Ana Oliveira Part 3

The sadness that once resided within me had now been replaced by a rage slithering beneath my skin like a serpent.
"Cretins!" I muttered, grabbing the mojito the bartender slid across the counter towards me. I pointed to my table for him to add the drink to my tab and gulped down the damn drink in a few swallows, feeling the refreshing taste of lime and mint on my throat.
"Another one, please!" I growled, continuing to glare at the two provocateurs.
I flinched when I noticed Bernardo coming into my field of vision, raising an eyebrow and looking at me as if I were something repulsive. I pursed my lips, trying not to show that his expression hurt me. He sat down beside me.
"A Cosmopolitan, darling!" he ordered from the bartender, turning his gaze towards me in a mocking manner over his shoulder. "So, did you stop stalking my Insta or did you make a fake account, woman?"
I felt my face burn with frustration and anger. Why did I subject myself to this crap? I was starting to regret letting the impulsive Ana take over and enter this place because I knew that when it was all over, when I woke up the next day, I would be even more shattered and drained. But I forced myself to lift my gaze and my shoulders.
"Do you want me to tell you to go screw yourself, or do you want me to punch you in the face, Bernardo?" I threatened, making him widen his eyes, startled. I was holding back tears but still trying to build an armor around myself. "I like you, so get lost!" I growled.
"Why don't you take that jerk Lucah and leave?" he asked, looking irritated. "I will never forgive you for what you did to Jow. He gave you everything, joined the Army to save your neck, and you went off with that bland guy."
When Bernardo grabbed his drink and turned his back on me, a tear rolled down my face. I almost followed him to shout that I was being wronged, that it was all a huge misunderstanding. But seeing how Isabela was mingling with the group, not bothering to clear up the misunderstandings as she was close to them, I turned to the bartender. I noticed a laminated name tag on his right chest showing his name as he prepared my next drink.
"Thank you, Dante!" I said, giving a sad smile. "Now, give me two shots of tequila!"
Barely swallowing the mojito, almost choking with how quickly I drank it, I grabbed the tequila shots, one in each hand, and downed them in two gulps. My head was already showing the effects of the alcohol when I turned back to face that wretched group. I thought I would see them laughing, rubbing their happiness and togetherness in my face, but what I noticed was that everyone was staring at me. There were clear signs of concern in their furrowed brows and wide eyes. I swallowed hard, angry, when I noticed Josiah saying something towards Lucah’s table. Luana loudly called him a "jerk," standing up and stomping over to me.
"Another one?" Dante asked.
I held up two fingers, and he quickly served the two shots, which I again downed quickly, ignoring the salt and lime. My head was starting to spin, and my vision was beginning to blur.
My friend finally reached me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, hugging her. I almost started crying, clinging to her high-waisted denim shorts, with a white sequin body scratching my forehead. A delicate silver heart choker adorned her neck.
"Girl, the jerk told you to stop drinking. He said we're not your friends just because you're being free and drinking..." she mocked, huffing. "Bring one more for her and another for me."
I smiled, looking at Josiah over my shoulder, mocking him, loving the way he stared at me, clenching his jaw. What a beautiful bastard... He wasn’t looking down anymore; on the contrary, his muscles were straining against his shirt. Tattoos twisted around his arms, leaving me shocked. He had tattooed himself all over...
Josiah shook his head, as if to make it clear he was disappointed. Why was he keeping tabs on my life? He was there with my friend’s cow, right in front of everyone. I turned away from him, resting on the bar with my elbows, smiling and tossing my hair back, feeling the strands cascade in waves down to my hips.
"Where do you live, Dante?" I asked, deciding it was good to retaliate in kind. Why did I have to be the good one when the bastard was with my friend?
"Which one?" the bartender asked, raising an eyebrow and giving a smug smile. I narrowed my eyes but then realized he had caught on. Shrugging, defeated, I pointed to my ex-boyfriend. "If I get beaten up, I'll sue you," I said, laughing but playing along, leaning in and winking at me, resting his arms on the counter as he handed me the shot, then caressing my hands and biting his lower lip.
I smiled and whispered a "thank you." I glanced sideways at that wretched group, but I was disappointed to notice that Josiah was no longer there. I was sad, disappointed that my "scene" had gone unnoticed. As I grabbed the shot and was about to drink it, a heavy hand gripped my wrist tightly, making me groan and spill the drink on the counter, causing the glass to shatter abruptly against the bar.
I turned to say something, but Josiah grabbed me by the legs and pulled me, throwing me over his right shoulder. I thrashed about, and Luana rushed at him, but the tattooed head guy appeared out of nowhere and held her back, pinning her against his massive chest.

"Let me go, you idiot!" I shouted, punching his back.
"If you can’t handle your drinking, stay home, damn it!" he grunted, making me shiver as I finally heard his voice.
"Lucah! Jonas!" I screamed for help, but I saw Harry standing in front of them, trying to intimidate them by crossing his arms, while my friends tried to rise from their seats. "I’ll call the police, Josiah!" I threatened.
Why was he doing this? It made no sense. If he was with Isabela, why was he putting on a show in front of her to try to stop me from drinking?
"Hey, asshole..." My ex stopped in front of Lucah, his right hand gripping my butt to balance me, and my breasts brushed against his chest as I struggled, seeing everyone around staring at the scene. Some pedestrians even stopped to film us. "If you liked her, you wouldn’t have let her drink like this and flirt with anyone. You took her from me for this? What to expect from a scoundrel, right?"
"The only scoundrel here is you! I’m going to beat you up!" Lucah shouted, startling me with his anger. "Let her go now!"
Josiah dropped me abruptly to the ground, trying to go after the older brother. But his other friend, the one who had let Luana go, a wall of a man in jeans and a navy blue polo shirt, pulled him by the elbow.
"No fighting, damn it!" he instructed, without raising his voice. "Take the girl home!" he said, then pointed at my friends. "You two better not get involved!"
"Get out of the way, musclehead!" Jonas ordered, pointing a finger at the guy.
"My name is Bill!" he growled, forming a wall with Harry in front of the two.
Lu tried to pass Bernardo, who was trying to be intimidating in his denim shorts and gray polo. He pushed her gently by the shoulders, pushing her away.
"Why do you want to take me home, Josiah?" I yelled, slapping his face. "Are you playing dumb? Have you forgotten that we’re nothing? That you decided I’m nothing to you?"
Josiah growled, grabbing my forearm and scaring me as he dragged me down the street. I felt foolish, unable to even plant my feet on the ground. I started crying when I was thrown into the passenger seat of his truck. I was shocked by his reaction to my provocation, but I also saw it as a good opportunity to throw a few things in that bastard’s face. I wiped away the tears with fury. I was angry that he thought he could control me, that he could force me to go home whenever he wanted. He was the bastard who left me, who built a wall between us, who was rubbing up against Isabela in front of me, and still thought he had the right to dictate my actions.