CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Damon's POV 

"What?" I asked. 

George looked away quickly, and I stared at him in the mirror. 

"Is everything okay, boss?" he asked. 

George was like some I trusted. He had saved my life on more than one occasion and I knew I could count on him. He was the only one who knew I had a drinking problem, and had tried to help me overcome that but nothing worked.

Not therapy, not exercise, not meditation.

I'd always go back to the bottle; it was my only escape. 

But meeting Ivy had changed that. She'd helped me without even knowing it. When I was around her, the walls didn't close in on me and I didn't feel suffocated. She was my escape. 

My freedom. 

From my nightmares, my past and my traumas.

But even that didn't last. Because I was on the way back to my first love, the only thing that kept the nightmares at bay. 

I sighed and stared at the blazing cars under the night sky. 

"Have you ever been in love, George?" I asked. 

He didn't seem like the kind of guy that was hung up on love. Perhaps he had an advice or two he could give me. 

He paused. "Once." 

I stared at him. "Really?" 

His gaze shifted to the mirror. "You look surprised." 

"How did it go? Did she break your heart too?" 

He sighed. "I did the damage. She couldn't take it anymore and left me." 

I opened the window and put my hand out. The humid breeze hit me softly in the face. 

"Do you hate her for leaving you?" 

He shook his head. "Quite the opposite. I hate myself for putting her through such pain. I shouldn't have hurt her like that." 

I stared at him. "Do you regret it?" 

He smiled bitterly as he stopped at the red light. "Everyday." 

I stared at my hands. "What if she never loved you in the first place, would you still regret it?" 

Silence filled the car. 

"Is this about Ms. Wells?" he asked. 

I sat up and stared at him warily. "How do you know?" 

He turned back to look at me. "It's obvious you have a thing for her." 

I rolled up the window and leaned against the chair. "Not anymore." 

A horn sounded behind us when the lights changed green and he changed gears. It paused when I saw him smile. 

Did I imagine that?

"Does that mean she won't be around anymore?" he sounded pleased. 

"Why do you look pleased?" I asked.

He sighed. "I don't think she's the right person for you, Boss."

My ears perked up.

Did he know something I didn't?

 "Why do you say so?" I asked.

 "I don't know. Something about her seems sketchy. I can tell she's hiding something," he said.

I sighed. "I know."

He turned to me. "You do?"

I nodded. "It's obvious she's hiding something. I can tell with the way she looks at me sometimes. Her shifty eyes, and the guilt that never seems to go away."

He smiled. "Oh, I'm glad you noticed that too. I didn't want to-."

"But I don't care," I interrupted. 

"What?"

I stared at him. "Everyone has something they don't want others to know," I paused.

"Don't you?" I asked.

He recoiled at my question, his eyes flickering.

"See? Even I have things I don't want anyone to know about," I stared out the window, and glanced at the bar. 

"I can't blame her for keeping secrets when I have mine," I said. 

I turned to him. "I loved her, with or without secrets."

I unlocked the car and stepped out. "Don't follow me," I said and closed the door.

George got out quickly and I paused.

"You can wait in the car," I said. 

He shook his head. "I have to protect you." 

It's my job as your bodyguard. Her voice was loud in my head. 

"No." 

"Boss?" 

"Wait here or you're fired," I threatened. 

He looked like he wanted to say something but kept quiet. He took a step back and nodded. 

"Yes, Boss." 

I walked into the bar and glided through the sweaty bodies. The bar was always packed every Friday. I smiled when I smelled the familiar scent of alcohol. I gestured to the bartender, and he hurried over. It was a different bartender from the on that served me the other day. 

The day I met her.  

I shook my head to disperse the thought. No more thinking of her. 

"Give me your strongest drink, and keep 'em coming," I said. 

"You got it," he brought out a bottle of vodka and poured the drink into a glass. 

"Bottoms up," he smiled. 

I gulped down the drink in one go and shut my high tightly when it burned my throat. 

"Oof, that's strong." 

He shrugged. "You wanted the strongest." 

"I'm not complaining," I said and held out the glass to him. "Pour me another one."

I gulped down the drink and held my throat. "Aah." 

"Girl troubles?" he asked, and I stared at him. 

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, genuinely curious. 

He poured me another drink and smiled. 

"There are two reasons people ask for the strongest drink. One, money problems," he paused and gave me a once over. 

"You don't look like you got money problems. So..." 

"You are smart," I was starting to get tipsy. I wasn't a lightweight, I could handle a couple of drinks before getting drunk. 

I stared at the glass in my hand. Whatever it was, it was strong.

And perfect. 

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked. 

"Sure," I emptied the glass. "How much time do you have?" 

He chuckled. "That bad huh?" 

He poured the drink and nodded at someone behind me. "Maybe the lady staring at you can help take your mind off things." 

I turned, searching for who he was talking about. A woman raised her drink when our eyes met, and she smiled. I couldn't see her well under the dim lights. She stood and strutted over. 

"Hey," she smiled. "I'm Katherine." 

I glanced at the bartender who gave me an encouraging nod. I turned to Katherine with a smile. 

"Damon." 

She sat and crossed her legs, her dress hitching higher. It reminded me of Ivy. 

"Can I ask what a fine man like you is drinking alone on such a lovely night?" her brown eyes stared into mine. 

"Where do I start?" I teased. 

She chuckled loudly and I paused. Her laughter was soft, and lovely. I wondered if Ivy's was like that too. 

"You're cute," her fingers grazed my thigh. 

I stared at the manicured fingers. They reminded me of Ivy's, only hers were white. I wondered if that was her favorite color. 

"Buy me a drink?" Kathrine said. 

I turned to the bartender. "She'll have what I'm having." 

Ivy had drunk the same drink I had that night too. 

"You seem troubled," her fingers went higher, her eyes on mine. 

"Am I that easy to read?" I asked. 

She leaned in slowly, her gaze on my lips. 

"Maybe I can take your mind off whatever seems to be troubling you," her breath was warm on my face. 

I wanted badly to kiss her, to distract myself of the gut-wrenching pain I was feeling. But all I could see in front of me was Ivy, not Katherine. She was who I wanted, not the stranger in front of me. 

But she wasn't there.

Katherine was. Perhaps, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take up her offer. 

"Ow!" 

I opened my eyes to see Katherine's hair being yanked by someone. 

"Ivy," I called.