Chapter 2

I leaned in instinctively for a kiss, but Julian simply turned his face away.

Slowly and deliberately, he pried my arms off his neck and frowned. "Stop fooling around, Georgia. You're drunk. Let's go back."

He took my hand and started dragging me with a force that was impossible to resist. That confession had drained every ounce of my courage; I could only follow him back like a defeated puppy, my eyes burning with humiliated tears.

Thinking back on that night made me duck my head even lower.

"Georgia, I..." Julian didn't get to finish before a loud voice interrupted us. "Georgia! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Chloe Sharpe, you absolute lifesaver!" I rejoiced inwardly.

I offered Julian a rushed, generic goodbye and bolted, pulling Chloe along with me. If I stayed in that suffocating atmosphere any longer, the next day's headlines would read, [Harrington Heiress Suffocated at Her Birthday Party.]

"Why were you hiding out with Julian again?" Chloe asked, nudging me as we walked. "You still like him? Go after him then. I'll support you all the way. Plus, it means one less person competing for my future husband."

"If only it were that easy," I sighed. "He's way out of my league. Tonight, I'm finding a hot guy to help me forget he even exists."

She blinked. "For real? Our princess is finally moving on?"

"Absolutely. You have no idea..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "Forget it."

"No idea about what? Look at you, getting all mysterious after a single day apart," she said, then brushed it off. "Well, I am taking you out to hunt for some eye candy. Wild or sweet, take your pick. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Why waste your youth on an uncrackable nut like Julian?"

I laughed. "Spoken like a true queen. Lead the way to your kingdom."

...

Even though my parents adored me, my upbringing had been strictly conservative. This was the first time I had ever stepped foot inside a bar. It felt both thrilling and nerve-wracking.

Chloe boldly ordered a table full of alcohol. A moment later, a dozen escorts filed into the booth, naturally flanking me on both sides. Having never witnessed such a magnificent sight, my eyes went wide.

"Girl, try this fruit cocktail the owner mixed himself. Tonight, we drink until we drop!" Chloe cheered.

Suddenly surrounded by all these guys raising their glasses and competing for my attention, I felt completely out of my element.

"Try mine, my lady."

"No way. Try mine first."

"Alright, alright..." I laughed.

The colorful liquids swirled hypnotically under the pulsing strobe lights. No wonder they say the glittering world could blind a person.

After I took a sip from each of their glasses, my head began to spin, growing heavier by the second. Through the growing blur, I thought I saw Julian's stony face.

"Great, I'm so drunk I'm hallucinating," I thought, shaking my head violently.

It was useless; he was still there. Even in my delusions, he refused to leave me alone.

"Chloe, where did the wine go? Ah!" I slurred.

There was no more alcohol and no more handsome guys. Even Chloe had vanished.

Before I could process anything, the world spun, and I was lifted completely off the ground. A loud smack followed, instantly shattering the intimate nighttime atmosphere.

Pain shot through my backside, and Julian's voice cut through the haze.

"Georgia Harrington, you've got some nerve slipping out to a bar."

"Who are you? Let me down! Help!"

Realizing I was being carried, I sobered up a little and flailed wildly. My fists landed on the man's solid back; it felt like striking a brick wall.

My hands throbbed, my action earning another swat on my rear.

"Behave," he hissed.

The sheer volume of alcohol finally caught up to me, and my consciousness slipped into a deep, dark abyss.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was lying on a massive bed. Sitting right beside it was a man who looked exactly like Julian.