Dangling lights struck my eye, puncturing it. Groaning, I swatted the hanging lamps and massaged my throbbing eye. Hopefully, this wasn't a sign from the Universe, trying to keep me away from D.

"Mr. Hart!" I screamed, covering my injured eye as I stormed through the restaurant.

Fancy Alcohol mounted on the wooden bar. The bartender whipped his towel against his back, sending a side-glance in my direction. Customers' attention span was like a rubber band. Their gaze rested on me for a second or two until the band swung back, and they returned to the original program.

My chest burned like it's been dragged through hell. Jumping over the bar, I poured water into a glass mug and drank it, letting it trickle down my chin. The flames within my chest diffused as if water physically washed over them. Renting a bicycle to get to work probably wasn't the brightest idea, but traffic was hell.

"Mr. Hart!"

The kitchen door swayed open. "Who is screaming my name? This is an establishment that values the comfortability of our customers." His bothered gaze eased up when it noticed my disheveled attire. "I hope you aren't planning to work in this oddly shaped costume." 

A sly grin formed on my face. "No, actually I came to tell you, I'm going to be a little late. Davina is at the airport waiting to leave for a movie project, and if I don't get there and beg for her forgiveness... I might die."

"That's a bit dramatic, but the restaurant needs you to function," Mr. Hart muttered.

The chemicals in my gut bubbled in apprehension. "Mr. Hart, you have been in love before. Wouldn't you do anything in the world to spend another day with your wife? I feel like I'm skating through life without Davina. It's not the same. This is my only shot, Mr. Hart. Please let me go."

He twirled the wedding band on his finger around, relaxing his gaze upon it. "I used to be a hopeless romantic in my youth. Just like you. I'll excuse you for this shift only, but you're working a double on Sunday."

I gave him a thumps-up. "Sure. Whatever. I'll be here." My back bumped into a hard surface, earning droplets of liquids on my arm.

My co-worker Freddie glare spoke a hundred different curse words as he returned to the drink station. "Ambrose, please get out before you have the customers complaining about our service," Mr. Hart said, an easygoing grin forming on his face.

"Don't have to ask me twice!" I burst out the door nearly, bumping into the party entering the restaurant.

I flagged down a taxi and gave him the address of where I was heading. Skyscrapers, buildings, franchises hurtled past us as the taxi drove towards the destination. Billboards hung above the zooming cars, threading their way through traffic. My heart swelled with so much love as I admired all the photographs of Davina.

My favorite must've been two days before our break up when I woke up before Davina. Her body was engulfed by my blanket, her left thigh poking out. Sun flowed from the drapes at the perfect degree, leaving a reflection of a rainbow on her frame. But the most perfect thing in the picture was her gorgeous features.

Her plump lips. The hints of her freckles coming out of hibernation. Her dark lashes covered the incredible jewels in those eyes. Those enchanting, captivating, alluring eyes. Don't even get me started on her cheeks. I just wanted to nibble on them and spoil her with kisses. Hopefully, she had in it her to give me one more chance.

That's all I'll ever need.

I wouldn't fuck up again.

My gaze lingered on a billboard advertising dental care for far way too long. Twenty minutes must've passed, and I still stared at the same fucking billboard. Lowering the window, I stuck my head out like a dog and saw the piles of cars on the road. Shit. Traffic hour must've hit. We weren't even that far. In a squinted gaze, I could see the airport about a few miles away. My legs throbbed from my intense adventure earlier, but I had no other choice.

If I wanted any chance to see Davina, I had to run.

So I did.

I sprinted through the parked cars, earning a few honks every so often. But I didn't give a shit. The only thing flicking through my mind was my entire monologue I planned to win her heart with. My heart galloped at the pace of a running horse, but I couldn't tell why. Was it because I was running or because I was miles away from Davina?

Finally, the terminal was in sight, and I felt every muscle in my thigh cramp up. I would gain a lot from owning a gym membership. Adrenaline zipped through my veins like a hint of alcohol as I slowed my pace upon entrance. Passengers with suitcases treaded behind each other in the long security line.

Realization dawned on me. I wasn't getting anywhere near Davina without an airplane ticket. The security guards weren't letting me near anywhere the second level unless I paraded with a ticket. The money in my bank account whimpered as I sent them to the airline, purchasing the flight.

Money was nothing.

I could live without it.

I couldn't live without Davina.

Cramps. They came along for a thousand different reasons; stomachaches, nerves, period. The organs in my stomach contorted until it was inside out, leaving me with a bundle of nerves. Anxious sweat leaked from my armpits, forehead, and cheeks. Faces meshed together as I stormed through five sections.

I kept spamming Lana's phone, but apparently, she forgot she owned one. If Lana could only answer, then I wouldn't be running around like a lunatic through the airport. My pink-shaped costume already brought enough pair of eyes in my direction. I couldn't take it anymore.

Suddenly, a glimpse of Lana's honeysuckle brown hair was captured in the corner of my eye. I spent ten years admiring that hair. If her hair was thrown into a pile of hay, I would find it in an instant.

If Lana was there, then Davina had to be, too.

"Davina!" I waved my hand in the air, trying to get their attention. "Davina! Lana!"

Being shot with an arrow came with a variety of consequences. If my lungs were punctured, I'll lose the ability to obtain oxygen to my brain. An arrow piercing my arm could either gaze a small mark on it or corrupt my skin with a hole. Regardless, every single option mounted in pain; scorching, throbbing, searing kind.

All my body parts came to a halt at the sight of Lana.

Only Lana.

Anguish washed over my tortured heart. Lana's eyes twinkled with sadness, bringing her bottom lip between her two teeth. Her eyebrows drooped down in a pained expression, clearly ridden with guilt. My pulse thumped wildly- bump, bump, bump, bump.

A breathless exhale left my lips. "Where's Davina?"

Guilt tugged at her innocent features. "I'm so sorry, Ambrose. I tried explaining your whole realization, but obviously, it's hard to believe coming from me. So, she was hesitant about you coming. She waited until the very last minute to board it."

My heart felt as if it stopped beating.

I was so close.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Lana threw her arms over my shoulders, giving me the biggest sympathetic hug anyone could ask for. Slowly, my arms curled around her frame, patting her backside as the knowledge digested in my head.

She really left.

Her reassurance only awoke the emotions harboring underneath my ribcage. Hot, wet tears drizzled down my cheeks like rain on a window. The ugly sobs surged through. I dug my face further into Lana's neck, crying my little heart out.

In low tones, Lana said, "Ambrose... Davina told me where they're filming. She's going to Provence. Maybe we can round-up enough money to buy a flight for you."

I sighed, removing myself from her embrace. "I can't ask you to do that for me. Besides, Davina deserves someone better, someone, who didn't just bring pain into her life." I slumped into a seat. "I love her, but I don't deserve an incredible person like her."

Kneeling on the floor, Lana clutched my hands. "How can you say that? You made a few mistakes, but we're human. Perfection is overrated. Davina was in tears when she went through those doors. She wants to be with you more than anything. Maybe you don't deserve to be with her, but isn't that her choice?"

"Lana..." My lips quivered. "I can't give her a future. All my money went to those paparazzi trying to ruin my life. I'm not worthy of being in the same room with her. I'm just Ambrose Bright from Long Island, a child of abusive parents who lives in a rat-infested apartment. We're on two different levels."

Lana gripped my face with her palms, those hazel-green doe-eyes brewing a storm. "Jesus, Ambrose! Davina doesn't care about any of this superstitious shit. Love is Love. I don't want to see two people in love torn apart because of something so ridiculous. Just get on the freaking next plane!"

I nodded. "I will."

"Great!" Lana got onto her legs, yanking my arm with her. "Let's go get a tic-."

"Not today."

Her smile dropped. "Why?"

My fingers trailed down my arm, remaining still at the smooth, stretchy fabric on my wrist. Davina's hair tie. The one I took from her after I proposed. For a memento. It's going to mean a lot more now.

"I'm going to go after her. I will." I smiled weakly. "But I have a lot of growth to work on. I'm twenty-three, and I made mistakes, but this hectic year taught me a lot of things. I want to be a better person. No matter how much I want to be with Davina, I need to work on myself first before I can become the man who deserves to be with her."

Her eyes softened. "Well, I'll be here. Every step of the way."

Dull emotions cascaded through my body. Wind erupted through the cracked door at Shimmery Harmony. The restaurant had been closed for about an hour. Regardless, it took around two hours for every worker to leave. Side work. Side work. The worst thing to exist in this universe.

Oh, and love.

At least the heartbreak portion of it.

From the airport, we drove to Shimmery Harmony, stealing the two empty barstools at the bar. Lana and I shared a few shots. Enough to get us tipsy, but still aware of our surroundings. Sometimes I wondered what caused my parents to drink too much. I knew this heartbreak with Davina could very well lead me down the same path.

But it wasn't going to.

Once sleepiness faded over and alcohol seeped through my skin, I wasn't going to touch another bottle. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the new and improved Ambrose Bright.

Someone cleared their throat, causing my eyes to widen.

"Mr. Hart?" A crease formed between my eyebrows.

He pulled the bar stool. "May I?"

I nodded. "Go ahead."

Mr. Hart bent over the bar, filling his glass with spite before he settled down. "I'm guessing it didn't go too well?"

A grimace permanently stood on my face. "Yeah. I missed her by just a few minutes. Now, I have to go on knowing I made the biggest mistake in my life. But I'll grow and learn to never do the same thing again."

His eyes expanded in astonishment. "Wow. You're more mature than people think. I have a crazy story." A lopsided smile stretched over his face. "Before Lana's mother, I was in this relationship with another girl, Delilah. At the time, I thought it was the real deal. Obviously, I was wrong, but that isn't the point. We broke up because of an innocent misunderstanding. Deliah refused to see me."

"It drove me crazy, and I started losing sight of what mattered in life. It wasn't until one day at work, a homeless-looking girl fainted outside the front door. I brought her in and cooked her one of my specialties. She was so thankful. After that, she came every day to check up on me." His grin grew to new lengths. "That was Lana's mother."

Confusion washed over my features. "I'm confused."

He laughed, squeezing my shoulders. "What I'm trying to say is to not fear change. Your girlfriend might've been your world, but now it's time to find yourself without her. If a year or two passes by, and the feelings remain then it's truly hundred percent love. Find yourself then search for her."

A shy sign of content swelled in my chest. "I'll do my best."

"Now, here comes what I've been thinking about." Mr. Hart paused to take a gulp of his soda. "For the past few years, I've been thinking about opening a new restaurant in a different location. I wanted to keep this one open because it's my baby, my first one, but I won't be able to manage both. Lana mentioned your financial troubles..."

My heart plunged to my stomach from apprehension.

"You have worked here for five years, grown tremendously as a chef. I think you have the capacity to manage a restaurant. So, since Lana is the worst cook in the universe!" His chest rumbled with laughter. "I want to give it to you. If you accept, feel free to change everything, including the name. It's time to expand your skills as a chef into the greater potential you have inside you."

I stared at Mr. Hart with admiration. For years, I believed my father's words on how I was the scum on his shoe. How I wouldn't amount to anything because I wasn't accepted into college. He shattered my confidence for years. Yet, Mr. Hart, a well-established chef trusted me enough to handle his baby.

"You really think I can handle it?" I sniffled.

He nodded. "Everyone has potential. However, everyone doesn't tap into their potential. You have tapped into that bubble since the very beginning. You came out the other side and didn't follow the pattern your parents left. If that only doesn't prove you can handle any curveball then this experiment will."

My jaw dropped. "I can't believe this."

"Well, you should because this restaurant will be yours once my other one opens," Mr. Hart said.

Since my break-up two weeks, I hadn't smiled, a genuine one. But right now, it was enormous.

"When's that?"

He squeezed my shoulder. "Two weeks."

THE END!!!!!

JK lol😂😂😂we still got around three chapters until we say goodbye to our babies!! Who's happy for Ambrose's decision? Do you think it's the smartest thing to do? I wonder how Davinas doing 🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️love you guys and can't wait to hear your thoughts!