CHAPTER ONE: DAY'S EYE

Daisy's POV

“Let's break up."

My hands hover on the phone screen.

Breakup via text?

‘That's low’ is what I will say — if it was coming from someone else.

But he's not someone else.

He's Rome Green and he's everything —including being a cheat—, but low? Never.

I type out a reply, pressing down the hurt in my chest and the tears that seem to want to escape my eyes.

“Why? Is it because of Zyla?"

I delete the message. Mentioning Zyla would make me seem jealous.

What if she's beside him right now, reading the message?

Besides, they don't know that I've found out about them yet.

The faint scent of vodka brushes past me, bringing back the memory of that night.

The night I caught my boyfriend in bed with my step sister.

I throw my head back, brushing off the image of Zyla curled in his laps, while he peppers her head with kisses.

He used to do that with me. Before Zyla walked into our lives and stole him from me.

Like she and her mum stole my dad, my house and my whole life.

That's why I'm here at the club, hoping to drink away my sorrows — for the night at least — but Zyla still won't let me have that.

I give one last glance to the text, before I exit the message and chuck my phone back into my bag.

I can always reply later.

He's probably busy having a good time with Zyla while I'm sweating it out here.

“One glass of Mortzrelli, please.” I wave towards the bartender, who's currently flirting with some girl at the bar and forgetting he has a duty - serving drinks.

"Over here.” I say, making my voice a little louder with the music blaring out in the room.

If he so much as pretends he doesn't hear me again, I'm going to walk over there and –

“Sorry miss. What did you say you want again?” Another bartender pops up in front of me, his forehead sheen with sweat.

It seems like he's been doing the work around here alone while his colleague is slouching over the bar, flirting with ladies.

"One mortzrelli, please.” I repeat my order, keeping the displeasure in my voice away.

“One shot of Mortzrelli coming right up.” He winks at me, trying to mask the exhaustion in his eyes but I see it.

I always do. That's one of the things I'm good at.

He turns and gets to mixing my drink.

I tear my gaze away from the bartender, looking at the crowd dancing in the middle of the room with no care in the world.

I spot a group of ladies, throwing their heads back as they move their bodies to the beat, and I draw out a long sigh.

I wish I was like them.

I wish I didn't have to always feel like I'm walking on a thin line and everything could snap in a minute if I so much as blink.

“What’s a cute lady like you doing all alone at the bar?”

Ughh…that goddamn line.

What's with men always thinking a lady can't just be alone at the bar, without having the male gender besides them?

I turn to the stranger, ready to give him a biting remark but my words get stuck in my throat when I see him.

It's the bartender, the one who ignored my request for a drink and was flirting with ladies.

Earlier, I was only able to see his fiery red hair from behind.

Now, I get a clearer view of his face.

His fiery red hair is messy, like he's been running his hands through it a lot.

His lips, curved in a smile, are small and soft — well, it looks soft and the only way I'd be able to confirm it — is to press my lips on his.

Snap out of it, Daisy. You are not kissing a random guy at the bar.

His next words completely snaps me out of my ogling, dousing me in cold water.

“You know…we could take this to my room, if you don't mind.”

Yup.. There's no way I'm going to kiss this arrogant playboy.

"Here's your drink, Miss.” The other bartender calls out, drawing my attention back to him as he hands me my drink.

“Thank you."

“Mortzrelli. Spikey. My room offer still stands you know.” he drawls. “Get your mind off him a little."

I scowl at him, which he returns with a full fledged smirk.

I turn back to my drink, fighting the urge to hurl the glass at him and watch his smirk fall.

The bartender, who just gave me my drink, sighs and turns to his colleague beside me.

“Oh come on, Kai. Stop bothering the customers."

Kai. That's his name. It's really…fitting.

I'm tempted to look over at him again, but I clench my jaw and down my drink in one go.

I don't want to satisfy his ego and make him think I really want to take his offer.

"Where's the fun if I don't do that, Rich?” Kai chuckles, the sound of his laughter stands out in this room blasting with music.

Just a sneak peek won't hurt, right?

Okay yes, that was a mistake.

How in the world will I get his dimples out of my head now?

“One bottle of Vegas grass over here." Someone yells.

“Coming right up," The bartender – Rich who I assume should either be Richard or Richmond – gives Kai a warning glare before he turns to get the drink .

“Now, where were we?"

His voice is tugging on all my heartstrings and I'm blaming it on the Mortzrelli – even though it's just a glass I took.

“Nowhere.” I try to make my voice sound flat as I rap my fingers on the counter, gathering all my will not to stare at him.

“Hmm. I'd like to disagree," he says. “Come on. You look like you could use some fun"

I sigh, turning my gaze back to his, to tell him to back off and I wish I didn't.

My mouth dries up as I stare at his pouted lips and water-blue eyes which seemed to want to drown me in it.

“Umm. N..No. I.. I don't want to have fun.”

My words come out in a stumbling mess and I mentally slap myself, hard.

He tilts his head back slightly, his blue eyes taking me in.

"Why are you here then? If you are not here to have fun. Wait…” he pauses, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Do companies now host meetings in clubs?"

My cheeks flush, and I bite the insides of my mouth.

I really should have changed before coming to the club.

Heck, even a hoodie and sweatpants would have been better.

But I just had to come to the club dressed in my Louboutins Jackets and pants, paired with my four inch heels.

“I don't know. Quick question. Are you always such a jerk?" I ask.

"Nope. This part of me is reserved for only pretty ladies.” He winks at me.

I turn my face away from him with speed, hoping he didn't see the shade of red creeping in on my cheeks.

He definitely just called me pretty.

“Your friend could really use some help."

I change the discussion and glance at Richard, who's mixing two drinks at the same time and still trying to keep up his smile.

He shrugs.

“Nah. He doesn't need help. In his words,” he does an air quote, “ ‘People tends to slow him down when they're helping’ ”

I scoff, sarcasm playing on the edge of my tongue. “So, what do you do around here then? Flirt with ladies all day.”

“It doesn't work that way, Cutie," he says. "Names first. Then we can discuss our jobs.”

I shake my head and turn away from him.

I don't give my names to strangers. Especially not ones I met at a bar. I love to play it safe.

“But you know mine, don't you feel like that's cheating?"

Oops.. I said it out loud.

From my periphery, I see Kai leaning over and I almost shrink into my stool.

At that moment, the bright neon and pink light falls on him, illuminating his face and the urge to run my hands through his hair heightens.

The air around me suddenly becomes too hot and I inhale sharply.

Holy Molly!

The scent of musk mixed with leatherwood is the only thing that fills my nostrils.

“Now, what's your name, Cara Mia?" Heat rushes to my head, and I feel a metallic scent hit me at the back of my nose.

From the few Italian movies I've watched, I know what Cara Mia means.

“My darling."

"Daisy. My name's Daisy." I mutter, my voice like a whisper in the loud room as I silently pray blood doesn't trickle down my nose.

"Like the flower." He pulls away, and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

A phone buzzes and I'm about to pull out mine, when I see Kai hold up his phone.

His smile falls as he stares at his phone, before he slowly glances my way again and flashes me a grin.

“It was nice meeting you, Daisy," he says, standing up from his stool.

"Hopefully, this won't be the last time you come here. I'd really love to see you again.”

I think the Mortzrelli is really getting to me because I blurt out.

“I'd love to see you again too." I slap my hands around my mouth, looking away from him.

Gosh.. you're such a fool, Daisy.

Kai chuckles, and mutters something I don't understand before walking away but it sounded so much like Italian.

“A presto, bellissima.”

As I watch him disappear into the crowd, I notice he's a head taller than Rome – I already thought Rome was perfect at 6 feet since I'm 5’4–

Something clicks in my head.

Rome.

I didn't think about Rome throughout my conversation with Kai.

‘Maybe today isn't that bad after all.’