All I Ever Wanted

Chapter 17

"Logan, you aight?"

Unable to bring myself to speak, I ignore the deep male voice from the other side of the door as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Tears are pouring down my cheeks like waterfalls, my curls are sticking up in various directions, mascara is streaked on my face, and worst of all, I look...broken.

He knocks again, this time louder. "Hey, come on out and talk to me, gorgeous. It's not a big deal. Everything's gon' be aight."

Choking back a sob, I shake my head as I slowly slide down onto the floor into a heaping mess as memories of last night come flooding through my mind.

Flashback:

I sighed as I stared down at the scuffed up wooden bar before me. The last place I expected to end up was at a dingy bar in the depths of Oakland, but I didn't have much of a choice. My phone had died an hour ago, my legs ached beyond belief from walking twenty miles in uncomfortable torn up sneakers, and I only had five dollars cash on me because I had left my purse at Klay's? Basically, my options were limited.

"What can I get ya, toots?" The old bartender asked as he cleaned a glass.

Knowing that my five dollars wasn't going to get me very far, I hung my head low. "Water please."

The guy beside me snorted, causing me to look up at him. "Who goes to a bar just to order water?"

I glared at him and gritted my teeth. "You wouldn't understand."

He shook his head and chuckled before motioning to the bartender. "Get us two shots of Jack Daniels, Jim. Put it on my tab and keep em' comin'."

Jim nodded his head gleefully before setting to work on the shots, and all I did was focus my attention on the good looking guy next to me. Something about him seemed familiar...tall, lean frame, tattoos...

"You seem familiar for some reason," I told him, and he grinned at me.

"That's what all the ladies say. You end up in my bed before?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust and rolled my eyes. "Definitely not."

"Damn, you don't know what you're missin' out on. I'm Nick."

I'm not sure why I felt compelled to talk to the stranger, but talking to someone was better than sitting there by myself. "Logan."

"Nice to meet you, Logan," he said huskily, and before I knew what had happened, a shot of dark amber liquid had been placed in my hand, "now, you gonna help me drink this up or do I have to find another pretty girl to assist me?"

It was obvious he was flirting with me, and I knew then that I should set the drink down and walk away, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, not when all I had waiting on me was going go be an angry Klay and an annoying Ava.

Against my better judgement, I clinked my glass against his and said 'Bottoms up' before downing the shot, coughing as it burned down my throat.

"Now, whatcha say I order us another round and you tell me what's goin' on witchu," Nick said as he motioned for Jim to bring us another round.

Truthfully, my business with Klay was nobody elses, and I should have just listened to the warning bells in my head go leave now and go suffer the consequences for my actions, but the fact that this stranger didn't know me and was willing to listen to all of the crap that I have been dealing with...

...had been too tempting to pass up.

"Well, it all started when this guy..."

.  .  .

Eight rounds later, I had finished telling him my story. Not only did I feel better that I had gotten it off of my chest, but the alcohol had finally set in and I felt much more relaxed.

I giggled as I laid my head on his shoulder. "Now you know what I've been dealing with."

Nick shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah, that guy seems like a real ass. You're too sexy of a girl to get treated like that."

A small smile formed on my lips. "Sexy, huh? How should I be treated then?"

His eyes darkened with lust as they roamed over my body, and I couldn't help the desire that coursed through my body as I watched him lick his thick lips. "Let me show you."

Everything in my mind had been screaming at me to stop and leave, to not go through with what would surely be the biggest mistake of my life. I should have listened, but instead...

"Okay," I whispered,  and my heart thumped loudly against my chest as I allowed him to pull me up from the barstool and help me out to his car.

End flashback

The rest of the night had been one that I choose not to relive. I have no doubt in my mind that we slept together because I can still remember his loud groans, his lips all over my body, the way he felt when he was...

Clenching my eyes shut, I cover my face with my hands as I sob into them. Never in my life have I wanted a redo so badly. If I thought Klay wasn't going to forgive me for running away before, there is no way that he will now, not after what I've done to him.

Knowing that I need to get out of here as quickly as possible, I wipe away my tears and shakily make my way to the door. After cracking it open a peep, I look around the room to see if Nick is still around.

Thankfully, it's empty.

Quietly, I slip out of the bathroom and hurry over to the door to his bedroom, checking to make sure the coast is clear before exiting. Thank God he only has a one story house, although the bad thing is that it is huge. There are so many hallways and turns in this place that I'm not sure if I'll ever get out of here.

As I tip toe down the long hallway to my right, I start to think that I am going in the right direction...

...until I hear a voice that causes me to freeze.

"I don't know where the hell she is, Nick. I asked Steph if he's seen her, and Dray, and Seth, I even asked her best friend. She hasn't been home, and I'm worried."

My heart shatters in my chest, and I cover my mouth to keep from crying out as my heart drops to the pit of my stomach.

"Well, maybe she found a man to take care of her since you can't."

Oh, no.

It's deathly quiet for a moment before Klay's lethal voice grounds out, "What did you say?"

The sound of a chair scraping the floor causes me to wince, and then Nick's voice rings out. "You heard me. Maybe she found a man that can satisfy her in bed and make her laugh a little bit too."

The sound of fists flying causes me to scream, and I quickly run into the room only to see the two of them beating each other to a pulp. "Klay! Nick! Stop it!"

The two of them ignore me, and I scream again as Klay's fists collides with Nick's jaw, sending him crashing down onto the tiled floor of the kitchen. It only takes Nick a second to get up, and I gasp when he sends Klay straight back into stainless steel refrigerator.

"Guys, stop!" I yell out, even though by now I know that it isn't going to do any good. The only way to get them to stop is to try and break them up.

Running up to them, I grab Klay's right arm and try to pull him away, but he is so much bigger and stronger than me that he doesn't budge an inch.

"Klay!" I yell pleadingly, trying to get through to him. Just as I open my mouth to yell something else, a fist collides with the right side of my face, and all I can see is stars before my entire world fades to black.