Breaking The Bond

A Familiar Face

Trent's Pov

I stepped outside, got into my car, and drove to my favorite bar. Whenever I had uncomfortable thoughts, I would visit this place to drink them away. However, I always controlled how much alcohol I consumed because if I got drunk, what if I unknowingly revealed my identity?

When I arrived at the bar that evening, I greeted my favorite bartender, Miles, and ordered just one bottle of beer.

“Big guy! Are you sure you want only one bottle? I know you can’t handle alcohol like other men, as you’ve constantly reminded me. But I still think more than one bottle isn’t too much for your stature,” he replied, raising an eyebrow.

I chuckled, poured the beer into my glass, and downed it. “Well, it’s not about stature. You know that, right? A person’s size has nothing to do with their alcohol tolerance. I might be big, but I might not have the same stamina as that guy,” I said, gesturing toward a very short man seated nearby.

The man was a regular at the bar, and at that moment, he had finished three bottles of beer but still looked unshaken.

Miles glanced at where I pointed and burst into laughter. “Trent! If you want to make comparisons, use someone else. Dickson sitting there is a ‘Top G’ when it comes to drinking. I’ve never seen him get so drunk he couldn’t walk out of the bar like the same person before. He’s always calm, no matter how much he drinks. To me, he’s not human!”

I chuckled.

“I heard he started drinking at eight years old,” someone chimed in from behind me.

I looked back and saw the lady. She had pitch-black hair, green eyes, full red lips, a tiny waist, and breasts that looked like they were spilling out of her blouse. It was Lesley, the bar waitress. She approached me, carrying a tray with an empty glass which she had probably just taken from another customer.

“Hi, handsome! I didn’t know you’d be coming to the bar today,” she said with a smile.

I returned her smile. “I didn’t know I’d be coming either.”

Lesley chuckled, placed the tray on the bar counter, and sat beside me. “You could have texted me, you know. I could have worn something more appropriate,” she said, winking at me.

I chuckled and took another sip of beer.

Lesley and I had hooked up a couple of times in the past. I loved how curvy she was and how good she was in bed. Her skills were top-notch, especially what she did with her hands.

Lesley slid her slender hand over mine and looked into my eyes. Then she drew closer and whispered in my ear, “You can have me today if you want, you know.”

I pulled away. “Nah, I just want to drink today,” I replied. Lesley was about to say something else when a customer ordered more beer, prompting her to leave. She winked at me again before attending to the customer.

Lesley was beautiful, and I knew she liked me—not just because I made her scream in bed, but because she had feelings for me. I felt sorry for her; she would never mean anything more to me than a friends-with-benefits situation.

The only woman I had ever truly loved had thrown her bag of chips in my face, cursed at me, and walked out. Even though I deserved it, it still hurt. I also liked Lesley—not romantically, but I appreciated her uniqueness. She was smarter than most girls I have encountered and had a better sense of humor. Despite her feelings for me, she had never explicitly stated that she wanted more than a s****l relationship. I couldn’t give her that; I could not afford to fall in love with anyone anymore.

I continued drinking in small sips until my bottle was empty. I had only drunk enough to make me slightly tipsy. I was swirling my cup of beer in slow, circular motions when I heard a loud crash.

I glanced beside me and saw Sir Dickson arguing with a large, bald guy covered in tattoos. They were shouting at each other, pushing glasses off the table. Before anyone realized what was happening, the bald man had lifted Sir Dickson and slammed him onto the table. Sir Dickson yelped in pain while other patrons laughed at the scene.

Sir Dickson quickly stood up, his face red with embarrassment, and punched the bald man in the nose. The man angrily grabbed him, lifted him, and slammed him down onto the floor. The customers cheered, most of them drunk and not in their right minds.

Miles and Lesley tried to stop the fight but were too afraid to approach the tattooed man. I attempted to mind my business; after all, I was there to drink, not intervene. But when I heard Lesley scream and turned back to see Sir Dickson with a bloodied face and ripped clothes, the tattooed man holding a knife and looking like he wanted to stab him, I knew I had to step in. I learned some fighting skills a few years ago and was proficient in Judo.

I reluctantly stood up and walked toward the man. “Let him go.”

The tattooed man looked at me as if I were crazy. “Mind your business, pretty boy, before I make a mess of your rich face!” he threatened, then turned back to Sir Dickson, raising his knife to attack him.

Before he could strike, I swung him around with a strong grip and landed a punch on his face that knocked him out, sending him crashing to the ground.

A hush fell over the bar as everyone stared at us, surprised that a man of my stature could take down the tattooed fool. They probably thought I would be the one to be defeated.

I left the bar, feeling a mix of anger and frustration. Just as I was about to exit, Sir Dickson approached and shook my hand vigorously.

“Thank you so much! Thank you so much!” he exclaimed, his gratitude evident.

I felt uncomfortable under the attention, as everyone was looking at me. I hate unnecessary attention. So I quickly walked out and headed to my car.

On my way, I noticed a red car parked beside me. It looked like the latest model of a luxurious vehicle I had once seen online. A woman stepped out, wearing a long coat that reached her calves and blue jeans. She had brown, wavy hair and looked very familiar, though I couldn’t place where I had seen her before.

That was until she turned, revealing her full face. My heart stopped. It was her—my ex-fiancee, Janice, the woman I had been thinking about often these days, the one I loved with all my heart and missed dearly.