Chapter Text
Nova Bright should’ve known that going out for drinks with her best friend and roommate, Addison Wells, was going to result in her being ditched. Addison always has good intentions, and immediately agreed to go out with her when she suggested it after a long day of lectures at Mountain College. Unfortunately, she is easily distracted by her boyfriend. Zed, star athlete on the Mountain College football team, made a surprise appearance and swept the cheerleader away to make out in a dark corner after twenty-five minutes, leaving her alone with a basket of chips and guac and a strawberry margarita.
The blonde sighs and glances around the bar. It’s busy for a Thursday night. She recognizes a few faces from campus, but no one by name. Going out during the week is something she doesn’t frequently do, but with midterms approaching and no desire to cook, she jumped at the chance to hang out with her best friend and blow off some steam. Now, she’s sitting on a barstool alone. She isn’t mad at Addison. She is busy with her classes, cheer, and football games, and time with her football star boyfriend is precious. One day, she wants a relationship like theirs, but not right now.
A messy situationship, if it could even be called that, last year made her swear off dating for a while. A frat guy she met sophomore year put on a really great performance of wanting to get to know her, but when she refused to sleep with him, he blew up and called her some awful things she’d rather forget. The majority of fraternity brothers at Mountain College are a bunch of dicks who coast by in classes and party most of the week. She prefers to spend her time at the library, at club meetings, and cheering on Zed and Addy at football games, only dropping by the occasional party.
“Nova!” A voice calls out from the other end of the bar, and Nova grimaces.
Raymond Lerner, known by everyone as Ray, is here at the same time as her. She had the unfortunate privilege of growing up with him down the street. She thought he was a bully and a snob, but their fathers worked together, so she had to tolerate his presence for most of her life. She wasn’t thrilled to hear they’d be attending the same college, but their social lives rarely overlapped. Ray adjusted to college life quickly, pledging to a fraternity and joining the party scene. She got involved in other activities.
She turns slightly in her chair and plasters a small, fake smile on her face. “Hi, Ray.” Inside, she’s flipping him off. The curly brunette slides up beside her and slams his Coors down on the bartop. “Funny seeing you here, Bright. I saw Addison and Zed leave, and you look lonely, so let me buy you a drink.” The way he says it makes her skin crawl. His pupils are dilated, and his breath reeks of alcohol. Surprise, surprise. He’s drunk.
“Thank you,” she says firmly. “But I have a drink, and I’m not interested.” She turns her seat away from him and takes a sip of her margarita.
Undeterred, Ray steps closer, nearly invading her personal space. “Oh, c’mon! Nova, we’ve known each other for years. Let’s just hang, have a few drinks, no strings attached.” He waves down the bartender. “Hey man! Get me another one of these! And something for the babe next to me,” he demands.
Nova wants to throw up. Sober Ray is annoying and a massive prick. Drunk Ray is a disgusting pig, viewing women as objects for sex. She knows that’s what he’s looking for. Unfortunately, with Addy gone and Zed unavailable to step in like he has done for unwanted advances from other guys in the past, escaping will be much more difficult without making a scene. She glances at the door, silently pleading for her friend to walk back in and save her. Instead, three people- two guys and a girl- enter, all dressed in dark clothes. The girl and the dark skinned guy are talking animatedly while the taller guy follows after them. His eyes catch hers for a second before getting lost in the crowd.
Steeling herself, she sighs and twists back to face her annoyance. “What if I had a boyfriend? Would you leave me alone?” The lie slips off her tongue way too easily, but she’s never shared anything valuable about her personal life with Ray for him to know the difference. If given the choice, she never would have interacted with him at all growing up. She takes a long sip of her margarita, downing the liquid courage.
Ray slams his drink down again with loud laughter, and Coors Light spills on the bartop. A few other bargoers look in his direction, unamused by the scene he’s trying to make, but do nothing to stop him otherwise.
“Thanks, guys. Love the help,” she mutters sarcastically. She glances at her phone, hoping to get something, anything, from Addy, indicating that she’s coming back with Zed any second.
“You? A boyfriend? That’s hilarious. You’ve never dated anyone, Nova. No one’s ever looked at you because they knew I had my eye on you.” He’s crowding her personal space now, and she tries to sit further back on the chair to create some distance, but it’s useless. “Let’s get out of here. I know you’re playing hard to get, and it’s doing things to me.” His eyes darken with lust.
“What part of-” Nova starts to speak, fury growing inside her, but she’s cut off by a warm hand on her left shoulder. Someone steps up from behind and angles themself between her and Ray, pushing him back a few steps.
“Whoa, man! Back up.” She looks up and gasps. It’s the guy who walked in moments ago. Standing right here, saving her.
“Who the fuck are you?” Ray looks angry at being interrupted, and he bumps into the person standing behind him.
The man standing between her and the drunk frat boy is tall and clearly works out. He stands confidently and with an air of authority that demands attention. “I’m her boyfriend, Victor,” he says, clenching his jaw. “Who are you, and why are you standing so close?”
Stunned, the drunk guy trips over his words, and it comes out like gibberish.
Her hero, Victor, turns slightly to meet her wide eyes. His brown eyes ask, Are you okay?
She nods slightly. Waving him closer, she leans forward so he can hear her over the noise at the bar. “Nova,” she says quietly. “My name is Nova.”
The man squeezes her shoulder again before letting go and moving his hand to rest on her back. “Follow my lead. I’ll get you out of here,” he whispers.
Something about his presence makes her feel safe. Maybe it’s the eye contact. Maybe it's the careful way he approached her. Maybe it’s the size of his arms and the tattoo sleeve or the protective stance he’s taken or his hair, a dark brown with streaks of red throughout.
Ray has recovered enough to straighten himself and approaches the pair, his chest puffed up to appear tougher than he actually is. “If you’re her boyfriend, why have I never seen you before? I’ve known Nova for most of my life, and I’ve never heard of you. I think I can get close to her if I want.”
Nova has to bite her tongue to keep from throwing a punch. He’s always been like this, acting like he’s entitled to anything he wants. He is a walking sexual harassment case waiting to happen.
Victor shakes his head and leans down to whisper in her ear, “Breathe.” And she does. She turns in the seat to carefully lean against him, her hand finding his clenched fist and uncurling the fingers so they lace with hers. It’s her way of trying to sell the story of them as a couple, and she feels the tension in his body relax ever so slightly with the contact.
The drunk guy crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s pretty convenient that this guy comes up to us seconds after you claim to have a boyfriend. Prove it. Prove it that you’re dating and he’s not some random guy.” He rests his arm against the bartop and takes a long drink of his beer, watching them suspiciously.
“Dude, go home. You’re drunk. Nova doesn’t have to prove shit to you.”
When he walked into the college bar with Vera and Vargas a minute ago, his attention immediately landed on this young woman, Nova, whose facial expression screamed fear and discomfort toward the guy standing in her personal space. Something about her pleading eyes, glancing at the door, told him she was looking for an escape. He told his friends he’d get the first round of drinks and pushed his way through the crowd to find her. When he reached the front of the bar, the guy was making unwanted advances, and no one was doing a thing to help. He has opinions about the people who attend Mountain College, and this doesn’t change his opinions in any way.
Turning towards the blonde who is now gripping his hand, he helps her stand and goes to grab her drink. “My friends are this way,” he whispers in her ear, wanting to steer her towards the table in the back where Vera and Vargas are waiting, when a pair of soft lips suddenly press against his. The hand reaching for the margarita glass automatically lands on the small of her back, pulling her towards him. He’s trying to be respectful, but this beautiful stranger has his mind short-circuiting with the way her fingernails lightly scratch against his scalp.
After a few seconds, Nova pulls away and her blue eyes flutter open. “Thank you,” she breathes. She drops her heels to the ground and turns toward the frat boy, whose mouth is gaping like a fish at the scene before him. “When a girl says to leave her alone, that means back off, you dumbass.” She squeezes Victor’s hand and tugs him away from her seat. “Let me pay my tab, and let’s get out of here.”
He follows her lead and waves down the bartender, positioning himself between her and Ray again. He slides his wallet from his pocket and hands over his card before she can open her wallet. When she sees him pay and opens her mouth to argue, he cuts her off with a patient kiss to the side of her head. “If we want to sell this to that fucker, I can’t let my girlfriend pay for her own drinks,” he mumbles.
The explanation makes perfect sense, and even though she only had one drink, she isn’t sober enough to have thought of it herself. All she can do is nod, grateful, and lean her head against his shoulder. He adjusts slightly and lays his arm over her shoulders, and she slips an arm around his waist while they wait for the bartender to return with his credit card.
A few minutes later, they step out of the bar into the brisk October air, continuing their performance for the other Mountain College students who witnessed Ray’s unwanted advances, her refusal, and Victor’s intervention. They walk a block away from the bar before stopping at a corner.
Victor takes her arms in his hands and looks her up and down. “Are you okay? Who was that dick?” He asks.
Nova glances at the callused hands gripping her upper arm, her breath catching at the gentle strength he is holding her. Her eyes travel up the tattooed arm sleeve and meet his concerned expression. “Oh my God, am I okay?!” She puts a hand over her heart and feels it ramming against her chest. Her anxiety is spiking, and the alcohol in her bloodstream isn’t helping the situation. “Wh-?”
Without thinking, the man in front of her pulls her to his chest. His arms tighten around her while one hand gently guides her head to rest above his heart. “Take a breath, Nova. Nice and easy. Inhale and hold. Exhale and hold.”
He coaches through the breathing exercise, his voice gentle but his hold firm. She cannot believe she just had an anxiety attack and was comforted by a total stranger whom she kissed about 10 minutes ago. Turning her face against his chest, she takes one final exhale before whispering, “Thank you.”
He must’ve heard her because his hand moves from the back of her head down her back and squeezes her waist. “You’re welcome, Nova.” He waits a few seconds before speaking again. “Can I ask who that guy was?”
Nova sighs and winds her arms around his torso. Her head turns so she’s looking out at the lit sidewalk of downtown Seabrook. “That dick is someone I had the unfortunate privilege of growing up down the street from. Ray Lerner. He’s always been like that, but he’s never tried to sleep with me before. If my friend hadn’t run into her boyfriend and left, I’m sure he never would’ve tried that shit.” She pauses, then adds in a soft voice, “Thank you for stepping in. I hope it was okay that I kissed you. I just felt it in my gut that I could trust you. That you would get me out.” The admission is disarming, yet comforting for both.
“You’re welcome, Nova.” Victor tips his head down so his nose brushes her hairline. They stay like that, standing in each other’s arms as the busy streets of downtown Seabrook pass them by for several minutes. It’s only when a crisp September night breeze brushes by that she shivers. He shrugs his jacket off and drapes it over her shoulders. “Can I drive you home? Or is someone coming to get you?” Considering the panic attack she nearly had a few minutes ago, he doesn’t want to leave her alone, especially at night.
Nova’s lips lift at the sweet gesture and pulls the leather jacket a little tighter around herself to block out the chill. “My friend Addison and I walked over from campus,” she answers. “But she’s long gone because her boyfriend showed up and they disappeared. I was just going to walk back to my apartment.”
“No, you’re not,” he says. “It’s chilly, and I’m not letting you walk alone. Let me drive you back. My car is just down the street.” He pauses, then adds, “I can’t let my girlfriend walk alone at night.” He winks and slides his key from his pocket. He waves them at her and tilts his head down the street.
A loud laugh escapes Nova’s lips, and her head falls back, blonde hair hanging over her shoulders. “Well, I guess I have to let my boyfriend drive me home.” Her voice is teasing, and her eyes sparkle under the streetlights.
Victor offers her the crook of his arm, which she takes with a giggle, and leads her to his black BMW M4, parked another block away. He opens the passenger door and helps her in, earning a look of approval and a “what a gentleman” from under her breath.
She settles comfortably in the black leather seats as he shuts the door behind her and circles around the front of the vehicle. He slides his phone out of his pocket and starts the car with a light tap of the gas and a push of the start button. The dashboard screen and his phone both light up with different messages.
“Hold on,” he mutters while unlocking his phone. Three texts from Vargas appear before him.
U get lost
YO where did you go??
Bro did you leave? Vera’s flipping out
He quickly types out a reply:
I’m driving a friend home who needed help. Venmo request me the money you guys need for an Uber when you’re done. Sorry for dipping
“Alright, Nova. Where am I taking you?” He looks over at the beautiful blonde sitting beside him, his leather jacket now lying on her lap.
She rattles off her address, and he punches it into the car’s GPS that connects to his phone. They pull away from the curb, and the engine hums quietly throughout the cabin before she asks if he is a dog or a cat person.
The drive to Nova’s apartment is over far too quickly. He could've driven them around in circles for hours just to keep the conversation going. Talking with her is so easy, so comfortable. It feels like he’s known her for years. When he parks in front of her building, she doesn’t immediately get out. She unbuckles her seatbelt and turns to face him, continuing their conversation for several minutes longer.
When they both fall quiet, Nova slips her phone out of her bag and hands it to him. “Put your number in,” she says with a teasing wink. He looks at her, brow raised, before he passes his phone to her so she can put her phone number in. They exchange phones and take a breath, feeling the air charged with tension. She reaches for the door but pauses. A soft smile graces her lips, and Victor wonders if she’s going to kiss him again. He wouldn’t mind kissing her.
Without thinking, she leans across the center console, one hand holding the other side of his head, and presses her lips against his cheek. “Thank you, Victor. Have a good night.” She slips out of the car and into the street-lit night, crossing the sidewalk and entering the apartment building.
He rubs a hand down his chin, trying and failing to hide the smile from spreading across his face. His cheek is tingling from her kiss. Holy shit, what did I just get myself into? he wonders.
A minute later, a message pops up on the dashboard screen:
⭐Bar Girlfriend⭐
I'm inside. See you around, bar boyfriend. -Nova
Victor laughs and grabs his phone from the cup holder.
Good night, bar girlfriend.
He idles outside the building for another minute to collect himself, in disbelief of how his evening went off the rails in the best way, before putting the car in reverse and driving away.
He wonders if he’ll ever see the beautiful blonde again. He wants to, badly. But Mountain College girls hardly ever stay in Seabrook after graduation, and he’s happy here. Nova seems smart and ambitious, and surely, she wants to go somewhere else after college. He sighs and cracks open a window to let the fall air cool his skin. Maybe this was just a fun night that’ll never happen again. At least he got to kiss a pretty girl, and he didn't need to use any lines.
Throwing the car in reverse, Victor carefully peels out of the spot and drives home. He’s stone cold sober, which he didn’t plan for tonight, but he doesn’t mind. There is beer at home, and he got to show up an annoying fraternity brother in his hometown. That’s a win.