Chapter 4 Attraction

• ~ Zoie’s POV ~
• Zoie lay on her bed in the darkness of her room. The only light source came from the window where the moon was high and bright. She checked her phone carefully under the duvet, it was 11:59 PM.
• Perfect.
• Zoie quickly got up from the bed. She was wearing a short leather skirt, high leather boots, and a black tank top. Definitely not something one would wear to go to bed.
• Moving swiftly, she whisked her purse from underneath the bed and headed for the window. Right before she opened the window, she checked her phone again. 12:00 AM. Time for the guards to change.
• Zoie looked down to see the guard right below her window moving away. She slipped quietly out of her window and scaled the walls until she got down through the planters on the wall. Once she was on the ground, she looked around to make sure the coast was clear. She then raced across the garden and hid herself behind a tree when she spotted another guard walking nearby. The guard didn’t see her, thankfully. And when he was gone, she went running again.
• Since she couldn’t leave through the front door without the guards noticing, Zoie had to escape through the gates surrounding the garden. There was a specific spot on the gate that was perfect for escaping. One of the rods could actually come apart. Zoie discovered this when she was out exploring one afternoon when she was twelve. Ever since then, this was the thing she loved the most about living in the estate. All the little secrets it holds.
• Zoie skillfully took the steel rod off the gate and slipped outside. Then she put the rod back as if nothing happened. Once she got outside, she ran through her neighbor’s yard, which was her aunt Talia’s home. After making it out of the yard, she got to the streets where her Uber was waiting.
• Yes, she thought. Another night, another perfect escape.
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• NEW YORK CITY
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• Thump. Thump. Thump.
• The music was loud and pumping as Zoie entered the club. Red and green laser lights shot across the room as people were dancing, drinking, and having the time of their lives. Zoie showed her fake ID to the bouncer who then let her into the VIP section.
• Oh, yes. Of course, she had a fake ID. Zoie went to a prestigious private school with kids who had senators, ambassadors, and lawyers as parents. These kids knew exactly how to get around their parents’ strict codes and Zoie was learning. Too bad she only became close friends with them during the last half of her senior year. If she’d known sooner, she’d have gotten the fake ID since Freshman year and she would’ve had so much freedom to party. But alas, she only had just gotten the fake ID last month, so this was only her second time using it.
• Zoie’s heart was beating to the beat of the music as she stepped toward the dance floor. This was only her second time going to a club. The first time was for her friend, Emma’s birthday party last month.
• Zoie threw her glance around and locked eyes with the people on the dance floor. There were girls in short, sexy dresses, and guys that looked like models. The good-looking crowd in New York City was second to none. And it was perfect because Manhattan was only a half hour away and no one would recognize her here.
• “Zoie! Over here!”
• Zoie turned around and saw her girlfriends, Emma and Brianna, waving their hands. They were standing at a VIP table with some other people that Zoie didn’t know, but she swore one of them was Jacob Elordi.
• “Guys! Hey!” Zoie went over to them and they hugged.
• “Oh my God, you’re finally here!” Emma said.
• “Bitch, what took you so long?” Brianna chimed in.
• “It’s not easy dodging five bodyguards at home, okay?” Zoie scoffed and tossed her hair to the side. “And can I get a drink, please? I need something to take the edge off,”
• The girls chuckled and Emma handed her a glass of peach martini.
• “What’s wrong, girl?” Brianna asked.
• “My dad still wants to argue with me over Stanford,” Zoie sighed as she took a big gulp of the drink. “Basically, he’s not gonna let me go unless I take a bodyguard out with me. Like, how am I supposed to live a normal life like that?!”
• “A bodyguard to college?” Emma laughed.
• “I seriously don’t get your dad,” Brianna shook her head. “Any parents should be happy their kid got into a school like Stanford. It’s a great school, and totally safe,”
• “Yeah, my dad would fall over and kiss my feet if I got into Stanford!”
• “I don’t know, he’s so weird and overprotective like hell,” Zoie shrugged. “Like, come on. What’s the worst that can happen?”
• “His daughter falling for a complete stranger?” Brianna teased.
• “What?” Zoie gaped.
• “12 o’clock. He’s totally checking you out,” Brianna nudged her in a direction. “He’s been staring at you ever since you walked in,”
• Zoie turned her eyes to the bar where a tall, handsome stranger was looking in her direction. He had dark, dirty blonde hair, eyes that were deep hazel, a jaw so chiseled and sharp, and he was wearing this cool leather jacket and ripped jeans.
• Damn.
• Zoie felt her stomach twisting into knots just by looking at him. He was not just hot. He was drop-dead gorgeous. And when he caught her looking at him, he threw in a devilish smirk. Zoie instantly looked away in embarrassment.
• “He’s not checking me out,” she denied quickly.
• “Oh, he sure is,” Emma replied. “And you like him too, I can tell!”
• “What are you waiting for Zoe? Go for it! He’s so damn hot!” Briana was practically pushing her in his direction.
• “Girl, if you don’t want him, I’ll take him,” Emma added.
• Zoie swallowed hard and turned her body around completely, giving him only her back. Sneaking out and jumping off a window was one thing, but this? She was way too shy to do anything like this.
• “Nah. I’m good,” she shook her head dismissively.
• Emma and Brianna exchanged a look. Then they turned to her and shook their heads disapprovingly.
• “Oh, Zoie,” Emma tsked.
• “What?”
• “Girl, you really need to step out of you comfort zone,” Brianna pointed out.
• “I am!” Zoie defended herself. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
• “Yeah, you’re here with us, but you never take any risks,” Emma argued.
• “We’ve known you for, like, four years, and we’ve never seen you make a move on anyone,” Brianna added.
• “That’s ‘cause my dad won’t let me date anyone!” Zoie clapped back.
• “Well, he’s not here now, is he?” Emma said with her head cocked to the side.
• “Yeah. You need to stop using him as an excuse. If you really wanna be free, you need to step out of the gates of your own heart,” Briana added, pointing to her chest.
• Zoie fell silent. Her friends’ words struck a nerve. All these years, every time her friends would push her to go out with someone, she always found an excuse not to. Mostly they were due to the fear that her dad would find out. But secretly, there was another fear that Zoie was battling herself. She was afraid to fall in love.
• “Especially now that you’re going to Stanford, you gotta be ready for that,” Emma added, as if she could read her mind.
• “Hey, it might be scary at first, but you need to start making bold moves. Exercise the muscles,” Brianna said, flexing her arm.
• Zoie looked up at her friends. They made a very good point.
• “Oh, on second thought, you should be ready right now!” Emma said suddenly.
• “What?”
• “Incoming!” Brianna said as she turned Zoie’s body around completely.
• As soon as she looked back, Zoie gasped in shock. The handsome stranger was standing in front of her!
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• - - - - - To be continued - - - - -