Sad Milk and Honey - Chapter One - Moonlight Glow

Her skin smelled faintly of the man that she loved as she slipped into her dress and braided her hair. He'd gotten to her. She'd let him get to her again.
He knew just what to say. He knew just where to touch her. In all her life, no man...no lover had ever made her feel this way. In the heat of the moment he'd woo her and make her swoon. Then he'd sweep her off her feet.
Every time.
Naturally, he was gone already. She knew what she was getting into when it started. He didn't want a real relationship. He just wanted her body, but he ended up receiving her love as well. She was helpless when it came to her feelings and he had her totally surrendered to him. It was pathetic in her eyes. She'd never been so torn between loving something and hating something in all her life.
Izzy walked over to the table where her purse and keys were sitting. She looked at the clock. Ten in the morning. Her eyes drifted to her keys. Underneath her keys was a note in Conan's neat handwriting.
"I miss you already my dear. Meet me at Bo's tonight at 8."
She sighed. It would probably just be another night of drinking her ass off and then meaningless sex...on his part. It always meant something to her and she knew that would end up getting her hurt. The man never cared. But she always did.
Izzy grabbed her things off the table and made her way outside to her car. It was Saturday and she didn't have to work until one. Her chem class wasn't until seven. But they were just finishing up a lab today, so unfortunately, she wouldn't have an excuse for Bo's tonight. She'd have to go.
She sighed as she started her car and drove away from the extravagant house that she'd spent so much time in lately. Her mind drifted as she drove to her apartment, a small complex about two miles outside of town.
As Izzy drove up to her quaint little home, she smiled. It was such a beautiful little spot. Willow trees surrounded the place and the little pond was lovely to swim in during the summer. It wasn't like Conan's place, but it was home.
Before getting out of the car she sent him a quick text message.
"Got your note. See you tonight."
She figured she'd keep it short. Nothing special.
Just as she stuck the key into the lock to open the door to her apartment her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out. It was from her friend Fallon.
"Where were you last night?"
Shit, Izzy thought to herself. She had been so caught up in Conan last night she forgot that she was supposed to stop by Fallon's party. She was gonna be pissed at Izzy, but she'd get over it.
Her phone whizzed again and this time it was a message back from Conan.
"My Place after?"
Izzy sighed again for what felt like the thousandth since she'd woken up. It was going to be a long night.
~~~~~
Work had passed slowly. It was agonizing. Izzy wanted to see him so much, but was starting to fear that she had become too attached to Conan. This was getting unhealthy for her.
Chem was the same as work had been. It drug on and on. By the time it was out Izzy was bouncing from all the energy she had pent up. She raced to her car to make it to Bo's by eight. Luckily traffic was clear and she drove like a maniac.
She pulled up to the bar at exactly eight. Conan's red Porsche was parked three spaces down from hers. She recognized a few cars as well, but couldn't put owners to the cars.
Izzy opened the door to a dark, smoke filled room. It smelled of booze and wings and a strange buzz clung to the cool, damp air as Izzy's body cut through the thick atmosphere. She shivered, the hours to come leaving an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Conan was sitting, chatting with the owner, Bo, and Bo's wife, Mila. He was at their usual table in the back corner of the bar.
Conan's eyes lifted up from the table to meet Izzy's as she pulled up a chair. He smiled sweetly, took Izzy's hand in his and continued talking to Bo and Mila.
"So you're investing in the company?" he said to Bo.
"You're company is one of the most prosperous around. I couldn't think of a more sufficient way to spend a couple thousand dollars. I'm putting some of it away, but it wouldn't hurt to try to get more would it?" Bo said.
"I suppose it wouldn't," Conan replied. "The stocks in the general area of the industry tend to do well. Ask Izzy. She's invested some money in my company. Haven't you babe?"
"Huh?" Izzy said looking up.
Conan chuckled. "Never you mind. But I would seriously consider it if I were you Bo. Not many people think it is worth the risk. But I think it is."
"Thanks Conan. I'll see you two later," he said nodding his head at the two of them.
"See you later," Mila's light voice chirped through the thick fog between everyone. Maybe it was just Izzy's imagination. Or maybe it was her fuzzy thoughts blurring her vision and causing her breath to shorten.
Conan leaned over and kissed Izzy on the forehead. It surprised Izzy, for Conan never expressed so much affection for her in public. Even holding hands was foreign to her in such a crowded place. It wasn't good for his 'image' to be seen with just one woman. At least that's what Izzy assumed.
"Want a drink Isadora?"
"Sure," she replied quietly.
"The usual," Conan said to the waitress with a wink.
The waitress returned with a Bud Light for Conan and whiskey for Izzy. She downed the drink within five minutes. If she was going to be around him with the stress she was feeling right now, she needed to calm down. The whiskey burned her throat and spread warmth throughout her body, relaxing each muscle, one at a time.
One by one, a few of their friends showed up. Fallon had even made her way to the bar.
"Hey Is, let's go to the club down the street. I hear the music's awesome," Fallon suggested after both of them had had a few drinks.
"I dunno if she should be going anywhere Fallon," Conan said. "She's had quite a few drinks."
"Ah, she'll be fine Debbie Downer. She holds her liquor well. I'm going now. Meet me there in a half hour, 'kay?"
"Mmmmk," Izzy mumbled.
Fallon left with Torben and a few other friends of theirs.
"Izzy," Conan said after everyone had went their own ways, "I don't think you should go. You should let me drive you home."
"I'm fine," she all but slurred. "I'll meet you at your house later okay?"
He sighed. "Fine."
She stood up and made her way through the crowded bar to the door. All thoughts of despair had abandoned her mind after the first few drinks. She opened the door to hot and muggy air. A sheen of sweat broke out over her skin as the dark invaded her mind again. Her stomach dropped. The alcohol was messing with her mind. She just kept telling herself that and kept walking.
Soon Izzy heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and found no one there.
"Conan?"
No answer. So she kept on walking. The moon was the only light on the road. Many of the street lights were out and those that weren't were dim. It was eerie, the feeling the dark gave her. The footsteps started up again. And this time they seemed closer.
Izzy whipped around. "Who's there?!"
A hand came out of no where from behind her and covered her mouth. A scream erupted from the depths of her throat but it didn't escape her mouth. A warm breath was on her shoulder.
"Be quiet and I won't hurt you," a deep voice said in her ear.
She whimpered.
"That a girl," he said running his fingers softly against her cheek.
The man pulled Izzy over to a dark alley. The alcohol was still predominant in her system, so she gave up willingly. There was no way she would be able to fight her way out of it and if she screamed he'd probably hurt her.
The man pushed Izzy up against the cold brick wall and started to kiss her throat and chest. She tried to push him away but he back handed her across the face.
"Don't do that. You don't fight and I won't hurt you," he said sternly. She whimpered in agreement.
But the man had lied. His hands were rough and his touch was not sweet like Conan's. He'd all but stripped her down to nothing and she was sure there would be bruises on her arms and legs in the morning...not to mention a pretty good one on her cheek. It hurt like hell when he finally decided she was ready. He was nothing like Conan. He wasn't a sweet lover, he was a sick man.
She cried out as he repeatedly struck her. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Just stop it!"
Her lucidity was coming back to her. The sex had sobered her up and she was trying to contain herself so she didn't start shivering and bawling her eyes out.
A mean glint passed through the man's eyes. "Fine," he said and he threw her to the ground. Izzy didn't get up. She curled into a ball and started sobbing. The wind blew around her but it didn't seem to touch her.
The pain hit her in her abdomen first then spread throughout her body. Shock was overtaking her body. All she could do was shiver and stare at the sullenly pale white moon in the starless sky. Spots started to cross her vision and the world went black.