CHAPTER TWO

Anna

I knock the first shot back, then the second. Damn, that liquor hits hard. Absinthe is not a drink to toy with.

It is, however, spreading a lovely warmth through my aching body. Blair may be right. This may be exactly what I need to get through the rest of the evening.

Suddenly, Blair spots something over my shoulder. I turn to see Jeremiah, Hermes's assistant marching toward us, his enormous stomach bouncing as he walks. "Stay here," she mutters. "I'll handle him."

Before I can protest, she's gone.

I close my eyes and squeeze the bridge of my nose for a few seconds. The chattering gets louder and louder as the seconds roll past, and I lose myself in it.

Everything will be fine.

Everything will be.

"Everyone! May I have your attention, please?" Collins deep voice over the microphone makes me snap my eyes open. I glance up to the stage. Collins raises his arm and gives the audience that signature charming smile that suckered me in years ago.

I hold my breath. Yes. This is it. He's going to take it all back and issue a public apology. He's going to unravel this nightmare. He's going to⁠—

"Babe?"

I take a step forward...and then freeze when Diana emerges from the crowd and clambers up the podium to stand beside him.

She flips her hair over her shoulder, beams at him, and takes his outstretched hand. Collins kisses the backs of her fingers. "I know this is kind of a whirlwind, but what can I say? There will never be another grand opportunity like this."

The whole room swoons at them. I fight the urge to collapse. Tears fill my eyes.

"Diana Lynch, baby... you are my oxygen. The reason I wake up each day, strong and ready to face whatever difficulties might come my way. I can't imagine life without you in it, constantly filling my darkness with your radiant light."

He's said those words to me before. The only difference this time around is he means them. I can see it in his eyes. The way he looks at her.

He genuinely loves her.

Collins drops to one knee.

I bury my face in my palms.

God. This can't be happening...

But it is.

"Will you spend the rest of my life with me, Diana?"

The clapping that fills the air feels like salt on an open wound. Diana sheds a few fake tears as Collins slip a ginormous diamond ring onto her finger. The exact one he'd gotten me engaged with.

I spin around on my heels and beeline back to the bar. "Absinthe. More. Now."

The bartender lofts a brow. "How many shots?"

"The whole bottle," I deadpan

His eyes widen. "Ma'am, I don't think..."

Before he can answer, I reach out and snatch it from its resting place. I don't bother turning back, even as the bartender protests after me.

I slice through the crowd, headed toward the rear alley exit. The bottle feels heavy in my hand, but my heart feels even heavier. Maybe drowning one with the other will balance things.

Or maybe it'll knock me out cold.

Either is fine.

The bartender shouts again, and I turn around to explain to him that it's the worst day of my life and he needs to get off my case.

But as I turn, I run into something solid.

It feels like a brick wall, but more defined.

My absinthe splashes up the neck of the bottle and onto the front of his very fine, very expensive shirt.

"Oh my God." I damn near drop the bottle in shock. Instead, I set it down on a nearby table, grab a few napkins, and begin cleaning him up as fast as I can. "I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

The man gazes down at me with an unreadable expression on his face. "You don't look too good yourself."

I stop and look up at him. Is he... is he mocking me?

His full mouth is curved up in what looks like a suppressed smirk. His dark, curly hair hangs in front of his eyes, but even through that, I can see brilliant green eyes sparkling with mirth. The only thing I can find remotely funny around here is... well, me.

"I'm—"

"Anna! There you are!" Diana screeches. "Collins is such a darling...he proposed. I'm so — "

I zone out completely, my eyes fixed on this stranger. The mirth leaves his eyes in an instant, replaced by an icy mask. He buttons his suit jacket around the splash stains on his waist, giving my worst enemy a polite nod.

When he looks at me again, I do something shocking.

"Help me," I whisper.

He looks at me and glances over my shoulder at Diana who's now running towards us, eager to rub in the news of her engagement on my face. I see the pieces fall into place in his eyes.

And then he does something completely shocking.

He scoops my face into his hand and devours my lips like it's his last meal on earth.