Broken By Him, Now He's On His Knees

Chapter 2: A Desperate Stranger

Luciana's POV

"Just give me another two bottles," I told the bartender. His brown eyes, wide with disbelief, stared back at me. Concern etched his face, freezing him behind the counter as if my words hadn't registered.

"I think you're taking too much, Lucy," he said, his voice dripping with an unwelcome concern. "You should stop."

"I don't need your pity. Just give me the f*****g damn bottles. Aren't you selling?" I lashed out, my voice rising, fueled by the fury burning intensely inside me. The memories of the one I'd called friend, and my so-called boyfriend, flashed through my mind, amplifying the rage with every passing second. I felt I would explode from it.

"You've already finished six bottles, and now asking for two more. Aren't you going too far?" He pressed.

"How is that your f*****g business? If I drink to death, that should be your least concern. You should only worry about your damn business," I barked, my reddish eyes widening with fury. No matter how much I drank, I couldn't get myself drunk. I craved oblivion, anything to erase the nightmare from my head, which was causing me too much headache. "The damn bottles?" I demanded, extending my hand.

A sigh escaped his mouth. He stood for a moment before finally placing the bottles in front of me. Without a word, I opened one, pouring liquor into the glass. My hand trembled, spilling half of it onto the counter. I began to drink, a wave of sadness creeping in as the scene of them on the bed kept resurfacing.

"Those bastards, how I wish I had waited a minute later and ripped their heads off," I cursed, my chest humming with rage and regret. I kept cursing as I drank, until I sensed a presence beside me.

"Something going on?" A smooth, hoarse voice cut through my thoughts. I stopped, my brows knitting in confusion, then slowly turned. My whole body went still the instant my eyes landed on him. My breath hitched, my eyes, wide and bulging, unwavering.

He was undeniably handsome: well-styled brown hair, a perfectly sculpted face, a perfectly placed black diamond stud in his left earlobe, and deep blue eyes that seemed impossible to ignore. They were enchanting, capable of bringing a woman to her knees.

But I quickly composed myself. The searing reminder of Michael's betrayal jolted my mind, snapping me back to reality. "I shouldn't be thinking of a man when I was hurt by one," I scolded myself, ignoring him and resuming my drinking.

"You didn't hear me?" he asked, frustration creeping into his voice, as if he was losing his temper.

Still, I didn't look at him, trying to maintain my focus on my bottles. As I picked up the glass for another sip, he took it from my hand, a wave of anger surging through me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I demanded, my voice booming with rage.

"You didn't answer me," he said simply, making me scoff.

"What do you want to hear? Who are you to—"

"You must be heartbroken," he cut in, making me frown. "You are definitely betrayed by the ones you trust, right?"

My tongue felt tied. My eyes remained fixed on his face, my lips slightly parted, but no words escaped. How did he know what was going on with me? Was he a stalker?

"You shouldn't dwell on that, and instead..." Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my exposed thigh. My head jerked down to find his hand on my lap. I pulled my leg away from him.

"What are you playing at? Who are you?"

"Does that matter?" he returned, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Instead of drowning in sorrow, you should entertain yourself, have some fun... with me."

A disbelieving sigh left my lips. What a psycho! Did he think I was a w***e? "You are crazy," I mumbled, glaring at him.

"You think I am?" He chuckled, deepening my frown. "Don't you think it's better for you to let them know that you don't give a f**k about them?"

"It isn't any of your f*****g business," I jerked my glass from his hand. "Trust me, if you don't want to regret talking to me, you should leave... right now."

"You think I will regret?" He scoffed, a smile spreading across his lips. "I won't, because I know what I want, and that's you."

My body went still for a moment. I could feel a fluttering in my stomach as I stared at him, his words completely taking me by surprise. The top corner of my lip twitched with amazement. It was funny, hearing a complete stranger declare he wanted me. He was very attractive, and a one-night stand wouldn't be bad, but still, I didn't want to.

"Whatever," I mumbled, looking away.

"Did you decide to suck in like a baby, drinking and drinking to get rid of your sorrow? Instead..."

"What the f**k do you want?" I demanded, his words uprooting my buried anger.

"A night... with you."

"Why are you so desperate over having a night of fun with me?"

"Because we are in the same boat; we are both betrayed by the ones we trusted."

"So you think having s*x with me will make you get back at them?"

"No," he declined, drawing his face closer to mine. "It's to save myself from them. I want to show them that their presence is now useless in my life. And that's exactly what you should do."

Again, I felt his hand on my thigh, a warmth spreading through me. His fingers traced a path upwards, under my dress, toward my inner thigh. The warmth exploded like a volcano, and instantly, I was breathless. Swiftly, I caught his hand, stopping him from going deeper.

"You think of doing it here?" I asked, and a triumphant smile appeared on his lips.

"No, I came with my car..."

"Then let's go to your place," I said, standing from the stool. I swayed, losing my balance, but he quickly caught me.

"Seems like you're drunk a little."

"Let's go," I commanded as I took my handbag from the counter, and he helped me outside, my steps unsteady from the liquor. When we reached the street, he gestured to his car, and a scoff unknowingly left my lips. So he wasn't "just an ordinary" guy, after all; his confidence and attitude had spoken volumes. His car was one of the latest, most expensive models.

We moved to the car, got in, and he started the

engine, heading to only god- knows- where.