Chapter 178

Ramon POV

And God, some part of me wanted to say yes. Wanted to lose myself in physical sensation, in the oblivion that alcohol and strangers could provide. Wanted to forget about Lake and Ollie and the terrible truth about who I was.

But I couldn’t. Because even drunk, even desperate, I knew that running away wouldn’t solve anything. Would only make me hate myself more.

“How much do you want to leave me alone?” I asked instead.

The man blinked. “What?”

“Name a price,” I said, pulling out my wallet. “How much to go away and not come back?”

“Uh—” The man exchanged glances with his friends. “Five hundred?”

I pulled out a thousand in cash and dropped it on the bar between us. “Take this and leave. Now.”

They took the money and scattered, probably thinking I was insane. Maybe I was. Insane enough to pay strangers to not tempt me, to not give me an excuse to do something that would only compound my mistakes.

I finished my drink