| Nathan |

Today was draining. There were problems with some of my investors, my co-workers were doing everything wrong and I was feeling more tense than usual. Not to mention that someone had attempted to hack into the companies accounts and take money, again. This had happened over two months ago, and I thought the tech department had had it under wraps, but they hadn't. They did now though, I made sure of it.

I let out a long breath, sitting back in my chair and sending yet another email, feeling exhausted and confused about many things. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Isabella and I hadn't ended on a particularly good note the other day, it hadn't been bad, but it hadn't been good.

So I dove even farther into my work to ignore my feelings about her, I didn't necessarily like her like that, but there was something there that I didn't want to feel.

I was doing a late night at the office and now most had gone home, seeing as it was 9:38 at night and it was Friday. I sat up again, my fingers back to drumming away at the key board as I sent an email out to some business people, when Martha buzzed me.

I hit the red blinking button, prepared to chew her out if she asked to go home.

"Yes." I snap.

"I have a-um Miss. Smith on the line?" she says and I made a face why was she calling? When we had gone out and I made it clear I wasn't going to date her, she got up at the end of the meal, saying something about being late from lunch break, thanked me and left. I didn't find it odd but looking back maybe I hurt her. And that's why things didn't end well.

That was a week ago.

"Okay." I say tiredly and I pick up the phone.

"Isabella?" I ask and I hear something which sounds oddly like party music muffled in the background before her voice comes through.

"Um, are you busy?" her smooth voice sounds shaky and slurred, was she drunk?

"I'm working but...did you need something?" I ask slowly, I wondered why she was calling me of all people. "Are you drunk?" I asked when she didn't respond right away.

"Nooo...Okay, maybe a little bit." she says giggling softly.

"Call a taxi and go home." I tell her firmly and she just laughs louder, but then I hear her breath get caught short in her throat. "What?" I ask.

"Um I need you to-can you come pick me up?" she asks shakily, suddenly sounding scared. "I- my friend and I are staying in the city again for the weekend and we went to some club. She got really drunk I guess, and left..." There was an odd pause in which she made a noise again. "Anyway now I'm outside the club, I don't have my car and I'm lost Nathan. I'm actually pretty scared." she said almost too quickly, but I suddenly felt panic. She was lost?

"Do you know which street you're on?" I ask her, I knew New York like the back of my hand.

"I-um... Timothy Boulevard on 16th street." she says slowly. I heard her gasp suddenly.

"What?" I sat forward in my chair, actually worried about her. I was also angry that her friend left her, what kind of friend does that? I knew exactly where she was though so it should be easy to find her.

"I-I just, please come quickly. I would have called a cab like you said but they all look super sketchy, and I don't really know anyone else and I had the office number from Ryan... oh my god... and there are creepy people here too." she says.

"Listen to me, go back inside the club okay?" I say.

"Okay." she whispers.

"I'll be there soon and I'll come find you." I tell her and then I hang up. I grabbed my car keys and jumped up. She was easily only 4'9 or maybe 5'0, she wasn't that tall, and I knew she couldn't really protect herself at a place like that, especially if she's drunk. I threw my files into my brief case, grabbed my phone, wallet and shut down my computer. I shut the office lights off and locked up.

"Martha, you can go home." I say to her as I march quickly to the elevator. I don't wait for her response before I am down in the parking garage and in my car. Revving the Lamborghini's engine harshly, I took off down the street, speeding, but with good reason.

I found the street pretty easily, and sure enough, there was the club. It was called 'Dancing Buddha' and it looked as sketchy as she had said. What kind of friend suggests this place with a friend who was as small as Isabella? I parked across the street and shoved my way through the throng of people who were out in front of it, mostly disgusting men, and ignored the bouncer as I strode past him.

My eyes looked for her, she was here somewhere. Suddenly I saw her, and she had seen me because she was walking towards me. She was nearly to me when she got hit by some idiot and he spilled his drink all over her.

"Oh my god!" I heard her shout. I marched right over to the guy.

"Hey! Watch were you're going." I say shoving him and grabbing her before he had a chance to say anything. She stumbled along beside me, barely able to hold herself up, as we finally pushed out of the club, leaving the pounding music and wasted crowd behind. I dragged her across the street.

"What the hell Isabella!?" I yelled at her.

"I know, I know, I told Racheal this was a bad idea." she mutters, brushing me off and rolling her eyes. I grabbed her and pressed her against the car, her eyes widening and I think I finally got to her. Either that or she had had too much to drink.

"Don't do that, stop rolling your eyes, it pisses me off. And be smarter next time, your old enough not to end up in situations like that." I shout and she blinks.

"I'm sorry." she whimpers, tears pricked behind her eyes and she shoved me off her. "I just- I had a very bad day and it seemed like a good idea to get drunk... I know it I was stupid. I don't know..."she stopped talking and turned her face from me, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Oh-no, please don't cry." I hushed, rubbing her shoulder and feeling out of place. She let out a sob.

"I just get these flashes where I should have never let my father walk all over my mom, you know, like I should have stood up for her." she says, tears pouring down her flushed cheeks. I blink, she was making no sense and it was more than likely she was talking about her past. "Then my dad fucking calls last week...after no contact for nearly ten years and he is being so nice to me. He is asking about school, telling me he's proud." She swallows hard, wiping her face with her palm. "And I totally fell for it you know. I thought 'wow, this changes everything, maybe we could have a relationship now that he has his shit together.' But then it turns out, all he wanted from me was to come be in his wedding. And not only that, he's marrying the same whore he cheated on my mother with." she chokes and sobs again. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know what the hell she was talking about, so I took her and I just rubbed up and down her back with my hand.

It was then I realized what she was wearing, it was probably the tightest thing I had see her in. The dress was hugging over her ass and making her chest pop out. My hand ran over the rough material as it went up and down her back, and I wondered if this was normal for her or if she had been made to come out.

She was so...so petit and seeing her crying like this made me scared she might break somehow.

"And you." she spun, jabbing a finger at my chest, my eyes widened. "You've had so many chances to kiss me and you haven't. I just wish you would grow a pair and take me out, what's so wrong with that?!" she sobbed harder and fell into me, awkwardly hugging me. I was at a complete loss for what to do. She was very drunk, that much was clear, but what do I do with her? Take her home and let her stay in the guest bedroom? Or take her to her hotel? I didn't know where it was. The time we ticking by and it was nearly 10 thirty now.

"Come on, your drunk, lets get you home." I mutter, shifting and trying to get her off me.

"I am not drunk you bastard!" she shrieks, having a full melt down. I moved out of the way just in time though for her to stumble past me and throw up in the street.

"Come on Isabella." I mutter my hands wrapping over her small form and helping her to the passenger seat, she climbed in and I slammed the door shut. God damn, what do I do? I lean against the car taking a moment.

I guess I will try to figure out where she lived.

I went to my side and climbed in as well.

"So-" I broke off to see she was falling asleep, tear tracks still glistening on her cheeks. I sighed, I guess she was coming home with me.

-

Her body was almost as light as a feather in my arms as I carried her up the stairs to one of the many guest bedrooms in the house. I decided on the one closest to my room in case something happened to her, not that anything would, my home was the most secure place I knew.

I carried her in and set her down on the fluffy duvet covering the King sized bed. She shifted slightly when I turned the lights on, her eyes fluttering, but then she settled back into sleep. I walked back to the bed, sitting next to her, I watched her face closely, it looked so soft and calm in sleep, I really wanted to touch her cheeks, but I wouldn't.

Her dress was soaked in alcohol from the guy who spilled his drink on her and it smelled terrible. I lifted her body up, reached behind her and unzipped the back. I pulled it down from top to bottom and swallowed hard when I saw her in her underwear in front of me and she had no idea. She was wearing a plane black bra, and matching panties, but the way she looked in them was almost too much. Her skin was pale, even in the dim lighting I could tell that much, but it looked as soft as the skin on her face. My eyes traveled over her sleeping form, my hands were resting on her arms from holding her up and suddenly it all felt wrong.

I threw the dress on the ground and picked her up, lifting the covers on the bed and putting her beneath them. She had already sunk into the pillows, her petit body almost lost among the sheets. I bent over, picking up the dress and deciding to throw it out. It had looked good on her, but it hadn't been her I also suspected this may be something her friend bought her.

I set it on the side table near the front of the room for the maid to collect in the morning. Then I walked out.

I shut the door to the room quietly, flicking the lights off and let out a breath, leaning my head against the door. I reached a hand to my tie and loosened it, un-buttoning my blazer as well. I took my phone out and dialed my stylist, figuring if she didn't answer, I would leave a message to bring Isabella some clothes.

"Hello?" her tired voice chirped from the other end.

"Are you sleeping?" I ask stiffly.

"No sir." she says politely.

"Mr. Price is fine Macy." I tell her, correcting her for calling me 'sir'. "I need you to bring some clothes, for a guest I have here tonight, in by early tomorrow morning. She's a size small, and make it something...simple." I pause, unsure.

"Just something nice alright?" I say.

"Okay Mr. Price." she says. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Macy." I say before hanging up and sighing. Christ, what had I gotten myself into? What was going to happen when she woke up?

I didn't know and for now, I think I just needed to sleep.