Harm By Association

The four men sat in silence as they kept their voices at a minimum to hear the conversation happening right beside them more clearly.

The silence between them was broken by Roy as he lowered his voice and whispered so that both Damon and Oliver could hear him.

"How do you think both of them met?''

He asked, clearly intrigued by the nature of the relationship between Ivy and Rose.

"What do you think?''

Oliver asked as he looked at Damon.

"I don't have any of the faintest ideas.''

He replied to them, earning a snicker from Roy as he said.

"Well, we can't expect you to know anything, can we? Seeing the fact that you had no idea that your wife of three years was in the army the whole time you guys were married.''

This statement, in turn, earned Roy a glare from Damon in return.

"That's it.''

Oliver said as he snapped his fingers, having a eureka movement.

''Before the Cox family, the Crompton family was the most important family in the entire army due to the highly decorated career of many people from their family. After they left the country, the Cox family took their position. They might be family friends.''

Oliver speculated,

"They might even be comrades.''

Roy said while he attempted the snatch a bottle of scotch from Jack.

"Ivy used to be in the army, and Rose is in the army...isn't she.''

He continued as he successfully snatched back the bottle from Jack and put it far away from his reach.

"Maybe...''

Damon said as he took another sip of his drink.

*************************************************

Gulp gulp gulp.

In the adjacent booth.

Rose kept on drinking one drink after another as Ivy kept on ordering more and more for her while being careful only to drink non-alcoholic or drinks with low alcohol levels herself.

After the tenth glass of her vodka,

Rose slammed her hand down on the table hard as fresh tears dripped down from her eyes as blue as the ocean itself, which were a bit hazy right now due to the huge amount of vodka Ivy had made her drink.

''Why! Just why! *Sob sob* Why does he have to be his friend? Why of all the people him? *Sob sob*.''

Seeing that Rose was pretty drunk, Ivy stopped making her drink more as she opened a bottle of water for her to drink, for she knew that any more of the vodka and Rose would pass out, unable to answer her questions.

'''Whose friend Rose?''

Ivy asked in a calm and gentle voice, the same voice she used with James, whenever she wanted to ask him something.

Hearing the soft and gentle voice, Rose also felt calm as she wiped her tears and said.

"Jack Jack was his friend.... that is why I had to break up with him.''

She pouted as she finished, feeling sad and hopeless.

''Whose friend Rose?...Whose?''

Ivy again repeated her questions to get a name from her.

''That...that bastard's friend. He was that bastards friend, that is why I had to break up with him.''

She said as she again felt like crying upon remembering her boyfriend.

''I liked him so much... I really liked him this time. He was sooo nice to me without even knowing about my family....he treated me sooooo well. He liked me for me.''

She said as she gave a goofy smile upon remembering him and the moments of pure bliss she had spent with him.

''But I can't... I can't be with him now because he is his friend.''

"Whose friend is he Rose?''

Ivy asked as she patted Rose's hand, trying to keep her awake and not fall asleep in a drunken slumber.

"Tell me humh.... and maybe I will be able to help you.''

Ivy again said as she tried to coax her.

"No.... no.... you can't help me.... no one can help me!''

Rose said as she continued to cry even harder.

''Because....because he is that that bastard Damon's friend sob sob.''

Silence.

Ivy sat there shocked as she felt pure shock.

''Who... whose friend is he?''

She asked Rose for confirmation.

''Damon Wood.... that idiot Damon Wood...''

Rose said.

''This is why I can't be with him..... because he is his friend.''

Feeling a massive headache coming, Ivy asked,

''Why does it matter whose friend he is Rose?''