[ 18 ] Adrianna Lee's whole world had come crashing down, unexpectedly, all around her. Losing all stability in her life, she's questioning what's the next steps to take.
That is, until an adorable seven-year-old comes bouncing into her life-which...
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My head was pounding. Stomach queasy. And I smell the mixture of alcohol and toothpaste as I huff out a yawn.
Man, I need to brush my teeth.
But the pounding ache in my head is stopping me from everything. I don't even want to open my eyes.
Unfortunately for me, no matter how much I drink, I can always recall the things I did the night before. The dancing with the girls, my child-like protests when they told me to get in the Uber with them, my dancing on the bar. Then, Daniel was there. Like a knight in shining armor.
The look in his eyes last night was just...so different than normal. His concern, his gentle touch. I can still almost feel his hand on my back, as if he's still gently rubbing circles as I, very much unladylike, threw my hearts content up in the toilet.
I'm such a loser.
All because Jesse texted me. I miss you, he said. I really fucking miss you. Can we talk? I still love you. And just like that, my strong facade came crashing down. Because I almost answered his call. I miss being told I'm loved and missed.
But...not at the expense that he left me.
He left me here, broken and feeling like I'm worthless. And I'm better than that.
So I drunk my ass off until I couldn't remember why I started in the first place. Until Daniel showed up. And all those weird feelings I keep stuffing down came bursting up at the seams. And the way he kept looking at me made it harder to avoid. Even if it's just my drunken thoughts that imagined it, I'm keeping the curious and concerned way he looked at me tucked away.
I inhale, but groan at the pressure in my head. I really need to get up and take something. I slowly open one eye, then widen both eyes and blink repeatedly.
Is...Daniel in here?
I rub my eyes, then look again. And sure enough, Daniel is leaning against the wall, his head hanging sideways a bit and his eyes closed.
"Daniel?" I clear my throat from the hoarseness. "Mr. Le Noir?"
His eyes snapped open, a slight color of red as they found mine. He lifts himself off the wall, taking a step towards me. "Are you okay?"
I blink—once, twice, three times. He was asking me if I was okay when he looked like he didn't sleep at all. His hair was a mess, his clothes wrinkled and under his eyes was darker than normal.
But damnit to all hell, he was still sexy.
"Uh," I swallow. "Yeah. My head just...hurts."
He nods once, then quickly disappears from the room. I wince at the pain in my head as I shift to the edge of the bed. I was still in the dress, still had my panties on. So, why is he just here?
