Eastern Lights (Compass 2)

We reached a door at the back of the bar, and my red flag alert went off as I dropped my hand from his. He opened the door and we looked up at a staircase that seemed to keep going for days.

“After you,” he said, nodding toward the steps.

“Oh, no.” I shook my head. “There’s no way in hell I’m going up that staircase with my back to you. If I’m honest, that idea gives me big serial killer vibes.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Good.” He smiled, and hell, I was an idiot because a part of me trusted that smile. I supposed that was how Ted Bundy had succeeded.

What a twisted thought, Aaliyah. What was even more twisted was the fact that I knew I would go up that freaking staircase.

“I’ll go first, and I’ll get a few steps ahead of you, so you feel safer,” he said. His eyes looked at me with concern. “If you’re comfortable with that. Otherwise, we can go back and try to track down a table.”

Let me make one thing clear—I wasn’t a rebel. I didn’t break laws, I didn’t speak back to individuals who held authority, and I always offered my seat to the elderly on the subway. Yet for some reason, going up this staircase felt forbidden.

“Are we allowed to go up there?” I asked, noticing that no one else was even eyeing the staircase that seemed a bit hidden.

“Well, I am. You’ll just be my plus-one.”

“Why are you allowed to go up there?”

“I work with the man who owns this building.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

He smirked and held his hands up. “Red, if you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to go up here. Or I can try to grab Tommy and have him reassure you.”

“Who’s Tommy?”

“The owner of the bar.”

“You work with him?”

“No. Tommy doesn’t own the building, but he works with the investor, who works with me.”

I narrowed my eyes and softly chewed on the tip of my thumb—a nervous habit. His eyes followed my finger before meeting my gaze again.

I cleared my throat. “How annoyed would you be if we asked Tommy?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I got beat up in front of the building earlier, and you offered me a drink and made me smile after the most humiliating moment of my life. I doubt you can do anything to annoy me tonight, Red. Come on.”

He held his hand back out to move me toward the office in the back of the bar, and I took his hand in mine once again.

I didn’t even know I missed his touch until it was given back to me.

We moved to the office, where a man sat behind his desk and was about to stand when he noticed us.

His stare met Captain’s, and he began to speak. “Hey there—”

“Don’t say my name!” Captain shouted, waving his hands in panic.

Tommy cocked a confused eyebrow. “Okay…uh…what’s up, man? I gotta get back out there to help with the crowd.”

“Yeah, of course. Just a quick question—can I go up to the rooftop?”

Tommy chuckled. “Since when do you ask permission?”

“I want to take a friend up there,” Captain said, gesturing toward me.

“I swear to God, if you fuck Little Red Riding Hood on the top of this building, I’m going to murder you.”

My cheeks blushed, but not as much as Captain’s, which turned a strong shade of red. “Dude, that’s not it. I want to show her the view.”

“The view where you daydream like a little bitch,” Tommy joked, making Captain turn an even brighter color. My worry began to subside as I watched the two interact. “Go ahead and take her. That space is more yours than mine.” He looked at me. “My apologies if he nerds out up there. The guy’s a loser.”

Captain laughed and patted Tommy on the back. “I love you, too, Tom.” Captain turned to me and gave me a questioning look as if waiting for my next move.

I nodded and smiled. “Let’s go.”

Walking up that spiral staircase was a workout for my heart. By the time we reached the top, which took a good while, I was breathing as if I’d run a marathon. Captain didn’t seem winded at all, which must’ve been due to his superpowers.

“I should really do the StairMaster more at the gym,” I said as my breaths weaved in and out heavily.

“That machine is a devil child,” he explained as he placed his hand on the doorknob that led to the rooftop. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

He opened the door, and a gasp left my system as we stepped outside.

“Oh my goodness,” I exclaimed as I breathed out, looking out into the night. We were up so high that I was shocked by how many steps we’d actually taken to make it to the top. You could see everything from the viewpoint we stood at. All of New York City was lit up with the night sky as the backdrop.