The Broken One ✔

Chapter 22

Hi all,

The next few chapters are beyond crucial to the plot of this story. An addition to the cast has been added, so please go check it out if you haven't already.

The new character is introduced in this chapter so I hope y'all love her as much as I do. These next few chapters were definitely a lot of fun to write.

Without further ado, please enjoy!

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I arrived back in Washington at one am. It had been one hell of a weekend, I returned home, had a family reunion, attended a funeral, had an intervention, both verbally and physically fought with Chris, had my first counselling session, fought with Sarah, and saved Eva's ass.

All I wanted to do was go home and sleep, but instead, I chose to hit up a bar called Lantern Outpost.

Lantern Outpost was a bar that I had always ran by on my jogs. I never had actually been inside and had no plans to. The only reason why I entered that night was because it was on the way to my apartment from Baltimore.

If I had gone straight home or even to my usual bar Franklin's, my life would be very different today. I wouldn't be standing here today telling you this story.

"Bourbon thanks" I told the guy that stood behind the bar.

Suddenly a beautiful woman walked a few feet to my side. She wore ripped denim jeans, a cropped snap button black tank top with black pumps. Her long black hair was loosely curled, she had caramel skin, and chocolate brown eyes.

My first thought when I saw her was damn, what is a young beautiful woman doing at a bar alone at one am on Sunday night?

"The strongest thing you have" she ordered.

I looked at her in surprise, "Long day?" I asked.

She looked at me softly "Longest day of my life, and believe me I've had some long days" she nodded.

"Yeah me too" I nodded "the only mum I've ever known is dead, my friends and family are trying to turn the world against me, oh and my best friend hates me" I admitted. "What about you?"

I'm not sure why I told her all that or why I even spoke to her at all. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe a part of me knew that she would play a massive role in my life.

For some insane fucked up reason, instead of ignoring me, she answered my question.

"I found out that my mum is getting divorced for the third time, my sister's pregnant with her fourth, I had to end things with the guy I was seeing because he wanted to get serious...and my family sat me down and said it's time for me to get my life in check....Your best friend hates you?" She cocked a brow at me.

And for some unknown reason, she took an interest in what I said.

"Well not yet" I shrugged "when his dad calls than he'll hate me" I shrugged "how did I get here? Star Football player in high school to screw up heading nowhere?"

I guess everything that they said that weekend really did get to me. I genuinely believed that my life was going to be a waste.

"I don't relate" she admitted "I've always been a screw up"

I didn't believe her simply because I had never met a bigger screw up then me. Eva would probably argue with that claim but I would more then happily challenge her.

"I don't believe that" I told her.

"Oh it's true" she assured "I put my parents through hell"

"Yeah me too" I nodded "I'm twenty two years old and apparently still incapable of growing up"

Well at least according to my friends and family, but up until that weekend, I thought that I was doing just fine.

"Yeah I feel that" she agreed as the bartender gave her a drink. "I wish I was capable of settling down or whatever but it's not how I'm wired..."

I had always been told that I was wired differently and it seems that she was told the same thing.

I was only twenty two and ordered to grow up. I couldn't see why I wasn't allowed to enjoy my twenties like most people. Why did I have to grow up earlier then everyone else?

"We're still young, why do we have to grow up?" I asked.

"That's true" she nodded.

"Don't most people leave the partying behind when they're thirty?" I pointed out.

"Exactly" she guzzled down the drink.

"all I want is to live my life the way I want" I admitted.

The woman reverted her gaze to me as resting the glass onto the counter top "I want the exact same thing" she agreed with a smile "nice tattoo"

"Thanks" I smiled as looking down at my forearm. "Do you have any ink?"

My first tattoo is of a laurel wreath on my forearm, with Roman numerals on the inside. I got it my senior year along side my friends. I didn't tell them what it meant, only that I got it for my sister.

Elise was crazy obsessed with ancient history, so obsessed that she gave everyone a name. I was Claudius, a Roman emperor, so I got a laurel wreath with the date of his murder in Roman numerals on the side.

My second is one that I got not long ago, it is a quote written in Spanish on the left side of me chest 'learn from yesterday'. That's something Gina used to say over and over and over to me. I got it as a constant reminder to think before I act.

"Yeah I've got a butterfly on my lower back" she said seductively.

"Re-really" my eyes widened.

"No" the woman laughed "just this one" she flashed me the side of her index finger. 

It was a Q with a heart underneath - Queen of hearts. I had always loved poker, maybe because it required luck, a little skill, and deception.

"Very classy" I grinned "so you're a poker fan?"

"I love poker almost as much as I love talking to strangers in bars" she averted her gaze.

I found that statement funnier then it actually was. I spend more time talking to people in bars then I did with my family back home.

"Well I'm Ned" I grinned. "So I guess we're not strangers anymore"

Her eyes met mine as a smile spread across her lips "I'm Andrea" she informed.

"Do you get called Andi?" I asked curiously.

It's a habit I've gained over the years where I cut down people's names to two or less syllables.

"Almost never" she informed with a grin.

"Well okay then Andi" I smirked.

And that's how I met my best friend Andi.