Flashback.

Brooklyn had unique energy wherever you go. Colton always spoke badly about this area as if the people would poison him. I never went on this side of town because of him. My dealer wanted to meet somewhere more secluded since the paparazzi had been up my ass. Can a girl just smoke a joint without being judged?

Apparently not.

Orange and Yellow lights flashed from every corner and smoke spilled from several machines placed next to a DJ booth at the far end. Opposite the DJ booth was a long bar. Along the walls were tables where people were enjoying their drinks. In the middle was a crowded dance floor, bodies grinding and gyrating against each other to the thumping rhythm of EDM music.

My nose filled with the smells of alcohol, pot, cigarette smoke, sweat, and oddly sex. Normally, I would be all for finding a hot guy to screw around for the night, but after the encounter with Colton earlier, I just wanted to be high as a kite.

Anything to muzzle the pain.

Silhouettes danced behind the red drapes, showing signs of people getting fucked up and having sex. Moments like this, I wished I could be as carefree as them. I mentally groaned as I glanced down at my phone to see no response from my dealer.

"Want another drink?" The bartender asked, shaking around a container.

"Three shots of Vodka."

"Right away," he responded.

My disguise consisted of a baseball cap and sunglasses; probably wasn't the best choice, but it got the job done. The bald bartender poured three shots and pushed them towards me. The liquid burned my throat, yet it felt amazingly satisfying.

Being drunk switched off the worst parts of your brain and allowed the fool to run your life, to run your mouth.

My patience was running thin. This idiot really had me waiting for him? Acting as if I didn't have an entire catalog full of dealers. I just wanted the strong shit tonight, but I guess I'm going to have to settle for something else.

After dropping a fifty-dollar bill on the countertop, I pushed my way through the crowd to the back exit. I plopped down on the floor and pulled out a cigarette from the half-empty pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights. I fished around for a lighter in my purse, luckily always keeping an emergency one. 

I pressed the end to my lips as my shaking hands struggled to lighten it. Why was this suddenly harder than tying a shoe? Glass smashing against the floor caught my attention away from the failing lighter to a six-foot man.

Stumbling, he headed in my direction, using the wall for support since his legs were like jelly. My hand reached for the pepper spray in my pocket just in case this was psycho. The alcohol made its way through my system and my vision was becoming hazy. I couldn't get a good look at the guy.

But my skin burned when his hand grazed against mine, stealing the lighter from my grasp.

"Let me help," he huskily slurred, getting it lit in seconds.

He had dark brown curly hair, his long lashes made his brown eyes look livelier. The high cheekbones, plump lips, and sharp jawline gave an edge to his beauty. There was almost something devilish in his features, and the low light did nothing but heighten them. He almost seemed too perfect until I caught glimpse of the vomit stain on his shirt.

I take a drag from my cigarette, watching the smoke coiled seductively in the dark night. The area slowly became polluted with every drag I took, expelling the smoke from my lungs. It wasn't like it tasted wonderful, but it was something.

"Thank you," I replied, putting my pepper spray away.

The man banged his back against the wall before plopping down onto his legs. Our proximity was too close for my liking, especially since he was still very much a stranger. I was fairly pretty and had a hot ass body to go along with, so my anxious thoughts went through the roof.

"Could I borrow twenty bucks for helping you?" he asked, his brown eyes were bloodshot.

I arched a brow. "So lighting up my cigarette wasn't just an act of kindness?"

"It was, but I dropped my beer to come to help you. So it's only fair if you buy one for me." His lips tipped to a smirk.

"Look buddy, I don't mean to be a bitch, but you're fucked up as it is. What kind of person would I be if I encouraged your behavior?" 

He grimaced at my response. "You would be a good person by getting me another beer."

I shook my head and ground the bud on the floor. "No can do. I'll give you a cig if you want?"

His nose wrinkled in disgust. "Who the hell smokes these days? It's disgusting and kills your lungs."

My lips formed a straight line. "Oh, so now you want to become an advertisement for health risks? What about how messed up your liver is getting by the minutes?"

The guy shook his head. "I don't normally drink."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious!" he raised his voice before dropping his bowling ball-sized head on my shoulder. "I hate drinking! But I'm in so much pain, this is the only way to get rid of it even for a second."

I shrugged his head off my shoulder and shuffled my butt away from him, keeping a few inches between us. "Look, I get the heartbreak shit and all, but I need my personal space. Besides, you reek of a week-long drinking binge."

The silence took over for a few seconds as the man laid his head on the dirty ground. He hadn't moved an inch, leaving his face being ravaged by the dirt, and I almost had the instinct of checking if he was still breathing.

Then his shoulders shook.

Whimpers departed from his lips as he folded into a human ball. Since Colton, I had locked away the key to my heart and kept it in a golden box. The only time I ever felt anything was when Colton came over to torture me. To remind me how much power he still held on me. To drill in how he could ruin my life if I opened my mouth about October 17, 2017.

But hearing the vulnerability in his cries, I felt guilty if I just left him out there. He tugged at my fucked-up heartstrings. What can I say? But I don't have a degree on how to console people, so how could I help this sobbing boy?

"Hey, I didn't mean to be rude by pushing you off... I just get territorial about my personal space," I mumbled, moving a little bit closer.

"I don't blame you." he laid depressingly on the floor, tapping the ground with his fingers. "Who would want a guy who smells like utter shit on them?"

My lips curled up to a grin. "You do really stink. When was the last time you took a shower?"

He sighed, rolling onto his back and staring up at the sky. "Wednesday."

"It's Saturday."

"I know. Like I said, I'm so heartbroken I don't have the motivation to do anything. I just want to drown my sorrows in beer until I forget how fucked up I am." Abruptly, he jolted forward, his eyes darting from side to side. "Where's my beer? Did the boogeyman steal it?"

My eyebrows furrowed at his childish statement. His bloodshot eyes scanned around the area as if his actions of dropping it earlier were completely erased from his mind. It was quite perplexing. Was he deranged, to begin with, or had he mixed the killer combo of drugs and alcohol.

"You dropped it when you walked over to help me with the lighter, remember?" I asked, trying to search for an answer in his dazed expression.

The stranger combed his fingers through the ratted brown curls on his head. "Oh, right. Everything is making too much sense. I think it's time for another beer." His hands patted down his trousers. "Now the question is, where did my wallet go? I had it two blocks down when I brought a six-pack."

It was like watching a house pet trying to navigate its way through the wildness for the first time. He wasn't a daily drinker, and it showed; his lack of awareness, his lack of social skills, his lack of body mobility. Whatever he suffered through deeply broke him down to this sad little man, and I wasn't sure if I could watch another second.

He hoisted onto his two legs, gripping the brick wall for balance. My heart nearly fainted when he misplaced his stepping and almost landed face plant on the floor. Our heights weren't dramatically different, but that didn't make carrying him any less easy. His upper body weighed more than what I could lift in the gym.

"I seriously think another beer isn't a good idea," I stated, out of breath.

The stranger chuckled. "If I don't get another beer in my system, I'm going to start bawling like a two-year-old."

My eyes narrowed into unamused slits. "I do not need another front-row seat to you crying over something I can't understand."

His eyes dropped to my purse. "I can feel the tears seconds away from slipping out unless I'm pressured with another can of beer!"

I scoffed. "I barely know you for ten minutes and you're already so demanding." Panic washed over me when I noticed the tears pooling in his eyes. "Fine, I'll buy the little baby a beer but I have some conditions first."

He blinked. "Which is?"

The playground had long since been in the company of the wildflowers. It was hidden deep in the woods, armies of trees perfect for a dealer to supply their drugs. There was a sense of laughter in the abandoned playground as if all those high velocities emotions, the joys, and the bonds made here, had taken hold within its bone.

"This gives me the heebie-jeebies," he said, shuddering.

I playfully smacked his back, sending him full force into the abandoned playground. "Once you have another beer in your system, you aren't going to be feeling a thing."

His lips tipped into a smile. "Oh, I almost forgot about that." he placed his hand out intending to get the can. "Now, if you could ever be so kind and let me enjoy a can of beer, I would so very much appreciate you."

I swatted his hand. "Now, now, curly, it would be a pain to have driven all the way out here just for you to sit down and inhale his drink."

He shrugged. "That sounds like a you problem. I only asked for a drink, not a tourist attraction."

My lips twitched as I recited a dictionary of curse words in my head. "Fine, I'll go enjoy the swings by myself!" I smacked the six-pack against his stomach before running off.

The swing had a seat that reminded me of the beach, of the wood that become so beautiful for its time at sea, traveling with only the sun for company. The abandoned swing had a musical creak as if in all this time it had become both entertainer and audience.

I wondered for how long it had been alone in the wind, waiting, always waiting for the return of laughter and play. It's like being teleported to your childhood when things were easier and nothing mattered. I kicked off the swing, going back and forth at a swift pace speed almost ripping it from its hinges.

The sound of a musical creak caused my head to turn. "I guess it wouldn't hurt for two people to share a beer while riding the swings."

With a genuine smile, he offered a can of beer as a peace offering. And maybe it was the atmosphere, but my heart flipped when his hand brushed over mine. I wondered if he felt the tingles I had...

The silence was charming. The stranger and I were like two pounds of cake, and the silence was like frosting. With every swing, it grew strong but oddly comfortable, as if we didn't need to say anything and it wasn't awkward at all. By the time I was halfway done with my can; the guy smashed his third can using his shoe.

"Hey." I flicked the holder on the can. "What deep shit did you get yourself in to be binge drinking? I know it's because of heartbreak, but maybe if you share some details, I can lend a bit of help."

He chuckled, followed by a burp. "You have done enough by buying me these precious babies."

I shot him a cold glare. "If you haven't noticed, I'm a girl and I know how girls think, so maybe it would be smart to use that to your advantage instead of making out with your can."

His dark eyes raked over my body, stopping on the chest area. "It's kind of hard not to notice when your cantaloupes are gigantic."

My eyebrows jumped as I rolled my eyes. "Really cantaloupes? Is the word boobs too much of a complex word for you? Say it with me b-o-o-bs."

He kicked my swing, sending me to whirl around in circles. "If I wasn't drowning myself in alcohol. This." He pointed at the can. "Would be all over you!"

I put my hands up in defense. "Hey, I genuinely thought you confused the word boobs with cantaloupes. You seem like the type to drop out of school."

The guy jumped from the swing with a scoff and chucked his freshly finished can on the floor. Guilt gnawed in my chest as I observed the boy stumbling over to the lawn and grabbing a rock from the floor to throw. The emotions that peered through from his single launch made the wheels churning in my head.

My dumbass touched another soft spot. Whether he finished school wasn't clear, but his irritation by comment showed something more than just anger; it was insecurity. An emotion I know far too well. The entertainment industry molded everyone into perfect individuals, fakes for fans to look up to when, in reality, we were far from ideal.

Awkwardly, I jumped off the swing and walked over to sit next to him. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings... I was just trying to be a comedian... But I failed."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm just being sensitive. It's just a reminder of how I'm not good enough for her."

My brain short-circuited. "Who?"

"The love of my life." he sighed, shaking the curls in his head. "We were made for one another. I was her yin, and she was my yang, at least until Declan walked into the picture. He's everything I'm not; wealthy, attractive, smart, a stable family. But he's such an asshole. I don't understand why she cares about him. She just sees the good in everyone, something else I love about her."

His brown eyes with golden specks shined in the moonlight, the emotions of his confession pooling in his eyes. My gaze fixated on his hand, which was roaming around in his pocket before he took out a ten-carat-sized ring. The diamond dazzled under the moonlight, giving it a magical look like in those movies.

"I asked her to marry me..." he chuckled lightly. "I thought after everything that she would want to be with a person who put her first, who would never leave her in dust, who would always love her, but she chose him. What does he have that I don't?" His voice cracked the tiniest bit, tugging the sneaky strings attached to my heart.

"Maybe I'm not qualified to say this, but from a few hours alone together I could see how pure-hearted you are," I whispered, sidling closer to him and putting my arms around his shoulder. "Comparing yourself to him will only drive you crazy. Take it from someone who has done it herself. Sometimes, people don't see what they have in front of them until it's gone."

He expelled a trembling breath, craning his neck toward me, his eyes bloodshot, tired, devastated. "The worst part is I don't think she misses me at all. After only hours of rejecting my proposal, she got together with him."

I scoffed. "If anything, that just proves what kind of person she is. But seriously, this wound will hurt for a while, but eventually, it will pass and be almost like a memory. If it's meant to happen, it'll happen, but don't close yourself off; who knows, maybe your perfect match is still searching for you."

"It's so hard," he sniffled. "I feel like everyone expects me to be alright with it. To just accept her dating Declan with no ill-feeling. Besides, I fucking treated her like shit when she rejected me. I don't deserve to be around her."

"Well, if you really want her in your life, then you just have to make it up to her. A friendly, romantic gesture to say you're sorry and surrender the torch to Declan. If you really love her as you said, then you would do anything to have her in your life," I said, rubbing his back.

He ran a frustrating hand through his hair and nodded. "Who knew a girl from a bar would be giving me love advice. Have you been through your own tragic romance?"

I laughed, gnawing at my cheek. "You could say that." I stared up at the crescent moon hanging above us. " But that's a story for a different night."

He raised his eyebrow. "So what I'm hearing is you want to hang out again? Maybe I still have some tricks up my sleeve."

It doesn't sound like an awful idea. Having a late-night get-away with someone who didn't want Davina the celebrity, but Davina the person. Someone who didn't have an ulterior motive to date me, hang out with me. I enjoyed not having my status over my head everywhere I went; unless I wanted it to.

"It's tempting, but I'm leaving New York in two days," I revealed, grinning. "I have a big-shot opportunity waiting for me back at home."

He jumped onto his two feet, almost falling back onto his ass. "Then we should make the most of this night."

I snorted, the embarrassing kind sounding like a pig. "You can't even walk straight."

"Doesn't mean I can't run around waiting for you to catch me," he chuckled, stumbling over the grass before even getting five inches away from me.

"What are we? Five? I'm not going to chase you around the playground."

He groaned, throwing his head back. "Such a party pooper."

The stranger taunted as he continued happily running in circles around me. Laughs slipped out from the both of us whenever he tripped over his foot. Though for being off the walls drunk, he had walking down pat. He was so annoying; in a good way.

For my own enjoyment, I stuck my legs out when he wasn't looking, and he hit the floor with a loud thud. He let out a long-pained groan and rolled over onto his back. Before he got the chance to hoist onto his feet, I threw myself on top of him and shoved his shoulders roughly into the ground. 

His cocky little face was now inches away and staring up at me in amusement. "Woah there, if you wanted to straddle me all you had to do was ask."

"You're so annoying!" I flicked his head.

"What? Do you want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss you?" he whispered huskily as he ran his hands tantalizingly slowly up and down my thighs.

That was all he had to say and do to awaken every single nerve in my body. I've become weak since my dry spell.

I swallowed nervously. "I don't kiss people who are in love with someone else."

He moved his head closer to mine and brushes his lips loosely against mine. "Can't you make an exception?"

Impulsive impatience seared through me and I sank my fingers into his hair, held him in place, and pressed a closed-mouth kiss to my lips. Bolts of sensation zigzagged straight into my chest. After a surprised hesitation, I kissed him again, and he took the lead, showing how great his lips were.

At first, our kiss was gentle and sweet, the one that gave me butterflies in my stomach.

My heart beat erratically as his tongue glided across my lips, asking for entrance, respectful and hungry. His hands fall to my waist, and my body melted under his touch. A low, gruff groan emitted from his throat and reverberated through my chest just as he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and tugged with his teeth.

We broke apart as a giggle escaped me, the sound so happy and satisfied, and grateful. I rested my forehead against his for a second, breath coming in giggly gasps.

"Something funny?" His voice was low and deep.

"Yeah, the fact that you thought you could win her over with kisses like those," I teased, breaking our flaming bodies away from each other.

Weren't they so cute even three years back? I just love writing Davina and Ambrose being adorable together. I hope you guys like it as much as I do!!

Love you guys!! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!!!