Damon
Slamming the door after me does nothing but echo around me. It doesn’t relieve the frustration or dowse the humiliation. I got so carried away with her in my arms, I wasn’t thinking properly, fuck, I wasn’t thinking at all. I was lost in the moment with her, I needed her more than I needed my next breath.
I make it halfway to the elevator before I stop and backtrack to the door to the suite. I wrap my hand around the key card in my back pocket and freeze. I want to go in and apologise, but I’m learning fast how Alice thinks, if I push her too far, too fast, she’ll go back to shutting me out completely. Then again, if that’s what she really thinks about me, then there is no chance of going back to getting to know her.
I push away from the door and stride over to the elevator, I have to stop myself from punching the button for the lobby but still, I press it harder than necessary.
I call Harry on my way down and when the doors open, he is waiting for me.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“They went to Rockers ‘n’ Rollers.”
Perfect.
Loud music, alcohol, and masses of people to distract me.
“Take me to them,” I instruct him.
Throughout the drive, I burn to have the car turn around and take me back to her, just being near her sets my soul on fire. She’s sad, uptight, stubborn, and protectively sarcastic, and yet, from the minute we landed in LA, all I’ve wanted to do is break through her barriers, and get closer to her.
Fuck.
I’ve become accustomed to women coming to me, falling over themselves to please me, it’s made me lazy when it comes to the opposite sex.
The club is bouncing and the queue to get in is up the street and around the corner. Harry brings the car to a stop outside the doors, and climbs out, coming to open my door. I hear my name being called by the people in the queue, but tonight, I can’t focus on them. The music inside soon drowns them out, and Harry sticks to my side as I push through the crowds. I don’t have to guess where the guys will be, I’ll find them in the VIP area.
I spot Baz first, standing on one of the tables, holding a bottle of something in the air. Freddie is busy hooking up with a chick in the corner, not giving a shit about everyone around them. River is the only one who notices me and pours me a drink. I fall onto the chair next to him and neck the shot in one go.
“I’m surprised to see you here, how’s Joel?”
I pour myself another drink and down it in one. Slamming the glass down on the table, I reach for the bottle and swig straight from the source.
“Damon, what’s going on?”
“I’ve ruined everything,” I admit, sinking a large gulp of burning whiskey, “When I first saw her, I forgot how to breathe. I wasn’t ready for this, but I’ve got used to it real fast and I’ve already fucked it with her.”
“You’re talking about Alice?” he sighs and takes the bottle from me.
“Who else would I be talking about?” I grunt, leaning over to take the bottle back.
He moves it out of my reach. I look around the table and find a full bottle of champagne. Anything will do tonight, I’m not fussed.
“What happened?”
Tipping the bottle back, I pour the cold bubbles down my throat. I’ll drink as much as I must to forget the disgustful remark she threw at me.
“I kissed her.”
“So? How’s that ruined anything? Isn’t she into you?”
“I think she is, but with Joel as sick as he is, I reckon she feels bad about having a good time occasionally.”
“Tell me exactly what happened,” he says.
I sink another large mouthful of champagne and tighten my grip around the neck of the bottle.
“Joel went to sleep, and she started cleaning up, I told her to leave it but I could see that she needed a distraction and I’ve wanted to kiss her since we were in New York, so I did, and she was into it until she heard Joel coughing. When she came back from checking on him I was hoping to pick up where we left off, but she had already closed herself off.”
“And then what happened?” he pushes.
“And then she said, she wasn’t going to lay on her back for me while her brother was sick in the next room. Like I said, I pushed her too fast.”
Fuck this.
I chug back the remainder of champagne and shove the bottle back in the ice bucket. I eye the bottle of whiskey River took from me sat on his lap, and take it back.
“You don’t have to know her for too long to know she hides behind Joel, Damon. Give her time and I imagine it will work itself out.”
River is more like a brother to me and while I usually take all his advice, tonight, I just want to wallow.
“Hey, Damo, watch out,” Baz hollers, and as I turn around to see what he’s going on about, a blonde beauty falls onto my lap.
Her perfume attacks my senses and her skin feels like sandpaper brushing against me. She winds her arm around my neck and leans in to speak in my ear.
Before she can say a word, I jerk my leg, and she stands, looking down at me.
I don’t want to be rude to her, I’m sure she’d stick with me all night, laugh at my jokes if I were in the mood, and she’d jump at the chance to go home with me, but I can’t open my mouth.
I just ignore her, just like I should’ve done with Alice. She gets the message and walks away from the table and I check my phone.
Alice hasn’t tried calling or sent any messages.
“I can’t deal with this,” I admit.
“You know what she’s been through, and the only guy she needs is her brother. She’s the type who wants a guy, not needs them, the only thing she needs from you is to be there for Joel. You’re treading on a fine line if you’re falling for her.”
The mixture of champagne and whiskey is starting to hit me, and I lean my head in my hands on the table.
“You are falling for her, aren’t you,” he says.
Twisting my head, so I’m looking at him, I can see the shock on his face.
“She’s like no one else I’ve ever met, Riv. She’s getting to me and I don’t have a clue what to do.”
He slaps me on the back and instead of taking the alcohol away from me, he pours us another drink from another bottle and pushes the glass towards me. I look up and he’s holding his up.
“I never thought I’d see this day, Damon Coleman being brought to his knees,” he chuckles, “Let’s have drink, and tomorrow we’ll set things right for you.”
So that’s what I do, I drink, I keep to myself and I try to figure out how I’m going to set things right with Alice.