Diana's POV

"That goes there," Lucy instructs behind me and I glare at her.

"It's the third time you're making me shift this one." I whine as I keep the book where she said.

Apparently, Uncle Marcel had this brilliant idea on a tuesday morning to stack new books and few old ones on our book shelf wall. There's a huge wooden shelf carved into the walls of the lobby and goes down till the hallways that lead to cubicles and mini offices.

"Yes, it just didn't look good there." She points out.

"It's a book Lucy, c'mon." I roll my eyes.

She hands me over the other book and I put it near the next book. I'm glad that I'm wearing formal pants today and not a skirt, I wouldn't want people peeking in to have a look at my underwear while I stack these books.

"If I fall off from here, you'll be dead." I announce when I lose my balance a bit from the stool I'm standing on.

"You won't fall, it's barely high." She retorts back.

"Hey you guys, can you keep it down a little bit?" Someone speaks from behind and I peek back to have a look at a guy I've barely ever seen before.

"Hey you, can you keep the books up here?" I snap back at him and he frowns. "Yeah right, we're doing our job, go do yours and stop teaching around you idiot."

"Diana!" Lucy scolds me when I use such a harsh tone but the guy just gives me a look and goes back to his work.

Just what I thought.

"You don't have to be rude to people." She says when I get down from the stool and she frowns at me.

"Yes, and you need to stop telling me what to do."

"You're extra pissy today." She points out, still holding few books in her arms when I get back to the desk.

She's not wrong. I'm in a terrible mood and I would like to stay as far from any human as possible, except maybe one or two exceptions. Connor's not in that list, oh I would kill him if I see him today. Why am I thinking about him in the first place?

I have to agree, it wasn't a very bright idea to show up in the office today, or yesterday. I don't respond back to Lucy and she stares at me for a while before receiving back a glare and going back to her office.

"Fuck!" I curse loudly as I slam the book she left behind on the table.

I have experienced enough frustration filled days in my life but any day like this? Nope! They just go beyond my understanding. Each time a day like this arrives, it's just worse than before. I look at the clock and realise that I got an hour before I could leave. But, you know what? I ain't gonna wait. My eyes search for Lucy in distance but when I don't see her, I just grab my bag and leave the office.

I need something badly to comfort me right now. Coffee. Yes, coffee is exactly what I need.

After stepping out of the office, I look up at the big buildings around and sigh a little. It's a beautiful day, weather considered. The sun is out but it isn't sweating hot, there's a breeze to make it seem relaxing. I close my eyes and immediately shoot them open when I see the thing I've been trying to get rid of from my mind. Sighing again, I start walking away from the building.

It's just been two days when I was back at the McCall's house. Just two days before he asked me if we could talk and like an idiot, without thinking, I declined him. Do I regret it? Yes. Do I know why? No. Life is some complicated shit that I don't want to deal with right now. Aaron's a huge reason why I just mentioned the previous statement. That guy has been driving me crazy ever since he showed up at my apartment to pick me up for dinner a week and a half back. We didn't talk for an entire week after, so I can only imagine how did the time pass away.

So much has happened in such a little time. The moment Aaron steps in my life, the incidents just don't stop happening. He found out about my tattoo, that was the beginning of it. I remember the look on his face when I told him that it's from someone I love. But, that wasn't enough, it was followed by the arguments and the crazy kissing. His kisses. The line of friendship I drew between the two of us to spare any kind of trouble has been long out of the window. You don't make out with your friends, unless they are also your fuck buddies.

Aaron is not. He never will be.

But, again, who is he in my life? Nothing, he's nothing.

The thing about Aaron McCall is, he doesn't give up on people. I remember treating him like shit and yet, each time I looked back for someone, he was right there. He didn't back off when I asked him to agree to go with me on dinner with Uncle Marcel, who's actually his boss. He was there every time Derek fucked up with me. He stood up for me in front of his mother. Despite the fact that his best friend loathes me, he chose to trust me on my word. And let's not forget the fact that he punched Ethan because of the mess he made me.

I know he has feelings for me, but when people like me, they want sex, they get it and it's over. With him, it's slow and sensual kisses and his eyes gaze at every inch of my body like I'm the only thing that has ever caught his interest. No one, absolutely no one has ever observed me like he does. When he holds me in his arms, it's a comfortable embrace, like he wants to spend time with me, not just do formality after we just made out.

He's different and he's fucking up with my mind bad! Really bad!

I sigh as I push open the door to the small diner few blocks away from office. After ordering a strong coffee for myself, I take a seat in the corner of the place, away from the public eye. With a deep breath, I close my eyes a little and relax back in the seat.

The look of hurt on his face when I told him that us talking wasn't a great idea flashes in front of my eyes and I let out a shaky breath. I wanted to talk to him, ask him if he was okay, which he clearly wasn't. The guy found out about his dearest best friend's and worst brother's budding friendship, he must have been bummed out. But, cleaning up his wounds was all I could offer him that day, or ever in the future. I'm sure I made myself pretty clear before he left the apartment that day after brunch, yelling at me.

Aaron is one of the most emotionally sorted person I've ever come across and yet, each time we talk, it ends up with either an argument or a make out session. There had to be an end to it, hence I needed to step back because I know that out of the two of us, only I'm capable of doing it.

I take a sip from my coffee and look at the crowded diner. Apparently, everyone needs a great cup of coffee today.

My ears perk up when I hear a vaguely familiar voice in the crowd. I freeze in my seat at the sound of that voice. However, cowardly I look up from my table and take a little peak at the queue on the counter and my eyes almost pop out of their socket when I see the most unexpected person there.

Fuck fuck fuck!

Without thinking, I pick up my bag and literally run out of the diner, bumping into a girl who curses at me. As soon as I'm out, I wave for a cab and immediately get into one.

"Where to, miss?" The cab driver asks after I don't reply him for few seconds.

I jerk at the sound of his voice and look up, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror, "Union Hall, Brooklyn." I announce and he nods before driving off.

Hastily, I look for my phone in my bag and almost feel like I forgot it back at the diner before I get ahold of it. "Oh fuck, thank god!" I curse and take a relieved breath at the same time, immediately dialling up Ella.

"Hey," She greets with her perky voice after the second ring.

"911, need Connor's help." I say, almost out of breath.

"What happened? Did something happen at the office, too much workload? You sound upset." She says and I shake my head, well aware that she cannot see me.

"Yes, something like that. Will the two of you help or not?" I bark in the phone.

"When have we ever said no to you? We got this. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yup, see you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Tomorrow? Dia-"

I hang up before she can get into more details and pry things out of me. Immediately after, I turn my phone off and put my head back on the seat and close my eyes. After just a second I let out a loud frustrated scream and shoot my eyes open. My eyes meet the driver's again and he frowns, and looks a bit panicked. Well, no shit!

"You okay back in there, doll?" The old man asks and I look out of the window.

"Yes, I didn't mean to freak you out."

Well, I should have thought about that before letting out that scream!

This day officially sucks!

The driver drops me off at my destination half an hour later and I look at the board and sigh. Just this one time here, I need this! I enter the place and the strong smell of liquor immediately hits my nostrils. I look around to see that the place is half empty, that's because it's in the middle of the afternoon and not everyone like me is having a bad enough day to get drunk here.

I take a seat on the bar stool and look at the bartender. He arches his eyebrow, asking my order and I look around.

"Bourbon, keep it coming." I say and he nods, not even questioning for my valid id.

I'm dressed up as a working woman, I don't think he needs to ask for my id anyway. Although, I still got few more months till I turn twenty one.

He passes me on the glass, filled with ice cubes and I smile at him. This is the Diana way of dealing with the bad day, drink away your problems baby. I take a mouthful sip and it immediately burns down my throat as it goes down.

"Fuck!" I curse as I wipe off the droplets from my lips.

I don't know how much time goes by, or how many drinks I keep ordering before the place starts filling more and more with college students and the sun keeps going down. I slowed down a few drinks after my head started feeling dizzy, but then I puked, had a lemonade and resumed the routine. Oh, I did switch to tequila shots for a little while just to cheer around with the stupid kids.

"You're hot." I feel a hot breath against my skin and I jerk back.

I look at him, taking in his whole features, "Well, you're not."

He's fine looking, charming but hot? Definitely not. He frowns a little at my words and clears his throat.

"How much did she have to drink?" He looks over at the bartender.

"Oh, hi dad, I didn't see you there." I mock at his question, rolling my eyes with a fake grin and he glares at the guy who has been serving me.

"She's been here since three dude, took an hour or so break between, but been drinking here and there." He says and I frown at him.

"Get the fuck away from here please!" I push back the stranger and he's immediately caught off guard.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up." He pats my head as he tangles his arm around my shoulder and lets me off the bar stool.

He leads me to where I assume is the washroom and I frown at him. "Ladies washroom?"

"I don't mind." He shrugs and I grin at him.

What's up with me? One minute I'm glaring and shouting and now, I'm in a ladies bathroom with a complete stranger.

"In you go." He pushes me off in a stall and shut the door.

Why am I in here? Is this his lame attempt to get me to throw up? I already did that. But peeing wouldn't hurt anyone, right? Sure, let's pee.

Fuck, I'm wasted!

"So, why are you being kind to some stranger?" I ask from behind the stall.

He doesn't reply and when I come out, he's still just standing there with a straight face. I wash my hands and look at him. The brown hair guy got blue eyes, a little beard. Unattractive, he needs to shave.

"I asked you a question." I snap and he shakes his head.

He starts walking and comes to stand exactly in front of me, leaving barely any space and I frown at him. "If you make a move, I'm a good kicker." I warn him and he chuckles.

"So, how did he do it?" He asks, making me scowl.

"What?"

"How did you boyfriend break up with you?" He questions and I laugh loudly at his question, thankful for the empty restroom.

"What made you think my boyfriend dumped me?" I click my tongue, my head still spinning around.

"You've been in here since three, drinking your ass off. It must have been a bad break up." He remarks and I smirk.

"Sounds a little cliche, don't you think?"

"I thought pretty girls liked cliche." He gives me a smug look and I look into his blue eyes.

Hmm. His eyes aren't deep like Aaron's. I need few more drinks to shut down my brain completely.

"I don't." I say but before he can respond, I pull him down with the collar of his shirt and slam my lips against his.

He immediately responds, not even skipping a beat, almost like he had assumed it would come in a while. I don't care, I need to push back few images in the back of my mind, and this seems like a pretty good idea to me right now. His hands are not around my waist, what the fuck is he doing? His lips aren't warm against mine. Ughh!

I back off and glare at him, "Bad kisser." I snap before rushing out of the restroom.

After taking out the credit card from my bag, I hand it over to the bartender and as soon as I pay, I get out the fucking place. I hire a cab and bark the destination and just then, a stupid song comes up on the radio and I start singing along, loudly.

Party in the USA. Ironic.

"Can you keep it down, please?" The driver asks.

"I'm going to pay you for the ride, don't you think that's enough?" I roll my eyes, my speech a little slurred.

He doesn't respond after that, just keeps shaking his head at me like I'm a disappointed daughter. Oh, well, the irony of that statement!

Before I can ponder over my thoughts, the cab comes to a halt and I smile at the sight in front of me. McCall's house it is! I pay the driver and get out, without managing to trip over my own foot. It takes me ten minutes to actually climb up the four stairs to the porch. When I reach there, I ring the door bell five times in a row and look at the neighbourhood.

Well, it seems quiet. What time is it?

"Goodness, one bell is enough to get the people to open the door." I hear his voice and grin to myself.

"Hey there." I beam at him when he sees me.

"Diana! Where the hell have you been? Ella and Connor have been so fucking worried for you. They have been calling literally everyone." He starts rambling.

"You're adorable and I like your eyes." I say as I stare at his face.

He frowns and finally pays attention to my light feet, "Are you drunk?" He discovers loudly and I giggle.

What's wrong with me? Since when did I start giggling?

"Yup, wasted!" I announce, proudly. "Anyone home?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"Do you want to come in?"

"Am I allowed to use your bathroom?"

He smiles a little as he opens the door further, giving me way to enter the house. I do that and immediately rush over to the bathroom. I stand in front of the mirror and look at myself.

Sexy office woman, drunk and wasted. Awesome!

As I'm admiring my ghost self in the mirror, out of nowhere I just gag a little and immediately shift over to the toilet seat and throw up, tasting the bitter alcohol coming up for the second time for this night.