CEO's Bartender

Chapter Four

We pull up outside the club and Avery glances at me, "You good?" she asks. I nod, "I'm good." I lie. "You go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." I say. Avery nods and exits the car, I exhale and close my eyes. I pull the chain out of my shirt, fingering the dog tag at the end.

It glints in the streetlights, engraved in the steel piece is the phrase "Your wings were ready, but my heart was not. T.W.T" I haven't worn this since his funeral. I press it between my fingers before letting it drop below my shirt and exiting the car, walking into the club.

Avery sidles up beside with two shots and hands one to me, I give her a weak smile. "He would've wanted this." she tells me. I take the shot and down it, barely flinching as the alcohol burns my throat. I hand her the shot glass and she sets it on a nearby table.

She turns and pulls me onto the dance floor, I laugh as she starts dancing. I glance around and see Theo leaning against the wall in the back, a smile on his face as he watches us dance. My chest feels lighter and I join Avery in her terrible attempt at dancing...

*** *** ***

By the end of the night I can't walk straight and Avery is off making out with some stranger by the the dance floor. I shake my head which turns out to be a bad idea because I reel as the room tips sideways. Firm arms wrap around me as I prepare for impact.

I look up to see none other than Ryder standing over me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Exactly how many drinks have you had?" he rumbles. "Um...I lost count after five." I say. I glance at Ryder and suddenly find him funny, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Okay, who are you here with?" Ryder tries. "Avery's drunk." I say honestly before snorting and giggling again. Ryder wraps an arm around my waist, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I took you home." Ryder says. He leads me out of the club to his car.

"Get in, I'm taking you back to my place." Ryder says. He helps me into the car and gets in himself, driving us to his flat. He helps me out of his car and up the steps to his flat. I slip on the top step and Ryder catches me. I smile and lean into his side as he holds me steady.

He sighs, looping his arm under my leg and lifting my up bridal style, carrying me into his flat. He sets me down on the couch before walking into the kitchen, he returns with a glass of water and two painkillers. "Now we wait." he says before sitting down next to me.

We sit in silence for a few moments before I start feeling extremely tired. I lean against Ryder and he doesn't object, wrapping his arms tentatively around me. I snuggle closer to him, breathing in his sandalwood and cinnamon scent that's so different from Theo's.

"I miss him." I murmur. Ryder pulls away, "Who?" he asks. "Theo, I miss him. He was good at cuddling." I say. Ryder raises an eyebrow, "Where is this Theo now?" he asks. "I hope he's somewhere good. He deserves to be somewhere good." I mutter.

I rest my head against Ryder's chest and fist a handful of his shirt. He repositions us so that we're laying together on the couch with me between his legs and my head resting comfortably on his chest as his hands rake through my hair comfortingly...

*** *** ***

I wake up with a pounding headache and my stomach twists uncomfortably. I disentangle myself from Ryder and the blanket pulled over us, rushing to the bathroom and emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. A shadow falls over me and I glance back.

Ryder rubs my back soothingly, not saying a word as I dry heave for a few seconds before pulling away. He grips my waist and sits me on the counter beside the sink. A cold wet rag is used to wipe my face and around my mouth, I subconsciously lean into the touch.

Ryder hands me a small cup of mouthwash and I gratefully swish it around before spitting. He then take my right wrist in his hand and pushes he sleeve up, revealing the pristine white bandages. I try to pull away but his grip is firm as he gingerly unwraps the gauze.

He doesn't flinch as the puckered pink skin below is revealed, instead he uses a rag soaked in warm water to clean the area before wrapping a fresh piece of gauze around it. He then lifts me up and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist as he exits the bathroom.

He walks down the hall to the living room and hands me two white pills and a glass of water. I down them without question and he pulls me onto his lap. I stiffen and he starts rubbing soothing circles on my thigh. I relax and allow my head to fall back against his chest.

"What happened last night?" I ask. My voice is hoarse from lack of use. "You were drunk and stumbling around. I brought you back here until you passed out." Ryder states. "Did we do anything?" I ask. "No, you passed out shortly after we got here." Ryder says.

We sit in silence until Ryder decides to break it, "Who's Theo?" he asks. I freeze and stiffen, the blood is my veins like ice. "How do you know about him?" I ask. My voice is barely above a whisper. "You talked about him last night, you said you missed him." Ryder says.

I take a deep breath, "Theo is my ex-boyfriend." I say. "Do you really miss him?" Ryder asks. I suck in a sharp breath at the question, "Everyday. I miss him every damned day." I say. Ryder looks a little crushed, "Then why did you break up with him?" he asks.

"I didn't break up with him, he died a little over a year ago." I say. The silence between us is so thick you could cut it with a knife. My mind goes back to the hospital room, Theo laying motionless in the bed. The heart monitor goes dead and nurses rush in.

I'm ushered out of the room, Avery hugs me tightly and bawls into my shoulder. I'm in shock as the doctor comes out with that look on his face. Ryder shakes me gently and I snap out of it. "Sorry, I've been zoning out a lot lately." I say. "It's fine, let's relax." Ryder says...