Chapter 258
""Are you ever going to stop?"" Mike lost his temper.
""She's fine, isn't she?"" Laura Miller realized the truth. ""Mike, I'm serious. Don't come looking for me again. We are done.""
""Enough is enough, Laura,"" Mike said, trying to keep his cool.
""It's over, Mike. You only have eyes for Isla. Yes, you can go to her, but you can't just leave my family behind and not even call me once. Today was an important day for us, and you didn't care. I'm done expecting anything from you, I’m done hoping. Let's just end this and hope we never see each other again.""
Laura ended the call and covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably.
After her tears dried up, she deleted Mike and Isla's contact information from her phone. Those two had drained her completely. Without expectations or hope, there would be no more pain.
She yearned for a drink and someone to talk to. She thought of calling her friend Cassie, but knowing she wasn't free, Laura decided to drive to the bar alone.
---
Madison's bars lined a single street, with only a handful fancy enough for the affluent youth to frequent.
At eleven at night, Noah and his buddy, Joseph, emerged from a VIP room upstairs. Even after dinner, Joseph didn't want to head back to the mansion, so Noah had obliged him with a trip to the bar, though Joseph hadn't drunk much, seemingly tired of getting wasted.
""Joseph, are you heading back to New York for the holidays? If not, my granddad said we should come over,"" Noah suggested as they walked down the staircase. His gaze drifted across the bar where a woman was sitting, her yellow coat highlighting her fair skin. Her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her features were striking, almost like she was of mixed heritage.
But she seemed completely drunk, with two men hassling her at the bar.
""Isn't that Laura Miller?"" Noah recognized the girl he had hung out with a few times. She was cheerful and down-to-earth.
Joseph glanced casually at the commotion and recognized the woman as Cassie's good friend.
He rubbed his temples, knowing that if her friend was in trouble, Cassie would be worried sick. ""Take care of those two guys,"" he said tersely.
Noah moved swiftly and grabbed the hand that was draped over Laura Miller's shoulder.
""Thinking of messing with Mr. Collins?"" The man's voice trailed off the moment his eyes met Noah's, a visible shudder of fear seizing him.
""Back off. She's a friend. Lay a hand on her again, and you'll regret it,"" Noah threatened. His push was more of a forceful nudge that sent the man stumbling backward.
The two men didn't need to be told twice. They knew better than to mess around in a bar that was part of Noah's turf.
""Laura, let's get out of here. I'll take you home,"" Noah said, helping Laura Miller to her feet.
She slung an arm around him like an old pal, staggering drunkenly but still shouting, ""I'm not going home. I want another drink. Cheers to breakups—for the joy of the next hello has to wave goodbye to the wrong ones!""
Noah hoisted her into the car, muttering under his breath, ""Did she get dumped? How much did she drink?""
""You sit in the back,"" Joseph commanded as he slid into the passenger seat, leaving a reluctant Noah to sit in the back with Laura.
The minute Noah sat down, Laura grabbed his collar and berated him, ""Benjamin, you jerk, you idiot! I loved you for eight years, and all you could see was Isla. Are you blind?""
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