The fourth time I came out of the bathroom, I lost Ash for good.

I'd always envied her for having such a strong bladder-I had to go every half hour when sober and every ten when drinking. After having Danni, everything went through me and out in less than an hour.

It'd been so long since I'd drank this much that I did stagger a little on my trek to the bar, knowing that it was the only median in this giant building. Even in my drunken state I was smart enough to push past the few men that tried to approach and offer help, and eventually fell into the bar stool at the bar I'd occupied a few hours ago. I had just lifted my head when I heard something slam against the surface beside my hand, and hardly had enough time to look to James behind the counter before a waft of fresh French fries filled the air. My hand shot out and I started stuffing my face in a very un-lady like manner, but I wasn't trying to impress anyone.

"These fries are so good." I said, pinching one between my thumb and index finger. "So good."

"You're drunk." James stated the obvious, and I finally focused my attention on him. He wasn't wearing the black, Blues uniform, but now wore an oversized anime shirt. Every time I tried to make out which show my vision doubled and I eventually looked back to his face so I wouldn't get a headache. "Where's Ash?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno. I had to pee again and when I came out I couldn't find her."

"Did you even look?" James asked.

I made a gesture to the crowd dancing. "Have at it, but I have no desire to walk into that sweaty mess again, thanks."

The faintest of a smirk appeared on his face at the comment. "You're a sweaty mess yourself, babe."

"I know." I said, then leaned down to smell myself. "But at least I smell like cucumbers. I think most of the people here forget what personal hygiene is."

"You get used to the smell." His smirk had grown into a full smile. "I mean, after it burns your nose hairs."

I laughed, grabbing another handful of fries. "I don't think I've been this hungry in a long time."

He shook his head to himself, his smile still lingering as he exited the bar and walked around so he was standing amongst us customers.

"Well, would you look at you." I said, pointing a fry at him. "You somehow manage to make that whole geek shit sexy too."

He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes shooting over my shoulder. Just the quick, sudden movement had the muscles in his arms pushing against the fabric and threatening to tear it.

Curious, I followed his gaze to see why he'd grown so tense to find a group of guys, all eying me from a booth across the room.

"Oh, is there something on my face?" I asked James, standing. But the second I stood up, I could feel the air against the lower half of my body, and James nearly tripped over himself as he lurched forward and yanked the back of my skimpy red dress back down.

"You need to go home." he said with a sigh. "Come on."

I shook my head, stomping my foot like a child. "I'm having fun. Plus, I can't just leave Ash here."

"You come in an UBER?" he asked with a hopeful expression.

"Obviously." I answered, making a duh gesture with my hands. "Come on, stop killing my vibe, James."

He snorted at that. "Babe, those guys over there have been eying you all night."

"So?"

"So there's five of them and one of you. Even if Ash joined you, there'd be two against five."

My drunken brain still wasn't comprehending the words. "Okay?"

"Harley, they're waiting for you to be alone."

"I'm still not following."

"Let's go." he reached out and grasped my arm roughly.

I immediately jerked away, my heart racing sending my head spinning to a point I ended up having to reach forward to dig my nails into his shoulder to keep from eating the floor.

"Shit, sorry." he mumbled, then leaned back to say something to his coworker behind the bar. She nodded and waved over a guard, but I didn't have a chance to ask what it was about before he wrapped his arm around my waist and threw my arm over his shoulder. He supported my weight until we were out at his Camaro, momentarily releasing me against the passenger side door so he could unlock it.

"You better not puke in my car." he said, waving his finger in front of me. "I'll make you clean it. Hungover."

I giggled as if he'd made a joke, but he just shook his head again and opened the door behind me and all but placed me into the passenger seat as if I weighed nothing and reached across me to put my seatbelt on. I brushed my nails against the stubble along his jawline and forced his chin in my direction.

"Stop." he said through his teeth. "Does Linds live with you guys?"

"No."

He touched his cold fingertips to the top of my hand. "You can spend the night at my place again."

"But you just told me to stop touching you." I whispered, confused.

"I'm not having sex with you, Harley." he explained it slow, as if he were talking to a child. "I'm just not comfortable with leaving you at your house with nobody there."

The thought of Ash still in the club was in my head one second, but by the time he walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat, it'd faded.

He started the car and let it heat up while he situated himself in the seat, the muscles in his bicep tensing and releasing with every movement.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked.

He stared at me for a moment, as if he were questioning whether he was making the right decision having to deal with me all night. "Got more important shit to worry about."

"You have fun with them though, right?"

He shifted uncomfortably and put the car in drive. "I guess."

"I've never seen you with anyone."

"You still hungry?" he diverted the subject. "Because I'll do anything to have you stop asking me questions right now."

I slumped back against my seat, allowing his rock ballad to fill the silence between us until we were out in traffic. He cursed under his breath seeing the grid lock right before the freeway and leaned into the headrest.

"My lawyer doesn't think Dalton will stay behind bars for long." I figured if we were going to be here a while we should at least talk to one another.

Confused, he glanced my way, "Dalton is who?"

"My ex-boyfriend." I answered without emotion. "Danni's dad."

James didn't say anything, but he'd gripped the steering wheel so tightly his fingers were draining of color.

"It's bullshit." he eventually got out. "Shit like that is why it's so hard for women like you and my mother to get out of abusive relationships."

"I'm scared." this came out in a quiet whimper. "I don't want him to try and come after us. After me. Not after what he did to us."

James reached across the console and rested a hand on my bare thigh. "He won't. If by chance he does get out of prison earlier, his probation officer and your order of protection and restraining order will keep him away."

"I was arrested that night too." I felt the need to clear the air with the words. "I was taken to the hospital in the back of a police car, James."

James remained silent, eyes trained ahead, but his hand remained on my leg as if he were trying to figure out whether he wanted to comfort me or not.

"I didn't hurt her." I said, seeing the internal confliction he was fighting. "I sold my myself and drugs for money. I needed to get out of there and he wouldn't let me work. I had to get money somehow."

He still didn't speak.

"I know it's my fault, okay? I know that I should have seen the red flags flashing like a caution sign in my face when I was a high school senior and he was a twenty three year old man. I know that I shouldn't have ever allowed him to get me pregnant. I know I should have listened to Ash the second she told me she didn't like him, that he was dangerous. I know, James."

He hit his turn signal and a few minutes later we were in a gas station parking lot. He parked the car in front of the store and shifted his body in my direction. "It's not your fault, Harley."

"But it is. My fucking baby has night terrors whenever she spends the night with me. Because of me! Because I didn't leave sooner. Because I brought her into this world with a narcissistic, controlling piece of shit!" I pushed his hand off me. "Do you even understand how many times I wished that Dalton would have put me out of my fucking misery? How many times I almost let him? But I didn't, because I knew that sweet, innocent, beautiful little baby would be next."

"Harley—"

I buried my hands in my hair and squeezed my eyes shut. "Don't. You know what happens when that sentence and probation is over? He's going to come after me! He's going to find me. He's going to fucking kill me, James. Or he'll take her from me out of spite and do only God knows what!"

James unbuckled his seatbelt and moved forward, taking my shoulders in his hands.

"He won't touch you, Harley. That Order of Protection—"

"You don't know Dalton."

"Dalton doesn't know me." he said, turning to stare straight ahead out the windshield. "And he's going to wish he never did if he steps within a hundred feet of any of either of you girls."

*

Scott and Chris were in the middle of an intense shooting game, a piece of pizza hanging halfway out of Chris' mouth as he shouted profanities at his roommate when James opened the door and stepped aside so I could follow him in. The moment Scott's eyes flickered to me, he paused the game and looked to James in surprise.

"Do you just want to embarrass us bro?"

"It's all good, I won't remember most of this tomorrow." I piped in.

Chris laughed and said, "You look like a clown puked on you, dude."

I touched my hand to my chest in feign hurt. "Gee, you sure know how to make a girl feel beautiful."

"I try, I try." he winked at me as he had the first time we'd met, then looked to his roommate over my head. "Do we need to grab headphones?"

I felt warmth creep up the back of my neck hearing the question. James didn't even bother to respond verbally, instead he grabbed the pillow from the recliner in front of us and chucked it at Chris. The defensive end held his hands up in surrender and James led me down the hall to his room. He went straight for his closet, but his bed was looking nice after my episode in the car and all those drinks seeming to finally be catching up with me.

"I need to do laundry." James muttered to himself as he crossed the room to me. "All I got is my jersey. Please don't throw up on it."

"No promises." I responded, grabbing the black and red clothes from his hand. Though I'd sobered up a decent bit on the drive back here, it wasn't enough, as I didn't even think to tell him to leave the room as I unzipped the back of my dress and wiggled out of it.

"I should, uh, go." he turned on his heel to leave but I caught his wrist and stopped him.

I could tell he wanted to get out of the room as fast as humanly possible, but he still looked back at me expectantly.

"Can you stay?" I whispered as I slipped the jersey over my head. "Please. Just until I fall asleep. Ash usually does. Helps with the nightmares."

He looked back toward the door, as if he were seriously considering making a run for it. After a minute of contemplation he leaned past me and threw the comforter up so I could climb into the bed. I did so, and ever the gentlemen he'd proved to be, he set it back down before laying on top of it, hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"James?" I whispered.

He looked to me. "Hmm?"

"Thank you." I yawned, then added softly, "Goodnight."

I felt his hand gently turn my body, so I was on my side before his voice entered my dreamy daze.

"Goodnight, beautiful."