Chapter 3 THE BLUE EYED STRANGER

I made my way out of his building but froze in shock at the sight in front of me.

It was Harry.

He was kissing another lady right in front of the building.

It felt like I was starstruck-I couldn't move or take another step.

They were too immersed in the act to notice me, but when he finally did, I saw the shock in his eyes-only for a moment-before it was quickly replaced by something I couldn't define.

"You!" I let out, but my emotions got the best of me when I saw the face of the lady.

It was Britney.

She's Harry's colleague at work.

He said they were just friends, and I stupidly believed him.

"So this is it? This is the reason why you're willing to throw away everything we had!?" I found myself screaming right in his face.

"No, Nancy. You brought this on yourself. How did I ever think I'd be able to deal with you? And the thought that I nearly married you makes me sick!"

The way he drew out every word-with so much hate and disgust in his eyes.

Where did it all go wrong?

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat as I struggled to catch my breath.

"How long has this been going on, huh?" I asked, as I stared from him to her.

"He doesn't want you. The least you could do is return the ring and be on your way," Britney said with little to no remorse about her actions.

I found myself marching up to her as I took off the ring that once brought a smile to my face.

I raised it up, ready to throw it at her-but stopped myself when Harry immediately stepped in, pulling her back as he faced me.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on her. Just do as she said. Leave. You can keep the ring for all I-"

I didn't let him finish what he had to say before I sent a punch his way, hitting him to the ground.

---

Nancy's POV

"Talk to me like that again, and I'll make sure you lose all your teeth," I snapped, meaning every word.

I yanked the ring off my finger and hurled it at him before storming off.

It wasn't until I was out of sight that the pain struck with full force.

My chest felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces.

I clutched at it, choking on the sobs that erupted from somewhere deep inside me.

I cried until I couldn't cry anymore.

Eventually, I flagged down a taxi and gave the address of the bar I had been at before Harry's call ruined what was left of my evening.

When I arrived, I hesitated outside the bar, unsure of what to do or where to go next.

I had no home to run to-Harry had been my home, and now he was just... gone.

With no better idea, I turned and went back inside, heading straight to the bar.

"Another cocktail," I told the bartender.

And then another.

And another.

I kept drinking until the room began to spin so fast I couldn't even focus.

Each sip dulled the ache in my heart, numbed the betrayal that had taken root in my bones.

But soon I couldn't even lift the glass without swaying.

My eyes grew unbearably heavy, and when I finally attempted to stand, everything around me tilted.

The dizziness was overwhelming, and I felt my body lurch backward.

But just before I hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me, holding me steady.

I looked up and found myself staring into the most breathtaking pair of blue eyes I had ever seen.

The light in the bar caught the amber flecks within them, making them glint like fire beneath ice.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice cutting through the haze.

I blinked, trying to hold myself up as a wave of nausea rolled through me.

"No," I muttered. "I don't feel okay at all. It feels like my world is falling apart."

I didn't expect him to hear me over the music, but he did.

"No matter what you're going through, you shouldn't be alone like this. You can't even stand straight."

I blinked again and looked at him, confused.

"What state?"

"You're drunk," he said, gesturing to the fact that he was literally holding me upright. "You can barely hold yourself together."

His voice was too kind, too calm, and I hated that I liked it.

I hated that it made me feel safe.

Before I could respond, he began guiding me toward a table in the corner, his hand still gently wrapped around mine.

When we reached the seat, he helped me sit down.

"Stay here until you sober up. Then you can leave safely."

He signaled to a waitress passing by, and I just stared at him, letting his presence be the one still thing in a world that wouldn't stop spinning.

He felt like an anchor in a storm.

Before long, the waitress returned with his order-a bottle of beer and a glass.

He began drinking in silence, one glass after another, until he waved her over again to bring more.

When he lifted his hand to order his fourth drink, something inside me stirred.

"Wow," I murmured, my voice slurred, "the room's still spinning, but I kind of want to drink more."

I reached for the fresh glass he had just poured for himself and tilted it back, finishing it in one gulp.

He raised an eyebrow at me but said nothing as he refilled the glass.

The waitress returned with three more bottles, and soon, we were drinking together.

One glass.

One bottle.

Over and over.

Strangers bound by pain and alcohol.

He fascinated me.

The more I drank, the more I couldn't look away from him.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" he asked, catching me watching him for the third time.

I giggled, a broken sound that barely sounded like me.

"Because you're the only thing that's not spinning and multiplying right now."

He chuckled lightly but reached out and pulled the glass away from me just as I reached for it again.

"You really need to stop drinking."

His voice felt like music in my ears.

I liked the way he said it, the concern tucked into every syllable.

"Are you worried about me?" I asked, the question leaving my lips before I could catch it.

"If you are... please take me out of here. I feel so sick."

I felt my head droop forward, everything darkening at once, and then-

I passed out.

---

Jaxon's POV

I reached out just in time to stop her head from slamming against the table.

Carefully, I cradled it in my hand, lowering it down gently.

What the hell was she doing to herself?

I brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and finally took a moment to really look at her.

She was beautiful-tragically so.

Even asleep, her face bore the lines of heartbreak and exhaustion.

Her makeup was smudged, and her lips slightly parted as if she'd been on the verge of speaking before sleep took her.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, dragging me back to reality.

I sighed and pulled it out.

It was Troy.

"What?" I answered gruffly.

"Where the hell have you been, man? You disappeared on me," Troy said, his voice thick with concern.

"I needed space," I replied, my eyes still on the girl slumped at my table.

"I get that it's hard, Jax. I do. But you've gotta get back in the game. We can't afford to lose more people. Not now."

I knew he was right. I did. But tonight, I couldn't pretend everything was fine.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," I muttered. "I'll take the early flight back to Brookleigh."

I hung up before he could argue. I wasn't in the mood for another lecture.

The weight inside me hadn't lifted.

Not even the alcohol helped.

If anything, it only added to the storm already brewing in my chest.

I stood up and walked to the counter to settle the bill.

Then I hesitated.

I glanced back at the girl-still passed out, still heartbreakingly vulnerable.

She didn't have anyone here. That much was obvious.

I paid her bill, too. It was the least I could do.

I couldn't take her with me, though.

I didn't even know her name.

And I was new in town-I wouldn't even know where to take her if she gave me her address.

Someone would find her. Someone had to.

Without another glance, I walked out of the bar, the night air biting against my skin as I made my way to the hotel I'd booked.

I didn't know why that girl got under my skin, but she did.

And somehow, I had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time our paths would cross.