AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You need another one, man?” the young hippy bartender asks.
I shake my head. I definitely don’t need another drink. What I need is a clear head to unravel the bomb I heard earlier today.
I left the jail and sat in my car in the parking lot for a solid hour before I finally came to my senses enough to realize I should leave. I couldn’t risk someone seeing me. I wasn’t supposed to be there at all.
Which is why I find myself in a bar in the middle of the day with my entire world crashing down around me. I can’t even process this shit. A small part of me questions if he was telling the truth or not. It’s possible he lied. Hell, it would even be expected with who he is and all.
But my gut says he’s telling the truth, and that cuts like a motherfucker. I’m no closer to coming to terms with any of this shit than I was three hours ago in that jail.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I think about ignoring it, but then I remember it could be Charlie. I pull my phone out of my suit pocket and look at the screen.
It’s the office calling, so I hit decline and place the phone face-down on the bar top. I turn my gaze toward the TV playing above the bar. It’s a baseball game between two teams I don’t follow, but I stay glued to the TV, lost in my thoughts.
The phone vibrates on the bar, rattling my fingers resting right beside it. I flip it over and see Charlie has sent a message.
Charlie: What are you up to, big man?
I think about fibbing for a moment before I decide I’m done hiding from her. My response is swift.
Me: Sitting in a bar, drinking my sorrows away. You?
Three little dots appear and disappear as she writes her response. Then, instead of a text message, the phone vibrates with an incoming call.
“Hey, sexy,” I say, trying like hell not to slur when I answer.
“Hey, big man. Wanna talk?” Her tone is gentle, sweet. Oh, how I want to do so much more than talk.
“Not particularly, but I have a feeling you’re about to make me.”
“You would be correct in that assumption.”
The sass in her voice makes me smile like a dope. How pathetic is it that I’m sitting in a bar, all alone, drinking my misery away? Because that’s exactly what this is. I’m at a loss about what to do, where to go from here.
“Wanna tell me why you’re drinking in the middle of the day?”
“Well, you see, it’s a funny story, actually.” The sarcasm is so thick in my voice I feel like I’m choking on it. None of this is fucking funny. Not one bit.
“I could use a good laugh.” Her serious tone sobers me some.
I sit up straighter at the bar, my brows furrowing as I consider her words. “What’s wrong?” Did something happen in Fraser? Are Andrea and Addy, okay? Is she okay?
She sighs, and there’s a long pause on the other end. “Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook, okay?”
“Okay,” I mumble, relieved I don’t have to talk about it right now. Though, I quickly realize my relief comes at her expense since it’s obvious something happened to her.
You’re a bastard, Andrew.
“My parents called. My dad is having some health problems, so they’ll be in town so the doctors can run some tests. They want to visit me while they’re in the states.”
My stomach drops, bile churning in my gut. “Will he be okay?”
“I don’t know,” she whispers. “They don’t know anything for sure, so they won’t tell me much. I know it must be serious for them to halt their travel plans.” Her voice breaks at the end.
My heart hurts for her. “What do you need, baby?”
She’s quiet for a second, and I wait patiently. I want to be there for her in any way that I can.
“There isn’t anything to do right now. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
