My Protector | Damie

Chapter 14

DAKOTA POV;

I stare at the half-empty glass of whiskey in my hand, my eyes glazed over with tears. Why did this have to happen? Why now? Tears drip down my face and I try to brush them away with the hand that's not holding my glass but it's no use. They won't stop coming. It's been this way for hours on and off. I sit alone at the hotel bar, I drink, I think, I cry. I know this isn't a very productive way of coping with my feelings, but it was just so sudden and unexpected. I was completely blindsided. I think that's what hurt me the most.

"Hey, are you okay?" The man tending the bar asks, sounding more curious than concerned. "Fine, thanks." I mutter, blotting at my tears with a napkin. "Want a refill?" He asks, holding out a bottle of whiskey. "Sure." I hold my glass out to him and he refills it, then he disappears to go tend to a couple who just showed up at the other end of the bar. My phone vibrates against the counter loudly and I rush to grab it, nearly spilling my drink in the process. "Hello?" I answer without even checking to see who it is. "Dakota." I recognize Jamie's voice instantly. The way he says my name is so distinct it'd be impossible not to, even in my drunken state. "Jamie! Hey! How are you? How's Dulcie?" I get a weird look from someone across the bar and I realize I must've yelled all that by accident. "We're doing well. Dakota, have you been drinking?" The humor in his voice is evident. "Well, yes. Sort of." I sniffle and wipe away the last of my tears, trying my best to sober up so I can talk to Jamie. "Have you been crying?" He asks, concerned now. "Uh....yeah." I admit, embarrassed. "Why? Are you okay?" His concerned voice on the other end of the phone sends me over the edge and the tears start up again. "Jordan broke up with me." I choke out a sob. "Oh, Dakota. Thats terrible. I'm so sorry." I shake my head, full on crying now even though I know people are staring. I can't help it. "I don't know why I'm even so upset." I stutter, struggling to stop the trembles spreading throughout my body. "Things between us had been distant for a long time." I didn't even love him...did I? "I just didn't want him to leave me alone. Now I'm drunk and crying in this bar. It's pathetic." It's definitely not like me to get drunk in bars like this, embarrassing myself. "My friend was supposed to come meet up with me while she was in town so I was sitting at the bar waiting for her, but something came up and she cancelled. Then I called Jordan and we got to talking and then all the sudden he just sprung this on me. He told me he thought my heart was with someone else. I've never cheated on him... why would he even imply that? I-" I lose my ability to speak, breaking into sobs again. "Dakota I'm so sorry. Look I'm coming to get you alright?" When I don't respond Jamie hangs up. I don't know how much time passes but suddenly his hands are on me, lifting me up. "Dakota." I can barely even see through the blackness. How much did I drink? "Dakota." He repeats. "Can you walk? Sorry. Stupid question. Here." He wraps my arm around his shoulder and half carries me. "I'm taking you back to your hotel room." He helps me into the elevator and then next thing I know he's placing me in my bed. "Shit, Dakota. You better not pass out on me yet. I'm trying to help you." He tries to get me into a proper sleeping position where I won't risk falling off the bed or suffocating myself with my pillow but I know I'm no help. I can barely stay conscious and my body feels impossibly heavy. "There. That'll have to work." He says, propping my head up on a pillow and easing my legs into a semi straight position in the middle of the bed. "Alright. I'm gonna slip your shoes off for you." He slips my booties off and tosses them onto the floor by the bed. "Do you have some of those face wipes? The ones that remove makeup?" He asks, mostly to himself since I'm nearly unconscious. I hear his footsteps around the room as he looks for something to remove my makeup with. He returns to my bedside and I feel his hands gently blotting at my cheeks with a wet towel to clean my makeup and tear stained face off. "That's the best I can do." He brushes a piece of hair away from my head and I feel him lingering on the edge of my bed. "I'm sure you won't remember most of this, but you owe me one. Try to get some rest, Dakota." Then he's gone and my consciousness drifts away.

I wake up with a horrible hangover and my head feeling like it could explode. I'm such an idiot. Why did I behave so immaturely last night? I should know better. Now I have to go to work looking and feeling like absolute shit. How unprofessional of me. I quickly change out of my alcohol scented clothes from the night before and into something clean. Then I head to the set and into hair and makeup hoping they'll be able to fix the disaster of dark circles and puffiness that is my face.

Somehow my hair and makeup team find a way to make it look as if nothing was ever wrong and by lunchtime I'm feeling better than ever. With a little help from some painkillers and a good smoothie, as well as a very helpful talk with Rita, my co-star, I'm feeling good as new. "Dakota!" Someone calls my name and I turn around, only to see Rita running towards me. She's changed out of her dress from our scene together today and into some sweats. "Hey!" She greets me with a hug, being her ever cheery self. God, why couldn't she have been in all the scenes with us? She's such an amazing addition to our usual cast. So bright and bubbly and caring. She's the type of person I instantly want to become best friends with. "Wanna go get lunch with me and Eloise? It'll be an all girls lunch." I smile and nod. "Just let me go get changed real quick then we can go." An all girls lunch is exactly what I need. I've been spending far too much time with Jamie lately and definitely could use some girl time.

Authors note; What do you think of Jamie tending to drunk Dakota? And Dakota's new friendship with Rita? Let me know in the comments.