Page 9 of Bound To Me

Zee gave me my second drink and I gulped all of it down quickly. Jesse laughed and slammed his hand down on the bar, thoroughly entertained.That makes one of us.

“Damn, girl. Looking to get fucked up tonight?”

“Precisely. Preferably alone,” I muttered, glancing over at Zee.

Jesse scoffed and slowly walked away.Thank God he wasn’t pushy.

“You alright, babe?” Zee asked, a familiar look of concern on her face.

“Yeah. Can I get another?”

She looked down at my drink. “Sure.”

I sighed as I tapped on my phone, my mind immediately wandering to Elliott.God, he’s so damn handsome. I went to his private Instagram and hit “Follow.”This is such a bad idea. He’s gonna know I’ve been stalking him. I set my phone down and nursed my third drink after Zee set it down in front of me.My eyes quickly shot to the notification that Elliott had accepted my request and was now following me. I laughed, feeling tipsy and ready to flirt. I gasped when a message from him appeared:Well hello there, Jacqueline. It’s nice to see you again.My heart began to race.This is not a good idea to respond, especially while drinking. I immediately typed back:Hi Elliott. I guess it’s apparent I’ve been stalking you. Sorry about that.Oh what a fucking idiot, Jackie. I saw typing bubbles immediately appear.Ha! That’s not a bad thing. I’m really glad to hear from you. I thought I’d never see you again.My heart sunk. Fuck, no no no. I can’t do this. My fingers had a mind of their own as they typed:I want to see you again. But I’m really a fucked up mess, and you will probably run for the hills once you really know me. Especially as a therapist.I set my phone down and put my hands to my forehead. My phone buzzed only seconds later and I quickly read his message:I’d like to figure that out on my own. Everyone is a mess to some degree.I shook my head, tears pooling my eyes. I gulped down my drink and began to type again:No like, you don’t understand. I have been traumatized. I will never be able to trust you. I don’t want to do that to you. You’re too nice.I stared down at my phone as he started to type.You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. However, I still want to see you again.I groaned, finally letting tears fall down my cheeks.

“You okay?” Zee was standing in front of me behind the bar, the look of concern still on her face.

“I’m…no. I’m fine. I should go.” I started to stand up.

“Hey, wait, your tab!”

I waited as she grabbed my card. She came back and held it out for me along with a receipt to sign.

“If you need someone to talk to, or just a friend, I’d be happy to hang out. My number is on the receipt.” She smiled at me.

I nodded and gave the best smile that I could. “Thanks.”

I walked out of the bar and my phone began to buzz in my purse. I stood against the wall, the cold air making my buzz feel even stronger. I pulled out my phone and almost had a heart attack: Elliott was calling me on Instagram.Oh my God. Fuck it. Answer it!

“Hey?” I answered hesitantly.

“Hey, Jacqueline. Are you okay?” There was concern clear in his voice.

I sighed. “Yeah. I’m just…I’ve been drinking. It was probably a bad idea to message you in this state,” I admitted, shaking my head at myself.

There was a pause. “That’s okay. Do you need help? Are you able to get home safely?”

I hated that I was already making this beautiful stranger worry about me.

“I’m walking back to my hostel right now. I’ll be fine. Maybe a little hungover, but fine nonetheless.” I began walking towards “home.”

“You’re staying in a hostel? Where?” he asked. “If you don’t mind me asking. There’s just…there’s a lot of bad areas in LA. I’m sure you know that.”

I laughed to myself. “I do know that. It’s fine, it’s in East Hollywood. The Hollywood Hostel.”Am I secretly wanting him to find me?

I heard him sigh. “Okay. Well…at least stay on the line with me until you get there.”

I smiled to myself. “Okay,dad,”I teased, but it immediately stung.Don’t ever call a man dad or daddy again, you idiot.

Elliott laughed. “You’re right. I’m probably old enough to be your dad.”

I stopped walking as I waited for the crosswalk to turn green.

“No, I doubt it. How old are you?” I asked curiously, then began to walk again.

“I’m forty-six.. I’m scared to ask how old you are. I’ll feel like arealcreep then,” he teased.

Oh god. He’s older and smart and so fucking handsome. “I’m twenty-eight. See, that’s not creepy,” I assured him with a smile on my face.

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