Chapter 10: Downward Spiral

Kendra's P.O.V:

"Miss, I'm sorry but I can't give you any more alcohol."

I lifted my head with much difficulty and gave the bartender a stern glare. "Whatta meen yoo cunt?"

Did I just say cunt? Maybe? Who knows?

I tried to look around, but my head felt too heavy. Where was I? Why did my head feel so weird? I don't know what this feeling was, but I need more of it. This was good.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?" The new bartender asked. I wish it were Josh...He'd have given me more alcohol.

"Miss, do you need me to call you a cab?" The bartender was saying.

Suddenly, thousands of voices mixed in my head. The people talking all around me, the bartender screaming in my ears and laughing...so many people laughing. Laughing at me.

"Shut up!" I yelled. "All of you! Shut up!"

But no one did. They kept laughing and laughing and laughing...until all the noise built to a deafening crescendo.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, smashing the glass on top of the counter.

Everything stopped.

For a few moments, there was only peace and tranquillity. A few seconds of calm, of nothingness...before the noise returned again. I looked up in front of me with hazy eyes and saw that everyone was standing a good five feet away from me. "Whaaaattt?" I slurred, placing my hand on the counter to hop off the stool.

But that didn't go very well because my palm landed on a few sharp pieces of glass shards and my unsteady feet made me trip as soon as I placed them on to the ground. But instead of falling face first onto the ground, someone broke my fall at the last moment and picked me off the ground and into their arms. At first I didn't recognise who was carrying me because of the white film that was covering my eyes, but I felt like I knew the person. He was really familiar.

The person carried me through the middle of a huge crowd before turning a corner that took us up a stairs. The music slowly faded away and the lights dimmed, allowing me to see much clearer.

"Daaannniellllll!" I sang, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Aaannwaaaysss the heeennooo!"

"Kendra, you're drunk." Daniel said in a strange voice that had me frowning.

"Noooo!" I shook my head and pouted at him. Then I grinned and held my fingers in front of his face. "Juuuustt a lilllleee...."

Daniel put me down on my feet as we came to a stop in front of a door at the end of the stairs and my feet felt all wobbly all of a sudden. Daniel held onto my hand with one of his as he opened the door with the other hand and then dragged me into a room will all dark walls. For some reason, I started giggling uncomfortably.

"Kendra?" Daniel asked as he shut the door behind him. "What's wrong?"

By that time, my giggles had turned into full blown laughter. In fact, I was laughing so hard I had fallen to the floor while clutching my stomach.

"Kendra." This time, Daniel's voice was harsh, scolding, and it finally made me snap.

"What? You have a problem with me drinking?" I stood up on shaky feet, my words sounding surprisingly less slurry. "What are you going to do about it, huh? Fuck me into doing your bidding just like you did Grace? Or are you going to send me to prison for throwing a tantrum? Oh wait, better yet, just set the room on fire! That would be a fantastic way to die, won't it?"

Within a second, Daniel was in my face as he gripped my shoulders in his hand and shook me hard. "Are you out of your fucking mind!" He almost growled at me. "Get your fucking shit together, Kendra! I won't stand you talking to me like that ever again!"

"Why?" I spat at Daniel's face that was now red with anger. "Because it's the truth, isn't it? You're just using Grace as your like fuck toy! Just like her brother is using me! You're all the same! All men are the bloody same! You only know how to use us! You'll be done with her soon and then she'll be left all alone on the road while you get yourself a new fuck to-"

But before I could finish that sentence, my legs gave out from under me and I fell back on the floor, my vision going black almost instantly.

Daniel's P.O.V:

"So?" I asked Dr. Truscott as he came out of the room, closing it softly behind him. He was the person I trusted the most about my secrets and from the outburst Kendra had before passing out, I was sure he was the right person to call.

"She's fine. I've given her meds to get the alcohol out of her system." The older man assured me. "But this doesn't seem like the first time she's done such a thing. With the amount of alcohol your bartender said she'd had, she should've passed out a long time ago. She seems to have an unusually high alcohol tolerance. Which also explains the slight swelling of the liver."

I frowned. "You mean, she's an alcoholic?"

"I'll need further diagnosis to confirm that, right now I can only feel the organ over her skin and the liver does appear swollen." Dr. Truscott said thoughtfully. "If you can, tell her to have a thorough check up and to do it soon."

"Thank you," I shook the old man's hand and had Mark escort him out while I checked on Kendra.

My phone rang then and I didn't have to look at the caller ID to know who was calling. "I'm missing you, Farfallina." I told the woman who had my heart and my soul. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"Yes, love. I had." Grace reassured me. "I'm missing you too, baby. Is everything alright at the club?"

I turned to watch Kendra sleep on the bed not far from where I stood, an IV dripping medicine into her veins. "Yes, everything's fine for now." I told her. "But the night is still young and the drinks are still flowing."

"I wish I could come over, but I have too much work to finish before the conference tomorrow." She sighed.

"Why are you still working, it's past midnight and tomorrow is Monday." I told her sternly. "Go to sleep, please."

"I will, I promise. Just a couple more minutes and I'll be done." She promised. "I'll see you tomorrow evening then. Bye, love. I'll miss you beside me."

"Me too. Dream of me?" I told her.

"Always."

I looked back at Kendra as she continued to sleep peacefully. For now, her secret will be safe with me, but she'll have to tell her sooner or later, because I'm not letting anyone get between me and Grace.