One Another Chance to Love Rachel

Rachel

What's the best way to forgo everyone and everything that hurts you? For me, it is to get drunk.

I don't normally like to drink alcohol because it makes me lose my mind, and I don't like the fact that something has this kind of effect. If anything I like the most is being sober. So I don't make any rash decisions that I might regret in the future.

But today it's different, for just one day I want to be free, not caring about anything else in life. I don't know what the morning brings for me but I wanna enjoy being out of control for once.

"What do you think you're doing here?" I sensed a hand on my shoulder as the glass was taken away from my hand. I turned around to see my so-called boss, concern etched on their face.

I groaned loudly, trying to grab the glass back, but the hand held it out of reach. "Give it back, you're no one but my boss, why do you care."

He stood right in front of me, shooting deadly glares at me as he placed both his arms around my waist, lifting me from the stool that I was sitting on. As he held me in his arms, I could feel his frustration and worry emanating from him.

"I care because I value your well-being," he said firmly, his grip tightening slightly. "You're more than just an employee to me and I can't stand by and watch you harm yourself." I slapped his face trying to free myself from his grasp but he didn't even flinch a bit and carried me out of the bar and into his car.

"Fight all you want, but you're allowed to drink more." He continued, his voice filled with determination.

"Let me go, or I'll shout," I said, trying to open the door, but it was locked and the windows were rolled up tightly. I realized that escaping from his control would be much more difficult than I had anticipated.

"Sit quietly, I'm taking you home," he replied, as he buckled my seatbelt.

Our gaze met as his finger touched the bare skin of my hip, sending a shiver down my spine. I felt a mix of fear and uncertainty. "Why?"

"Because you're my employee," he said, separating himself from me physically. I could sense the power imbalance between us, and it made me question the boundaries of our professional relationship.

"I'm resigning," I turned my gaze away from him, turning my head to the window and watching the city lights blur as we drove.

"You're not allowed to," he replied sternly, his voice filled with authority.

"I'm not allowed to resign and you're allowed to cheat on me," Shit what did I say, the alcohol is making me lose my mind. I quickly realized that my words had slipped out unintentionally, fueled by the alcohol coursing through my veins. The car fell into an uncomfortable silence as I anxiously awaited his response, unsure of how he would react to my accidental revelation.

He parked the car on the side of the road, turning his head to me. "We're not in a relationship," he said, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and confusion. The weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks, as I realized that perhaps our connection wasn't as strong as I had thought.

"But we do have something," I whispered, my voice barely audible. The realization that our bond was not what I had hoped for left me feeling vulnerable and uncertain about where we stood.

"We do, but that doesn't mean we're committed to each other," he replied, his tone gentle yet firm. It was a painful truth to accept, but I couldn't deny the validity of his words.

"Yeah, we just fuck buddies," I said removing my seatbelt.

"Don't...," Jayce said, holding my wrist gently. His touch and words offered a glimmer of hope, making me reconsider my initial assumption about our connection. "You ever say that word; you don't know how precious you're to me."

"How precious," I replied, filling every mere inch in between our bodies, staring right into his eyes.

"Rachel..," He said, letting go of my wrist, and moving away from me. I could see the conflict in his eyes as he struggled to maintain his composure. It was clear that my words had struck a nerve, and I immediately regretted my thoughtless response.

I took the car key and threw it somewhere in the backseat.

"What do you think you did to throw the key?" His voice seems calm but the annoyance on his face says otherwise. I bit my lip, realizing that my impulsive action had only escalated the tension between us.

"You can't leave until you answer,"

"Rachel," he said, his voice now tinged with frustration and impatience.

"What, you're angry now, or you're so desperate to be with her like last time," I blurted out, regretting my words as soon as they left my mouth. His face turned red with anger, and I could see the hurt in his eyes. The silence in the car became suffocating as we both realized the weight of our words.

Jayce put both his hands on my shoulder, shaking my body lightly, "Don't act as if you care," he whispered, his voice filled with disappointment. "You've made it clear where you stand."

I sighed, as I was finally coming to my senses, "You're right," I said, holding the keys that I acted to throw away, unlocking the door, and leaving before he could stop me.

Without caring to glance back at Jayce, I moved forward. I blame the alcohol for making me act so stupid. I should have known that this arrangement was nothing but a bad idea. All my life, I fought to escape the same fate as my mother, but in the end, I'm not different from her. I allowed my emotions to rule over my mind and looked at what happened.

"I hate myself, I hate myself for falling in love, I hate letting my emotions rule my mind, I hate....," I mumbled walking away from Jayce but lost my balance, getting ready to fall on my ass.

But the fall never came. What came was a gentle landing on a firm set of arms, with a very familiar pair of eyes staring at me, with his around my waist, leaning over my face as a pair of soft, tender lips kissed me.

The kiss came as a surprise at first, but I leaned into his touch yet again, allowing my emotions to rule over my mind, wrapping my arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. The kiss lasted long, with no one of us wanting to stop, but at last our lips separated from each other's grasp, but the hand holding me remained the same. As we pulled away, a sense of warmth and familiarity washed over me. I looked into his eyes, feeling a sense of comfort and safety in his embrace. It was at that moment that I realized how much I had missed him and how much I longed for this connection to continue.

My hands subconsciously his cheeks, the little stubble on them tickles as I gently smooth my hand on his cheeks. "I hate you," I said, even though my actions don't justify my words.

"I know it's a lie," He said, carrying me to the car.

"Where are you taking me?" I said, borrowing my head in his chest, with my senses enjoying the warmth and fragrance of his body so close to mine.

"Home, you're too drunk to be left alone," He said, easily unlocking the door even with me in his arms. "We'll clear all misunderstandings in the morning when you're sober." He buckled my seatbelt. Placing a gentle peck on my lips, before closing the door.