"Lindsey is asking if we're coming tonight." Ash's enthusiasm this early in the morning made my eye start twitching. I'd spent the weekend clutching Danni to my chest as she suffered through night terrors all night. She'd had them since a little after she'd turned two-a direct result of not only being witness to the abuse her father inflicted, but victim to it as well. When she was with my parents, Mom assured that they weren't as often or bad, and that it was usually one and they were able to put her back down without much resistance.

That broke the little that was left of my heart. My daughter, my baby, suffered worse in my presence. I knew that it was because her subconscious was connecting being around me to her father. To him barging into her nursery at the latest hours of the night and dragging me out by my hair while she cried for me on the other side of the door. She, like me, had been in therapy for the last six months, but I don't think any amount of it was going to take away the fear, the soul-draining terror that tormented our every thought. The urge to always look over our shoulders and wince anytime we're approached.

"Earth to Harley." Ash waved her hand in front of my face, eyes raking my face in worry. "You okay?"

"Exhausted." I mumbled, massaging my temples. "What'd you just say?"

She rummaged through my dresser until she came out with a brand-new pack of hair ties, tossing her blonde waves back into a tight ponytail. "Linds is begging us to show tonight."

My top lip curled at the thought of stepping foot inside of a nightclub again. I hadn't been in one for years, and celebrating our friend's twenty-fifth birthday didn't seem to be the best time to revisit it. No doubt both Ash and Lindsey would be wasted by the end of the night, and I was so worn out and exhausted from hundred-hour work weeks and sleepless nights plagued with nightmares, that I wasn't sure I could handle them.

"Come on, I think it'd be good for you." Ash said, nudging my arm. "Get you back out on the market and—"

"I don't want to be back out there, Ash."

She sighed, extending her hand to squeeze my shoulder comfortingly. "I know what you went through is unimaginable, Har. But you can't completely close yourself off from guys. They aren't all out to hurt you."

"Speaking of guys, did you take that guy from the bar back here the other night?"

I hoped that with the diversion of the subject, she'd drop it completely, but it backfired immediately.

"Oh, you mean James?" she leaned back into the dresser with a smirk touching at her cherry red lips. "I got the impression that he wasn't interested in me in the least."

"Right, because a guy would have to be blind or gay to not be interested in you, Ash. You're literally every man's dream."

She snickered. "Well, your man was sitting there asking about you all night. So I think we may have found one that fits perfectly into that gray area of being into you, babe."

"Asked about me?" my voice dropped into a hoarse whisper. "You. . . you didn't tell him anything, did you?"

"Just that you were a twenty-three-year-old single mom who just got out of a horribly abusive relationship and live at—"

I threw my hands up in exasperation, "Ashley!"

"Of course I didn't say anything, Har. It's not my place. And after the last incident with Dalton's crack head cousin, I know better." she tilted her head a fraction to the left. "What's his deal though? You think he knows Dalton? Or do you think he's just genuinely into you?"

"Don't know." I shrugged a shoulder and reached over her shoulder to grab my purse. "I don't have the time to sit around and figure it out either."

**

Being roped into attending my high school friend's birthday was the last thing I wanted to do tonight, but my heart and gratefulness for both of my gorgeous friends was enough for me to put aside my feelings and go. I hadn't been to Blue as a single woman. I'd gone a handful of times with Dalton and his buddies, but being in here alone now, in a body hugging black dress that bordered on skimpy, and a face of makeup, I knew that I'd have a few guys approach.

Unfortunately, as soon as we stepped into the building, I was blinded by strobe lights, and it was the first of shitty things to happen. Not long after, Lindsey ran to me and spilt what was left of her drink all over the front of my dress. Rather than stay and listen to her drunk and slurred apology, I hugged her, wished her a happy birthday, then excused myself to the bathroom. By the time I came back out after trying to cover up the scent of alcohol with my perfume and washing up, my friends were nowhere to be seen. No doubt lost in the crowd of people grinding and dancing happily on the dance floor.

Throwing myself down at the bar, I propped my head up against my hand and scrolled through my mother's Facebook and frowned. She'd taken Danni to the aquarium this evening and she had the biggest smile on her face, her dark blonde hair done up in cute pigtails. These were the moments I was supposed to be experiencing with her, but hardly, if ever got the chance as I was paying bills, off debt, putting money away in savings, or just trying to buy her the necessities she needed. I never had the extra money to take her to places like that.

"Hey, babe."

For a second, I saw red; I saw and heard nothing but the ringing in my ears and the blurred wall straight ahead. Logically speaking, I knew it couldn't be Dalton behind me, but my body clearly hadn't gotten that memo and I felt as if I were on the verge of a panic attack until the man slid into the vacant bar stool next to me. I didn't even bother to get a good look at him, instead I whipped my head in the opposite direction and breathed in to try and keep my composure.

"You here alone?"

I bit down hard on my lip to keep from snapping crudely. "No."

"You're looking a bit lonely over here for not comin' alone."

"And you're looking a little desperate." I said through my teeth before I could stop myself. "I'm not interested. Go find another woman."

I knew by the loud grunt that escaped the man that he wasn't at all pleased with my reaction. I waited until he was gone to look back down at the marble countertop. Deciding it'd be best to go and try and find the girls, I stood and spun on my heel, only to run right into the bartender carrying a tray of glasses. Within ten seconds a couple dozen shot glasses were a mess of shards on the floor, and I yet again smelt like a walking distillery.

I knew I should have stayed at home tonight.

"Shit, I'm sorry." the quiet voice drowned out my thoughts and my head whipped up at lightning speed. Low and behold, football player locker room guy was standing before me, fully clothed and without Ash trying to break the tension this time. He wore a tight black shirt with Blue in bold letters across the front, and a pair of dark jeans, but unlike the couple times I'd seen him, his hair was less messy I-woke-up-like-this and gelled back and away from his face. The simplest of actions with his hair being off his face highlighted his sharp cheekbones and jawline, and his eyes were almost as blue as the writing on his shirt.

"Harley?" he blinked, genuinely taken back. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I slapped both hands against my face and groaned loudly.

"You okay?" he questioned when I didn't respond, then leaned in and whispered with the slightest of playfulness in his voice, "You smell like a bar."

"I need to go."

I tried to move passed him, but my entire body went into fight or flight mode when I caught sight of Lindsey trying to free herself from a man's grip across the room. Her red hair was sticking to her face in sweat, but even from afar I could see the fear in her eyes and body language. I stalked across the room, not sure what exactly it was that I planned to do when I reached them, but knew I had to do something.

"Hey, Linds." I greeted as soon as I approached, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "I've been looking for you all night."

"We were just leaving." The man said, giving her arm a rough tug. I stepped forward and dug my nails into his forearm.

"I think you meant you were just leaving."

The man looked between the two of us before he rolled his eyes and stumbled off to go find someone else to prey on. Lindsey leaned into my shoulder and sniffled. "Thank you."

"Yeah of course."

As if the events proceeding the next moment weren't bad enough, the night had to end with a great bang. I was immediately drawn into the crowd as they all started screaming and chanting. Lindsey, being tipsy and the already curious girl she was, made a run for the crowd to see what was going on. Following closely behind, I squeezed through what seemed like hundreds of sweaty people in desperate need of deodorant before I finally reached the horror show at the epicenter. There stood Ash, a bloody mess, another girls dark hair in between her fingers.

"Ash!" I snapped, shoving a man out of the way to reach my best friend. "Ash, not again! Come on, it's not worth it. We need to go!"

Sadly, it was too late. For both me and Ash. As soon as I was within reach, the girl was able to break free of my friend's grip and threw herself at me instead of her intended target. She dragged her acrylics down my face, from just under my eyes to above my dimple on my left cheek before she started throwing closed fisted punches. A switch went off in my head, but just as I lurched forward to fight her, I was restrained, most definitely by a man by the strength of the arms around me.

"Let me go!" I snarled, turning to find Ash and the she-devil had been secured by security guards. I managed to break my arm free, but when I threw my right arm back to get a hold of it again, my elbow went right into locker room boy's face, and he dropped his arms from me and staggered back as he touched at his nose. Blood steadily started to ease its way out, and just as I lifted my arms up to block the punch he was undoubtedly about to throw himself, he dropped his gaze and stalked away.

Not long after his departure, a guard approached, took my arm roughly in his grip. Only I didn't fight. I didn't snap angrily or bitterly at him or try to defend myself. I allowed him to drag me out of the place, hoping this would all be some really shitty lucid nightmare once I stepped outside.