“Seriously, Adam. Are you planning on drinking yourself to death?” Lucas said in a frustrated voice. Adam ignored him. “Give me the damn bottle.”

Adam had raised his bottle of tequila to his lips to take a swig when Lucas whisked it from his grasp, causing some of the brew to spill on his shirt.

“What the hell, man? Give it back.” Adam said and tried to lurch for his bottle with a body that felt like a dead weight as Lucas held it far away from him. “You won't? Fine.”

He looked towards the bar and screamed at the woman at the counter, “Hey girl, get me another bottle, will ya? See this party pooper won't let me have fun.”

“You're thinking of fun right now?” Lucas groaned in disbelief. “After how much you've hurt Eva you should be on your knees in front of her asking for forgiveness. I thought she meant very much to you.”

Adam barked out a laughter that even to his inebriated ear came out like a goat's cry. “Me? Kneel in front of a woman and beg?”

Lucas glared at him for what felt like minutes before finally sighing and getting up to his feet. “You know what? I hope you snap out of this quickly before you find yourself all alone.”

Then he turned and walked away. Adam snorted as the bartender brought him his drink. He didn't need anyone. Not even Eva. He was happy before she'd walked into his life.

If he had never met her, he would've never met that woman again. His father would've never seen her again. He would've never been triggered to drink so much booze in just a night, and he wouldn't be dead by now.

He thought back to the things he'd said to Eva at his father's funeral, and for a while, he almost allowed the regret to take over. Then he shrugged it off.

He wasn't at fault. She was the one at fault. Why would she defend a woman he hated with all his heart, a woman who'd hurt him so much?

Everyone was expecting him to apologize, not caring about what Eva had done wrong.

No way was he going to unless Eva did it first.

“Hmm, who's challenged you to this battle of egos.” A voice suddenly said in front of him across the table.

A blonde suddenly came into focus, and Adam would've been startled if he wasn't so drunk out of his ass.

“None of your fucking business.” He slurred before taking the final gulp from the bottle Lucas had set down before leaving.

“Wow, rude.” The young woman arched her brows, but she didn't look offended. “Guess what, I love rude.”

Adam drank his tequila, ignoring her with the hopes that she would just walk away. Instead, she took the seat opposite his and spoke. “Are you gonna share what's bothering you?”

Adam found himself lamenting. “She defended her. She fucking defended the woman who abandoned I and my little bro when we were like this...” He slurred, using his hands to indicate that they were very little boys. “Why would she do that and tell me that my father is fucking dead because of the choices he made himself?”

“Okay, I don't exactly get what all that is about but I'm assuming the woman who abandoned you is your mother. The other is a friend probably, right?" The girl in front of him said. Adam didn't answer. “Well, she might've defended her for one of these two reasons; she thought you were wrong or she just appreciates the woman more than she appreciates you.”

Adam remembered how Eva had fought her feelings for him in the beginning because she wanted to fulfil that woman's wish for her to marry Brandon, and he grimaced.

Rebecca had taken care of Eva since she was an infant, supposedly 'loved her' like she was her daughter. Adam knew better; it was obviously so that Eva would be at her beck and call twenty-four-seven, courtesy of her gratitude.

Adam had been in her life for just about less than a year. Obviously she would pick Rebecca over him every time. The thought made his heart squeeze painfully.

And here he was, his father gone. He was practically an orphan. Scratch that, he was an orphan; his mother had died for him years ago.

His eyes suddenly burned with all the tears he'd had no urge to shed during the day. Since he didn't want to be a crying mess in public, he knew he had to head home immediately.

Getting up, he nearly tumbled when the leg of his chair made him stumble. He felt weightless, the world whirling in front of him.

The girl was on her feet immediately, supporting him to stand straight by the shoulder. Adam shrugged her hands off.

“Are you sure you can get home in one piece? Will you be driving?”

“What does it mean to you?” Adam snapped at her, annoyed. “Just go away.”

“I can drive you home if you want.”

“So that you can kick me out in the middle of the road and ran off with my car?” He sneered. “Nice try.”

The girl seemed way too patient to be true. She let out a sigh. “Fine then. I'll drive you in my car and you can come here and pick your car tomorrow. You're in no condition to drive."

Adam grunted, pulling out his wallet from his pocket. He didn't have enough money in it, but it looked enough to pay for his drinks. He tossed everything onto the table.

“Wow, that's enough to pay for twenty bottles of tequila. There's no way you've drank that much.”

Ignoring her, Adam began stumbling off, body swaying. He sensed her following. He couldn't remember what happened outside. Just that one time he was telling her to leave him the fuck alone and the next, he was giving her his car keys and his address, and he was being helped into the backseat of his car.

He probably was just about to pass out when he was shaken violently, the woman announcing that they were at his building. She helped Adam into the ground floor, then the elevator. Adam told her the floor of his penthouse and watched her punch it in.

“Keys?” She asked. Adam told her it was part of the car keys. He didn't know why he was trusting this woman so much. He just knew he needed his bed before he passed out.

He began to strip immediately they entered.

“What the fuck are you doing? You have a woman here for Pete's sake!” The woman screeched.

Adam ignored her until he was down to his boxers, and the last thing he remembered was collapsing into the couch, then everything turned black.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Adam was retching. Then suddenly puking so hard he feared he was going to vomit his intestines. He hadn't eaten any food yesterday so what came out was mostly bile.

A petite hand patted him gently on the back as he continued to vomit, then rubbed him soothingly. His head was killing him too much for him to even feel embarrassed about puking with a lady standing over him.

Finally, when nothing else would come out, he lifted his face away from the water closet and stumbled towards the sink where he rinsed his mouth thrice.

When he turned, the girl from last night was reaching out her two hands to him, one holding two pills and the other a glass of water.

“That's aspirin.” She said encouragingly.

Not that Adam would've rejected them. He grabbed the pills and the glass, and eagerly swallowed the pills while chucking a generous amount of water. He winced after he was done as a throb went through his head.

“You stayed.” He said, stating the obvious as he looked at her.

Thank God he remembered everything from last night until he'd passed out. Otherwise, he would've probably had a different explanation for why he was with her in only his boxers, while she was in that breasts-cupping top that exposed most of her stomach and shorts that exposed the lower swells of her bottom.

“That wasn't the plan.” She clarified. “I wanted to call someone close to you from your phone, but it was switched off. I knew you were going to need help in the morning so I decided to stay. I slept in one of the couches.”

Adam nodded awkwardly as he walked out of the spare bathroom, knowing she was following.

“I'm Asha by the way.”

“Adam.” He said.

“You got pretty wasted last night. That hangover is going to last a while.” She observed.

Adam didn't doubt that for a second. Already, his head felt like it was being split into two. The doorbell rang just then. Asha looked at him with widened eyes before relaxing.

“I'll get that. You just go put on something.” She didn't wait for his consent before rushing off.

Adam had just grabbed his shirt and his trousers for on the floor when he heard her say, “You're looking for Adam? Of course, you're looking for Adam.” A soft chuckle. “This is his house after all. I'm Asha by the way. What's your name?”

The other person didn't respond. Curiosity made Adam pad to the side so that he was in view of the door while asking, “Who is...”

The question caught in his throat as he saw Eva standing at the door. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, then turned to Asha.

When her gaze flashed with horror, Adam realized what she was thinking and how bad the situation looked in that moment.

“Eva...” He said her name with a swallow, detesting the doubts in her eyes.

Asha rapidly looked between him and Eva, and when it seemed like the real issue had dawned on her, she fixed her gaze in Eva, eyes wide in alarm.

“Okay, Eva, I know this looks bad, but it is not what you're thinking. Actually, Adam got drunk shitless yesterday and couldn't drive so I offered to drive him home. He began stripping immediately we entered his room but. . . Eva? Eva!”

Eva had turned and began hurrying towards the elevator. Adam hurried out and held her by the elbow when he caught up with her. The elevator door had already parted for her. “Eva, listen to me, please.”

“Let go of me.” She screamed before shaking him off savagely.

Adam stumbled back as a tumultuous pain shot through his head. He groaned, bracing his hand against the wall for the throbbing to subside. Eva used that opportunity to make the elevator drive down.

Straightening after the pain had mellowed, Adam glared at Asha who was standing with a guilty look on her face. “Did you really have to add the 'I began stripping' part?”

“I'm so sorry.” Her voice was filled with regret. “She must be your girlfriend, and I've ruined things.”

Adam stepped past her into his penthouse. “I will just freshen up and go see her. She'll understand.” He sure was hoping she would. “Right now, I feel like shit.”

“Okay, I think I'll just leave now.” Asha  announced.

She came into the room to pick up her purse which was on the couch she'd slept on, and began heading for the door. Adam knew instantly that his barking at her had soiled her mood.

“Asha.” He called out when she was just in the doorway of the unclosed door. She turned to look at him with an impassive expression. “Thank you for bringing me home last night. Had it not been for you, I would've probably ended up in another stinking alleyway.”

“My pleasure.” She beamed at him before closing the door behind her.

Adam went to his bedroom to use the bathroom there. His breath stunk like a disease. After brushing his teeth and having a cold shower, he changed into a black top and black trousers much like the ones from yesterday.

He wondered what Eva must be thinking as he took the elevator, then headed for his car outside. He'd hurt her so much yesterday with the insults she totally hadn't deserved.

No doubt this would feel like a peel in an already fresh wound. He had to get to her and explain everything to her.

He was about a kilometer from her house when he spotted something that had his hold on the steer faltering. Eva was standing with Brandon in front of her gate, his hands cupping her face while they kissed.

It suddenly felt like Adam's heart was connected to his head, and it's suddenly turbulent beating intensified the throbbing in his head.

So much for her not deserving what he did to her yesterday, he thought as he stepped on the accelerator and sped pass them, the screeching of his tyres echoing the breaking of his heart.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Eva took a deep breath as the elevator stopped on Adam's floor. The woman she was standing beside made a small sound of impatience, making Eva hurry out. Geez, what did she have to do that was so important anyways?

Her eyes fell on the door to Adam's penthouse. Yesterday, a few hours after she'd ran out on finding that woman in Adam's penthouse, she'd had enough time to think and realized that she'd allowed her jealousy to overtake her too quickly.

There was no way Adam would cheat on her even if he was drunk.

She'd waited at her house in hopes of Adam showing up any moment to offer her some explanation. He never did. That was why she was here this morning. Perhaps he hadn't come because he wasn't feeling well.

After pressing the doorbell several times, it finally occurred to her that Adam wasn't around. Regretting that she hadn't called first, she brought out her phone from her purse. She dialed his number three times, but they all went straight to voicemail.

She looked for Lucas's number, thankful that she'd taken it from Adam and saved it just in case. Lucas picked up just when the dial was about to end.

“Hello?” He sounded like the last thing he wanted to deal with was an unknown number.

“Hey, Lucas. This is Eva. I was just wondering whether Adam is with you. I've come to his house but it seems he's not around.”

Lucas cursed under his breath. “Adam really didn't tell you, did he?”

The ominous question had her heart picking up pace. “Tell me what, Lucas?”

“Eva, Adam has left LA.”

___________

Dammit, I know it has been blow after blow for the last 10 chapters or so. Hopefully we're done taking any more blows. Hopefully. Note the emphasis.😂😂😂

LOL(Lots Of Love)
–Enock