"Damn! What the hell have I gotten myself into? What stupid decisions led me to get into a vehicle with three guys?"
Eight hours earlier...
Mira's life had slipped into a dull haze, each day blending into the next with an unsettling sameness. She craved a fracture in the routine a glimpse into a world she didn't understand. On a restless impulse, she opened a dating app, hoping the unknown might finally reach out to her.
She filled in her details carefully, uploaded her photos,one in a green gown with her curls loose, another laughing with a soft filter, and one selfie with just enough makeup to look effortless then she started swiping through profiles.
Then the swiping began.
Left.
Left.
Definitely left.
Pause. Right.
Left again.
She barely looked at the profile. Most guys looked the same gym selfies, corny quotes, too many filters, or worse, sunglasses indoors.
Then her phone buzzed.
"Hello, beautiful."
The message sat at the top of the chat window, bold and sudden.
She opened it.
The profile picture was mysterious dim lighting, a half-face shot with a hoodie and a slight smirk. His eyes were dark, intense. It was giving lowkey creepy, but also… something about it felt bold.
She replied
"Hey."
A few seconds passed.
"You've got the kind of smile that could shut people up in a room."
Mira blinked. That was… unexpected. A bit dramatic, but not bad.
"Lol. That's new. What's your name?"she typed.
"Damion"
"Cool. I'm Mira."
"Mira," he replied quickly. "I like that.
"Thank you"
"Can I see a picture of this pretty lady?" Damion asked, his words loaded with a teasing edge that made her pulse skip
Mira smirked, feeling bold, and sent him a few of her sexiest photos curves on full display, lips parted just right, a promise at every glance. She added videos too slow, deliberate movements that made her own skin tingle silent confessions meant for him alone.
"Your turn,"she typed, eyes glinting with mischief.
He sent back one photo low light, shadows swallowing most of his face, but those dark eyes burned with a hunger that made something twist deep in her stomach.
"Not much for pictures," he said. "But I'm all about real, raw moments."
"So what are you looking for here in this app?"
" I'm just bored out of my mind, and just wanna try something new ."
"Hmmmmmm same here"
She smiled a little.
"Let's be bored together then," she typed.
The conversation moved fast after that. Damion was witty, confident, and slightly flirty just enough to hold her attention without feeling like too much. They talked about movies, music, and how it has being raining recently in Los Angeles . He sent voice notes with a deep, calm voice. Mira found herself laughing more than she had in days.
And just like that, the night unraveled.
From then on, our messages spilled into late nights whispered desires, secret fantasies painted in words, dirty jokes that made my cheeks flush. We bared pieces of ourselves no one else had touched.
Curiosity bloomed into craving. Craving into comfort. Laughter and trust that bordered on addiction.
Weeks passed, and the connection only twisted tighter. Best friends? Maybe. Something more? Definitely.
So when he finally said, "Let's meet," it didn't feel sudden it felt inevitable.
*********
His voice was rough when he called. "Where are you?"
My pulse jumped. "Almost there," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "The driver says you should come down."
After ending the call, I texted him quickly:
"The driver said my bill is 20 dollars."
His reply came in seconds.
"Pay it!"
Short. Sharp. Cold.
I blinked, confused.
He was the one who invited me. He had booked the ride. So why was he suddenly asking me to cover it?
Still, I typed: "Ok."
Unsure, but trying not to ruin the mood.
The car slowed in front of a quiet apartment complex tucked between palm trees and an auto shop. I stepped out, adjusting my top and smoothing my jeans, heart racing.
Then I saw him.
He stepped outside, walking casually toward me, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.
He was cute. Like really cute.
Slightly chubby in the most adorable way, long dark hair tied into a messy bun, small round eyes that flickered with mischief. His chest was broad under a white T-shirt that clung to him in all the right places. Grey joggers hung low on his waist, paired with black slide sandals effortless, relaxed. Confident.
And that smirk...
"Are you Mira?"he asked, smiling as he approached.
Butterflies detonated in my stomach.
'Damn, this guy is cute. I'm already falling for him,' I whispered to myself.
"Yes," I said, breath catching. "I'm Mira. You're Damion, right?"
He nodded, and for a moment, we both just stood there two people who had already undressed each other in words, now facing the reality of skin and air and distance finally gone.
And I couldn't shake the feeling 'This was only the beginning, of something thrilling, or something dangerous'.
Maybe both
"Welcome," he said smoothly, his voice lower now that we were face-to-face. "I wanted to see you before I left Los Angeles. I couldn't leave without meeting the woman I've been talking to all this time."
That made my chest flutter.
He explained that he was currently working in San Diego, and had only come to Los Angeles for a short project. Just a few days. He made it sound casual, but his eyes never left mine.
We both walked into his small apartment holding hands.
The apartment was small but clean. Minimalist. One couch, one TV, kitchen sink full of dishes. A faint smell of men's cologne and old pizza. It felt lived in not staged.
He offered me a drink, but I declined.
As we talked about our families.
Damion told me he was one of seven siblings, only two boys including himself. That made me smile I imagined the chaos, the noise, the teasing. He laughed when I asked if he was the favorite.
Then, his expression changed. Softer. More serious.
"Mira," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Once I'm done with this project I swear I'll marry you."
I blinked. Stunned.
We'd only just met. But something in the way he said it not like a joke, not a line made my heart skip.
It felt... dangerous to believe.
But it also felt good.
And that feeling was starting to win.
I laughed nervously, brushing a curl behind my ear.
"You don't even know what I'm like in real life yet."
He tilted his head. "I've been talking to you for weeks. That's real enough."
I didn't know what to say to that.
We talked more, laughed. He teased me about my accent. I teased him about his chipped phone screen and the way he kept adjusting his joggers like he was nervous too.
The time passed easily. Too easily.
Then came the shift.
He stood and stretched, his shirt lifting slightly to reveal soft skin and a small tattoo near his ribs something I couldn't quite make out.
"Let's sit on the bed," he said, offering a hand.
I hesitated.
He noticed. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not gonna do anything you're not comfortable with."
I nodded slowly and followed him in.
We sat on the bed, closer than before, and the air thickened between us. The conversation started to fade, replaced by silence and glances.
Then he said it.
"I've thought about you. A lot."
I looked at him.
"You're not like other girls I've met. You're soft, but sharp. Chill, but bold. And I don't know… I feel like I already trust you."
Something in me softened and tensed at the same time. I didn't know how to handle those kinds of words. The kind that sounded like they were meant for a much deeper version of me one I wasn't sure I'd shown yet.
He leaned closer. His hand brushed my thigh.
"Is this okay?" he asked.
I nodded, but my body tensed.
He kissed me soft at first, then deeper. His hand slid up, tracing the line of my waist. I kissed him back, but somewhere inside, my instincts started whispering.
'Too fast. Too soon.'
He pulled back slightly. "Are you sure?"
I blinked, heart pounding.
"I don't know," I whispered.
He studied me for a moment, then leaned back with a sigh. "Okay. We can chill."
And just like that, the heat cooled. He put on some music slow, vibey and we sat there in silence, side by side, shoulders touching, hearts loud in our own chests.
I didn't know if I trusted him.
But I wanted to.
And that was the problem.
We drifted from small talk to deeper things flirtation, laughter, confessions that felt fragile but intimate, like we were building something invisible between us. Something you couldn't see, but felt.
Four hours slipped by. Just like that.
And then… silence.
He just stared at me.
That look pure heat, hunger pinned me where I sat. My mouth went dry.
I stood up to leave, suddenly aware of how close the walls felt. The room had grown smaller, like it was breathing along with us, tense and tight with everything we weren't saying.
His eyes tracked me. Slow. Sharp. Calculating.
Like he was memorizing every move I made, every tremble in my hands, every breath that gave away my excitement… and fear.
"You're leaving?"His voice was low, rough almost a growl, with something darker coiled beneath it.
"Yes… I should go," I whispered.
My legs were unsteady, but some stubborn spark inside me pushed forward needing to reclaim control, to remind myself I could leave. That this wasn't a dream I had to fall helplessly into.
But the way he was watching me…
It made me wonder if I was already too deep.
Just as I reached for the door, his hand shot out, grabbing mine with sudden force.
Before I could react, his lips crashed onto mine hard, urgent, and full of something that made my breath catch.
The wall hit my back a second later cold and unforgiving while his body pressed close, trapping me.
His breath mingled with mine, hot against my cheek as he lowered his voice, every word vibrating against my skin.
"Mira, seriously? You're leaving already? You just got here."
His hand slipped under my shirt fingers exploring too carelessly, too boldly.
My heart kicked part fear, part something darker, something I didn't want to name.
I caught his hands, gripping them tight. My voice shook, but I met his eyes without blinking.
"Stop. You promised you'd be patient… until I'm ready."
The change in his face was instant.
That smile God, that smile twisted into something dangerous.
Not playful anymore.
Predatory.
And yet… my skin tingled, my breath still shallow.
"Remember this, Mira," he whispered, closing the space between us until all I could breathe was him.
"I don't make promises lightly. I told you I'd wait... but patience has limits. Test me, and you'll regret it."
My heartbeat roared in my ears, loud and panicked, even as he finally pulled back, just enough to let the air in again. The tension hung between us like a spark waiting to catch fire.
"Sorry, Damion, but please… just wait. Not yet." I ducked, sliding out from under his arm, heart racing, needing space, needing out.
"Fine. You can leave. But once you step out that door, I swear, I'll block your number and delete it. Gone.
You'll disappear from my world." His voice was cold, final, like a door slamming shut inside my chest.
I froze. His words cut deeper than the night air outside, stabbing into me with brutal precision.
"Aren't you going to see me off?" I asked, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be. "You know I don't know anyone or anywhere here."
"I don't care. Get the fuck out of my house." Then he shoved me hard toward the door.
The air outside hit me like a slap. Cold. Real. My mind spun, still trying to process the shift from flirty laughter to this… this ugly goodbye.
Everything about the visit suddenly felt like a mistake.
One thought burned into me, sharp and terrifying,
'He could break me. And he wouldn't even hesitate.'
I stood there alone, heart pounding, reality sinking in like ice. No money for a ride back. I'd assumed foolishly that he'd either pay the taxi fare or at least walk me out. Make it right somehow.
I didn't know how wrong I was.
My phone was dead silent. No missed calls. No messages. I couldn't call my sister not after this. She'd lose it.
And then… just as I took my first shaky step away from the house, the sky cracked open. Rain poured down, cold and merciless.
Like the universe was laughing in my face.
Rain slammed down in thick sheets, drenching me instantly cold, heavy, unforgiving.
I stood there, alone in the storm, not a single shelter in sight. No comforting voice on the other end of my phone. No money for a cab. No idea where I was or where I could even go.
The city blurred around me just dark, wet shadows swallowing the streets. The rain clung to my skin like a thousand invisible hands, pressing down, watching, judging… waiting.
And in that moment, it hit me sharp and terrifying.
My life could flip in a single heartbeat. One wrong choice. One man.
Damion had just reminded me how powerless I could feel.
How easily someone could break me and walk away untouched.
This wasn't over.
The game had started.
And neither of us would walk away unscathed.