Depressed Danny

Cole dumped some ice into a freezer bag. He looked over at Charlie and Bruce seated on the sofa in front of the large screen television. Some sports game was on trying to drown out the thoughts of all three men.

Charlie was the first to speak. "How's Danny's hand?"

"Busted." Cole answered as he leaned backwards against the counter. "I don't think he needs stitches though. But he won't let me see it."

"The dude needs to chill out." Bruce flipped through the channels not really caring what was on the TV. "So that is thee Lacey Porter. She is gorgeous. I'll give Danny that. But her man is a brute."

Charlie glanced sideways at Bruce. "Danny would never interfere with a marriage especially since there is a child involved. Seeing Lacey has him emotional. That's all."

"Well, I hope he is fine for the meeting tomorrow." Bruce rubbed his hands together. "I think I will get some extra brownie points for this idea."

"He'll be fine for tomorrow." Charlie added quickly. "Danny never lets his business savvy not be seen. You are the one that better hope Danny likes this..." He watched Cole pick up the bag of ice. "Whatever you got going on."

Cole walked out to go take Danny the bag of ice.

Danny placed it on his hand. He grimaced as the coldness of the ice stung the cuts on his knuckles. "Thanks."

"Hitting out the glass in your shower can be a major pain, Danny." Cole chuckled. Over the years, he had became accustomed to Danny's temper when Danny became enraged. Those times were very rare because Danny was usually always calm and collected. However, when Danny was angry, he hurt himself more than anything else. "I'm sorry about today, Man. I know how much Lacey means to you."

Danny shrugged slightly. "Yeah. But I need to let go. It has been four years. Four years. I don't even know what went wrong. All I know was I was ready to marry her and she told me to get out of her life. Then I had Bruce check up on her. He said she was engaged and ready to move on. I thought I'd give her space hoping that it didn't work out with her and her fiancé. When Bruce checked up on her again, she was a married woman."

"Bruce?" Cole frowned as he rubbed his chin. "You had Bruce check on Lacey?"

"Yeah." Danny raised one eyebrow as he looked at Cole. "I know that was kind of stalkerish. But it wasn't like he was spying on her. Sort of. He only followed some paper trails. That's all." Danny threw himself back on the bed as he held the ice to his busted hand. "I just needed to know. I thought I could move on if I knew she moved on. All I want is for her to be happy. But Lacey is still in my blood."

"Maybe you should get some sleep." Cole walked to Danny's door. "Danny, thanks for putting up with all of us jerks. It means a lot."

Danny pulled out a pillow from under his head. He threw it at Cole. "Quit being so sappy, Dude. I'm heart broken not dying."

Cole laughed as he walked out of the room. However, he knew that Bruce was up to something. If he knew about Lacey all of this time, what was the deal and why did he act like he never heard her name before?

Danny breathed out as he rolled to pull a photo from his nightstand. It was a photo of Lacey, Jo, his mother, and him. It was before homecoming night. It was senior year and Danny had rented a limo for them all. Rico hadn't shown up yet or he would be in the photo too. Danny looked at the photo remembering how special that night was. He made it a night to remember this go around. Lacey and he won homecoming king and queen. They danced until their feet hurt. Then Lacey and Danny went to very quaint bed and breakfast. Of course, Judy was away at a gymnastic meet with Clara or that would never have happened. She believed Lacey when she said she was going to stay at Jo's for the night. As far as Karen was concerned, she loved Lacey like a daughter at that point. Karen had confided in Danny that she hoped someday he would marry Lacey. To that, Danny said he planned on it.

"I miss you so much, Mom." Danny whispered as he stared at the photo. "It hurts not having Lacey in my life. I used to could talk to you about this stuff. You always told me to go and get her back and not wait too late. I waited too late. I wanted to give her space to grow. All I did was allow some other man to steal her heart. I'm such an idiot."

Danny recalled after homecoming, things started going haywire for both Danny and Lacey. Within the next few months, Lacey's mother was killed in a car accident and Clara was in intensive care. Danny remembered Lacey staying at the hospital with her sister all hours. Danny would sit with Lacey allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Lacey had even lived with Danny and Karen for a month due to not wanting to leave Clara. Like a whirlwind of sorrow, Karen was diagnosed with cancer. It was tough time in life but at the same time, Lacey and Danny became closer than they ever had. They leaned on each other and became the safe haven in each other's storm.

Then Lacey and Clara had to move to Seattle with their father. It was then that Karen said Arizona should be where Danny and she moved to be around her mother. Danny and Lacey both had so much responsibilities of taking care of family members that their relationship ended. Danny never let go of Lacey in his heart. He didn't know Lacey had done the same with him. Both tried to date. But it would only lead to break ups and broken hearts.

Cole walked into the living room to where Bruce and Charlie sat watching a hockey game.

"Charlie, can I talk to you a minute?" Cole stood in the hallway. "It is about that sweet chick you were going to set me up with."

Charlie's forehead wrinkled due to not having a clue what Cole was talking about. However, he got up and went to Cole anyway. "What's up?"

"Bruce lied about not ever hearing about Lacey. Danny had Bruce check out Lacey a while back after she called them quits for good. He had told Danny she got married." Cole whispered. "Why would he act like he never heard about her?"

"I don't know." Charlie glanced to make sure Bruce was still in place. "Maybe he didn't want us knowing Danny's business."

"Maybe." Cold sighed out as he leaned against the hall wall. "I hope you're right."

"How's my little brother?" Charlie nodded his head towards Danny's bedroom.

"Heartbroken. Not dying." Cole laughed at the repeating of Danny's words. "He will be the same miserable Danny, who makes millions, in a day come tomorrow."

"You'd think that would be the making of a happy man." Charlie exhaled. "But Danny is proof that money can't buy happiness."

Trevor and Lacey enjoyed a good laugh as he walked her back to the hotel. Trevor finally spoke up when they were almost to her hotel.

"I'm going to state the obvious. You are far from over Danny." Trevor breathed out.

"It's been four years. He's married." Lacey defended herself.

"I know. But hear me out." Trevor stopped walking so that he and Lacey could face each other. "You're beautiful, Lacey. You're actually the perfect catch. However, I'm not wanting to step in on a vulnerable woman. I'm not that type of guy. It may have been four years but your life hasn't afforded you closure due to your sister's death, your son being born than diagnosed with autism, and life being turned upside down for you. Maybe this is a start of getting over Danny with the new campaign you're helping Jo on." Trevor smiled broadly. "I know I could use a friend. I'm sure you can too. If something happens down the road and there is more that comes from us knowing one another fine. But right now, I think we both need to keep this on a friend level."

"Wow." Lacey jerked her head back gigglinng as she did so. "I've been friend zoned."

"I bet that has never happened to you before." Trevor winked. "I'm sure that is all you want right now too. Am I right?"

Lacey felt a big release of pent up anxiety escape at Trevor's words. "Yeah. It really is. I do like spending time with you. But this living again, it is new to me. Seeing Danny today reminded me of how much time I've spent dwelling in the past." Lacey turned to start walking again. "I love Danny. But sometimes love isn't enough. Moving on means taking care of me first. I don't think I can do that if I start seeing a guy giving false hope to us both. I think I want to be about me for a while. But like you said, I could definitely use a friend."

"Deal." Trevor glanced up at the bright sky. "I was going to cancel a date my sister set me up on. I guess I won't now. But I will say, I doubt this woman will be as charming and beautiful as my new friend."

Lacey blushed slightly before placing her arm in the crook of Trevor's arm."If that doesn't work out, I have a friend that was completely awestruck with your looks. Her name is Phoebe Lewis. She is quirky but so much fun.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind." Trevor felt at ease with Lacey now that they had established to only be friends.

He had never had a woman quite so lovely as Lacey Porter for friends only before. However, Trevor wasn't naïve. The way Danny and Lacey looked at each other let him know that he could never take the place in Lacey's heart that Danny did. He doubted whoever Danny's wife was, that she did either. He felt sorry for Danny's wife. Because it was obvious that Danny Desai was still very much in love with Lacey Porter.