ANDREW'S POV

I noticed her immediately she walked in and I had never seen anyone look more beautiful than she did in that tight white dress. It hugged her curves in all the right places enhancing her beauty making her look even more like the temptress she was. I had been at the party ever since it started at seven pm, had taken numerous photos of all the party goers including all the beautiful women in attendance yet no one could match her beauty.

I hadn't been able to get her out of my head or the pained look in her face when I called our date a mistake. Bishop had prohibited me and all other guys at the party from getting close to her as advertised by the huge poster he put up by the bar. I wanted to stay away from her but it was going to be hard, extremely hard especially when she looked that way. I wanted her to forgive me for hurting her even if we couldn't be together. I'd had the option of telling her the truth but I could not ruin her relationship with her brother. I didn't want to have that on my conscience. If I'd told her she'd have had to choose between me and Bishop I didn't want to put her in such a dilemma so I kept my mouth shut but in doing so I hurt her feelings.

Now she was at the party and all I needed were five minutes to apologize and hope she forgave me. I didn't even want her to be my friend, I just couldn't live with myself knowing I had hurt her so. I'd find the time to talk to her without her brother present so I could beg for her forgiveness.

I watched as she conversed with Bishop and his girlfriend for a few minutes before they walked away from her and she headed towards the bar. I was about to approach her when someone stopped me to ask for a photo. By the time I was done taking the photos she was not at the bar and I couldn't spot her anywhere in the club. I knew she was still around as the party was still in its early hours so she couldn't have already left. I decided to just keep doing my work in hopes that I'd run into her again within the course of the night.

"Hi Andrew."A girl whose name I should have known as she was in our class greeted me.

I had just finished taking pictures of the cake. It had been stashed in the corner away from people's way waiting for the cutting at midnight. It would be devoured pretty fast so I had to make sure I got shots of it before they ate it all. It was a one tier weed birthday cake with real blunt and weed. Would definitely not be indulging myself in that.

"Hi there. Enjoying the party?"I asked trying to be nice avoiding the fact that I didn't know her name.

"Yeah immensely and I'd be having much more fun if I could get you to join in."She commented licking her lips eyeing me up and down.

I cringed internally but managed to keep my tone and facial expression professional.

"I'm working."I commented curtly tapping my camera.

"How about after the party? We can go back to my place."She suggested her voice getting sultry.

"No thanks but it was nice seeing you around. Keep having fun."I replied walking around her before disappearing in the crowd.

I had been getting hit on all night and the drunker the girls got, the bolder they became. They were scantily dressed, drunk and high. Definitely the perfect recipe for disaster. I only had eyes for one girl and even if we couldn't be an item I would not be moving on anytime soon. Pierra was not someone you just got over so I had a few too many lonely and sad nights in my future.

I continued with my work taking pictures and videos even if it was the last thing I wanted. Bishop was paying me well and even though he and his goons had beaten the crap out of me I was still going to do my job well. No need to cry over spilt milk, all I could do was a good job and create connections for future work. I had already booked three photoshoots for the coming week which meant more money. I'd get to take care of my family, upgrade my equipment and hopefully even buy that drone I'd been coveting for a while.

"Dude this party is sick. Who knew being your friend would actually pay off?"Cliff exclaimed when I found them at the bar taking shots.

"Thanks Cliff, it's nice to know that my friendship is only worth the party connection it comes with."I replied sarcastically before I ordered a bottle of water from the bar.

I was working so alcohol was a no for me. I was already a passive weed smoker and that was more than enough drugs in my system for the night.

"I didn't mean it that way."Cliff tried to explain himself but I just ignored him.

I was only friends with Cliff and Alfred because of Cass as he was my best friend and their friend. Alfred was not so bad, quite and reserved most of the time, Cliff was the problem with his big mouth and terrible attitude.

"I know you might have already seen her but a heads up, Pierra is here and she knows you're here. She didn't seem pleased with that piece of information so be careful."Cass informed me and I groaned.

I had known Pierra would not be happy to see me but I'd lost the element of surprise so she was probably stewing somewhere plotting my revenge. She would probably make her brother send me home though that would require her giving a reason and I didn't think she would rant me out about our date. She could just as easily find another reason but I hoped she still liked me enough to let me keep my job, I desperately needed the money. I would not beg for it but I didn't want to loose it either.

"I want to talk to her."I told Cass quietly as I didn't want Cliff's input.

"Do you have a death wish? Wasn't one beating enough or are you just a masochist and enjoy the pain?"He whisper yelled and I flinched.

"I need to explain myself, the guilt is killing me."I admitted.

"Shake it off and get over it. You're alive so be grateful. I already feel guilty enough for talking you into the first date. I am not sitting at your bedside again watching you dance in and out of life Andy so you better forget that girl."Cass demanded.

I nodded even though I would not be doing any of that. Cass had been beating himself up ever since the accident as he had arranged the date but I'd talked him out of it. He pushed me but he didn't make me do anything I didn't want to. The only person to blame was Bishop and his messed up idea of what a big brother should behave like towards his sister.

"I'll see you later man. Don't go home without me."I requested Cass.

"I won't but please stay away from her. I'm not lying to your mom again to cover for you."He insisted.

"Yes sir."I said giving him a mock salute.

He laughed before walking away and joining Cliff and Alfred on the dance floor. I was about to leave the bar when I noticed Pierra on the other side. Ignoring all warning Cass had just given me, I drained the bottle of water to soothe my patched throat before walking around the crowd of people making orders towards her.

When I got behind her, I lifted my hand to tap her shoulder when someone shoved me making me run into her. One of the cans she was holding fell and rolled away landing under a table. She turned to face me probably to scold me for bumping into her but when she saw that it was me her mouth just hang open in shock.

She looked even more beautiful up close just like the flower she had been named after.

"Ivy."I called out in a whisper and immediately regretted it.

She didn't need to know that's what I preferred to call her. I didn't even think she told people that was her second name.

"What did you just call me?"She asked brows furrowed in confusion.

It made her forehead wrinkle and I wanted to use my finger to smoothen it out but I had already lost touching privileges.

"Nothing."I denied quickly."I'm sorry about the drink. Can I get you another one?"I added quickly to cover for the name slip up.

"No need. They are all free anyway."She denied and I nodded.

There was so much I wanted to say but I also knew I didn't have enough time. If one of Bishops goons spotted me talking to her he would definitely rant me out and they'd not stop until I stopped breathing this time.

Pierra surprised me by turning around to leave so I immediately reached for her hand and held her back. Her hand felt small and fragile in mine giving me the urge to pull her into my arms and protect her but I didn't have that right. She yanked her hand away from my hold as if I had burned her but didn't make an attempt to move away. I felt my heart clench in pain from her rejection but I'd hurt her first. She looked at me impatiently possibly wondering why I had stopped her and I realized I had to explain myself fast before she left.

"I'm sorry."I whispered softly but she was close enough to hear me.

"For what?"She asked and I racked my brain for what I was sorry about.

"Everything."I replied because I really was sorry about everything I had done.

Pierra just stared at me as if she was looking at a stranger and that's when I realized that I had really hurt her.

"The time to be sorry was a week ago. So take that sorry of yours and shove it up your ass."She insulted before turning around and storming away.

She was only a few steps away when she turned around and I felt hope bloom in me that she had changed her mind. That hope died when she walked towards the bar and yanked a bottle of vodka away from some guy. I watched her unscrew the cap and take a long swig. She was clearly not a drinker as she winced when she swallowed. Vodka was not to be messed with especially for a non drinker like her. I had caused that and I needed to find a way to fix it but I had no idea how.

She looked at me mouthed the word cheers before disappearing amidst the crowd. I thought about leaving her be but it was her first time drinking and she shouldn't have been alone. Anyone could take advantage of her in her drunk state and not even Bishop and his influence could help her. I pushed the people hoping to find her before she did something stupid.

I found her fifteen minutes later on the balcony slouched on the sofa with half the bottle already gone. She looked up when she saw me and threw an empty can of soda at me. It didn't even get three feet ahead of her.

"Damn you and this spinning room."She slurred and I realized that she was already drunk.

That was to be expected considering how much she had drunk in such a short amount of time. There was no getting through to her in such a state so I had to postpone my apology for another time.

"Pierra get up, we need to get you back your brother."I requested reaching for her hands but she slapped my hands away.

"Since when do you care?"She hiccuped with a slur.

"I've always cared."I replied and she burst out laughing.

"No you don't. If I remember correctly your exact words were. 'I don't like you and the date was a mistake'."She quoted and I felt that.

I really had broken her.

"I'll explain everything when you're sober, for now get up."I demanded taking her hands and pulling her up.

"No let me go."She demanded pulling away from me.

I let her go so didn't cause a scene but made sure to be close enough to hold her incase she fell. She stumbled over her feet but managed to get a grip on her footing. I had no idea what snapped in her but all of a sudden she turned to me with an angry look on her face and I knew she was about to rip me a new one. I braced myself but even that did not prepare me for what she threw at me.

"I have no idea what your motive was for asking me out in the first place but if you just wanted to mess with me and my brother by holding the title of the one guy who got to mess with Bishops sister you could have at least waited and had the decency to have sex with me. At least then you'd have something better to brag about than a kiss against the door and I'd have gotten good sex out of it. Now I know that you're just like the rest of them. Thank you for proving me right and burning me Andrew. I wish I never met you three years ago or ever said yes to that stupid date. I hate you and I hope the next girl you mess with next gives you Gonorrhea so bad your dick falls off. Sweet nightmares you twisted fuck and have a cursed night. I hope you fall in the shower and break your dick."She cussed out before grabbing her bag off the table and staggering away.

Her words hit deeper than I thought they would and I realized that I had hurt Pierra worse than I could ever have imagined. I thought she just had a crush on me but after all that cussing, I realized that her feelings ran deeper than that.

When I composed myself I followed her back inside and saw her at the VIP section drinking some water. She wasn't crying or talking and Bishop was not shooting murderous glares at anyone so I deemed it safe to assume that she hadn't ranted me out.

I watched from a far as her brother took care of her and I realized that I didn't deserve her. I hadn't fought for her like I should have. Maybe if I'd told her truth we would have had a fighting chance but I had wussed out and broken her heart. The best I could do for her was leave her alone and give her time to heal. She deserved that from me so I had to let her have it. As much as it would hurt me, I needed to let her go and be happy.

The rest of the party went uninterrupted and the cake cutting went smoothly. The party dwindled down after that and when Bishop left with Pierra and his girlfriend an hour later I found my friends and took their drunk selves home. 

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