me. “I'm really glad you found me.”
“Why go then?”
She sucked in a heavy breath, as if she carried the burdens of the world on her petite shoulders. “What else would I do?”
There were a thousand things a girl could get up to on a Friday night in this city. Working frat houses alone didn’t sound like the best one.
“You wanna get out of here? I know a better place I promise you haven’t seen before.” I pushed a lock of her corn silk hair from her temple.
She smiled. “Surprise me, I dare you.”
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REBEL PRIEST PLAYLIST
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
entertainer - zayn
introit: deus israel - bonaventure choir
mi gente - j balvin & willy william
scared to be lonely - garrix & halsey
the night we met - lord huron
delicate - taylor swift
him & i - g-eazy & halsey
me enamore de ti - david bisbal
por lo que reste de vida - thalia
kyrie: mass in g, casali - bonaventure choir
trouble - ray lamontagne
cubana - roman street
da la vuelta - marc anthony
sister - haux
flight of the stars - zayn
yo tambien - marc anthony
forget her - girl in red
ruin my life - zara larsson
fresh air - zayn
heartbeat - haux
unfold - alina baraz & galimatias
por tu amor - descener bueno & omar hernandez
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Adriane Leigh is a USA Today and Amazon Top 20 best-selling author of more than forty-five independent contemporary and new adult romance titles. She was born with a book in her hand and won her first Young Authors Award before the age of ten. She earned a literature degree, founded, hosted, and organized international book conventions, and lives with her husband and daughters on Lake Michigan. She enjoys good wine, bad reality TV, walks in the woods, and travel to dreamy destinations.
"Adriane Leigh delivered a beautiful slow burn second chance romance that truly made us feel with twists that made our hearts plummet and soar." - TotallyBooked Blog
"With prose that is beautiful and confident, affecting without being maudlin-Whiskey Girl squeezed my heart while continuously bringing tears of joy to my eyes, and I had to take a very long, deep breath in the end to fully absorb all the emotions it left in me. I was totally captivated from the first page and it left me in absolute awe of this author's talent-every moment between these characters leapt from the page with profound emotion. This was undoubtedly one of the most moving books I've read in a long time." - Natasha is a Book Junkie
"Sizzling chemistry, a glamorous world, plot twists...a perfect combination held together with Adriane Leigh's addictive writing. I dove into this world, and didn't want to come up for air. I can't wait for more!" - Alessandra Torre, Hollywood Dirt
MORE FROM ADRIANE LEIGH
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SWEET ALIBI
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or check out my novellas
under the pen name
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Leigh, Adriane, REBEL PRIEST
REBEL PRIEST Page 22