Chapter 2 SKYLA'S POV

Welcome to Johnny's" A loud voice boomed over the loud music the moment I stepped inside.

I had no idea how I ended up here, ended up in a run-down bar at the heart of the city, but right now, I didn't care. I needed this

I needed the Distraction.

I stumbled towards the bar, my emotions haywire. "Something strong" I muttered, slumping unceremoniously onto the seat.

The bartender smirked as he grabbed a bottle. "Rough night?" his voice carried a warm teasing lilt, his sea blue eyes twinkling under the dimly lit room.

Sea blue eyes, just like Steve's, I could feel another bout of tears threatening to spill. I hastily squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling an unhealthy amount of breath. I wasn't going to think of him

"Say something?"

"Make it strong" I muttered, plastering a fake smile on my face. The loud thumping of the music made me feel queasy.

He nodded, expertly mixing my drink. The rhythmic clinking of the ice against the glass was oddly soothing, a welcoming distraction from the chaos going on in my mind.

"There you go," he said in his thick Italian accent, a warm smile taking half of his face.

"Thank you" I muttered, greedily downing the drink in one whole gulp. The burning taste of the alcohol only incited my misery.

Damn, was this how heartbreak felt, like this raw unexplainable pain that does nothing but make you want to burrow yourself into the ground and never come out?

"More please?" I asked hoarsely, internally cringing at my own voice.

"Coming right up" He quipped with a small smile.

The sudden increase of the music made me flinch slightly as I looked around the dimly lit bar. Several sweaty bodies tangled against each other as they screamed their lungs out, bouncing and jumping energetically on a spot

"What is going on?" I asked the bartender, confusion evident in my voice as I downed the second drink; the smell of sweaty bodies and a faint smell of a familiar perfume wafted into my nostrils as I had imagined it.

"Oh, the rush hour", the bartender replied in a bored tone, shuddering slightly as he cast a swift glance to the dance floor, several bodies grinding aggressively against each other, I felt bile rise to my throat. Scrunching my nose slightly in disgust, I cast a sudden glance to the VIP section, several expensive bottles lined up in those fancy ice-filled metal buckets.

Rolling my eyes slightly, I felt my whole body start to tingle, flames of anger and desire licking through every crevice and corner of my body as I stared at familiar unwavering deep-sea green eyes

The disgust swirling in his turbulent orbs made my mouth go dry, the severity of my action crashing down on me.

I needed to leave.

With trembling fingers. I hastily paid for my drink, my heart thumping furiously against my rib cage as I tried to flee. Memories from previous years that I had tried to subdue trickled in like a broken cassette.

Beads of sweat had started to form on my temple as I rushed through sweaty bodies, the world blurring out the edges as I fought my way through the sticky floor, the smell of sweaty bodies nauseating.

Heaving a sigh of relief immediately, I got out, the cool Manhattan air slapping against my skin slowly as I embraced it, glad to be out of the bar, far away from him.

"For a moment, I thought it was my vision playing tricks on me" His familiar voice rang out, and the disgust coating his every word made me flinch.

"Xavier I didn't mean...

"No Skyla, you would let me speak" His gruff voice rang through my ears, the hate in his eyes when I turned to look at him saddening.

"God, I can't believe I loved you, Skyla, I honestly did, and what do I get in return lies, heartaches, deceit, then you run along and date my younger brother for six damn years" He spat angrily, his words confusing me more.

"I don't understand Xavier, your brother?

"You know what, Skyla, I finally see you for who you are, and you deserve everything that is coming your way, Sky" " he spat, his deep sea green eyes swirling with so much hurt, it made my heart sink. I turned him into a monster.

If, after all these years, could he have found out, found out what I did, why I left.

"Can we talk, please? I swear you are getting this all wrong, Xavier," I pleaded desperately, my stomach knotting slowly with grief.

"There's nothing to talk about, Skyla; you made your bed now. You have to lie on it" He muttered gravely, the look of defiance that spread across his porcelain face defying.

"If I were you, Skyla, I would run for the hills and never look back", he spat, and with that, he was gone, leaving in his wake misery, anger, and pain.

The soft chimes of my notification that wouldn't stop blowing up made me reach out for my phone, several messages from Tanya and Steve filling half of my screen

"No.. no", I yelled, slapping my hands over my mouth as I stared at all the minus signs on my bank statement and a message that my house was on the lease.

"No.. this... it can't be" I stammered, hot tears clouding my vision as I tried to put a call through to Steve, my heart sinking every single time it went into voice mail.

With a defiant scream, I finally let it all out; the tears that I had been holding in came running down my face in torrents. It felt like my whole world was frozen. Only the soft ring of my phone jolted me from the daze I was in.

"Eddie, I need you", I whispered slowly, my voice tight with several emotions clogging my throat.

I needed it to end, everything.