She heard the slurred words brush past his lips, but the detachment that formed inside her barricaded her from any sincerity he was trying to show. Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t do this again,” and pulled out of his grip, slinging the door open, and heading out into the smoldering night.
She heard him following behind her, but she wasn’t going to stop this time. She’d stopped last night, had given him another chance after he’d lost his temper because of alcohol, only to come over to find he couldn’t even keep his promise, so how was she supposed to believe anything he’d say now?
“Will you just stop, please?” he begged.
“How am I supposed to ever believe another word you say? Huh?” she yelled over her shoulder, not slowing down.
“Because, Kyleigh. Listen, we can talk about this, if you’d just try to understand what’s going on. If you’d just let me in so I’d know what’s going on with you, we could fix this,” he said, following behind her.
“David, how can I trust you enough to open up and tell you everything that weighs heavily on my mind when you can’t give me a reason to keep trusting you?” she asked, keeping her eyes focused on her car. After he didn’t say anything for a few seconds, she added, “See, you have nothing to say to that because you know I’m right.”
The sound of his shoes on the gravel told her he was getting closer, but she kept walking, and when she got to her car and felt him grab her arm, she jerked out of his grasp and got in, never giving him another glance. She had enough of her own problems; she didn’t need to worry about him sneaking around behind her back.
She started her car, heard him bang on her window a couple of times, trying to get her to stop and roll the window down, but she backed out of his driveway and left him standing outside in the dark. She glanced at him in her rear view mirror; his body was slumped, looking defeated, and then he kicked at the gravel one last time in anger. She wiped the tears off her cheeks as she turned onto the main road that led back to the city, feeling just as defeated as he looked as he stood and watched her drive away.
Chapter 13
Rescue Me
She reached into her purse for her phone and looked for Brooke’s number through a mess of tears while trying to stay on the road. She was around fifteen minutes away from the city, and she needed someone to talk to. She saw several missed calls from Brad, which didn’t surprise her, and one from Paige. She thought about calling Paige, but it was late, and she didn’t want to wake Kyra up.
After finally coming across Brooke’s name, she heard it start ringing, and felt a little better, knowing she’d have someone to talk to.
“Hello,” an energetic voice said.
God, does she ever sleep? Kyleigh briefly thought.
“Brooke, are you busy?” she barely choked out, her question coming out as a half sob, half sniffle.
“Oh, my God, are you okay?” she asked, her voice becoming even louder as she became frantic.
“Yes, I’m fine, I guess. But I need you to rescue me tonight. I want to get out and party until I can’t remember why I needed to go out and party,” Kyleigh said, as she turned another sharp corner. The city lights were starting to come into view, and she felt her eagerness rise.
“Um, okay. Kyleigh what’s going on? This isn’t like you at all,” Brooke said, her voice dropping as she became concerned.
“I just... I need something to take away all my worries for one night and forget everything for a few hours,” Kyleigh said, as she stared out at the road in front of her, leading her away from someone she loved to a place where she already felt alone.
“Okay, why don’t you meet me at Copperhead Bar in fifteen minutes and we’ll have some fun for a little while.”
Kyleigh sucked in a breath, and said, “Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”
Fifteen minutes later, she was circling a side road in the middle of the city, looking for a parking spot that was within a reasonable walking distance to Copperhead Bar.
“Thank God,” she breathed as she finally found one. She shut her car off and blotted some powder on her face, hoping to dull the redness from all the crying she’d done on the drive here. She was a mess. Everything about her, not just her appearance. How did her life get so screwed up? Just when she was getting close to David, her life decides to crumble, yet again.
Swinging the door open, she got out and started walking down the sidewalk towards Copperhead Bar. The streets were not as busy as they would have been if it was a weekend, but there were still plenty of people out and about.
As she got close to the Bar, she saw Brooke already standing outside, waiting on her. Her black mini skirt and red blouse accentuated her tanned skin and dirty blonde hair that hung down in a mess of waves.
“Hey, Girl!” Brooke said as she came up and wrapped her arms around her.
Kyleigh hugged her back, and when she pulled away, she saw the questioning look in Brooke’s eyes. “We can talk inside,” she said to the unspoken question.
Brooke looped her arm in hers, and after they paid their door fee, they headed straight for the bar.
“Come on, first drink’s on me,” Brooke told her as they stopped at the large, dark cherry bar.
“We will have two shots of whiskey, please,” Brooke said, giving the bartender a flirty smile.
“Will do,” the guy said and dipped below the bar, pulling out two empty shot glasses.
Kyleigh watched as the bartender kept his eyes on Brooke the whole time, and she was momentarily amazed that he didn’t even miss a beat as he sloshed the whiskey in the glasses. He twisted the lid on the bottle and slid it back under the counter, and Kyleigh quickly grabbed her glass and tossed it back. She slammed the glass on the counter and said, “I’ll take another one, please.” She saw Brooke staring at her from the corner of her eye and turned to face her. “What?”
Brooke shook her head in disbelief and said, “Nothing. It’s just that you’re not usually so forward with your drinks.”
“Yeah, well, I told you I needed to forget tonight,” Kyleigh said as she tossed back her second one. The whiskey burned less this time and she wiped her mouth and said, “I’ll take a Corona with a lime, too.” And added with a smile, “Don’t want to get too wasted so early.”
“I’ll take one, too,” Brooke said as she leaned on the counter and eyed Kyleigh.
The bartender set their beers on the counter, and Kyleigh quickly snagged hers and shoved the lime inside. She turned towards Brooke and said, “Are you ready to find a table?”
They weaved between the crowd and found a seat against the wall, facing the band that was on stage. The band was a young, rock band and the music was loud, vibrating the floor, but Kyleigh liked it. She looked at the Corona in her hand, suddenly feeling like a hypocrite after leaving David for his drinking, but she wasn’t an alcoholic like he was so, to her, it was different. She took a drink of her Corona and watched the band.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Brooke asked as she leaned in towards her, gently nudging her with her elbow, as she tipped her bottle back.
Kyleigh looked at her, not sure what to say. She didn’t want to go into it all, she was here to forget, but Brooke deserved to know why she had to leave her house in the middle of the night and come out drinking with her. “David and I split up, and I needed to forget about it all, tonight,” she said, examining the cold bottle in her hand. The condensation was forming and slowly dripping down the bottle.
Brooke gripped her arm and said, “I’m sorry, Kyleigh. That really sucks. Do you want to talk about what all happened?”
Kyleigh pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, not really wanting to, but decided to give her the gist of it all. “He got into a fight the other night, lost his cool on some guy because he was drunk, again, and I told him I was going to leave him if he couldn’t stay sober. He said he would but I go over there tonight and I find him passed out drunk with a half empty Vodka bottle next to him. So, we got into an argument and I left him.
”
“Damn, I’m sorry, Kyleigh. I like David, I really do, but he hasn’t been the same since Randy died,” Brooke said as she adjusted the mess of bracelets that were wrapped around her wrist.
“I know. I think he’s got so much bottled up that he just drinks it all away. But he won’t open up to me and I told him I’m not going to be with someone who has to be drunk all day and night just to get by in life.” Kyleigh tapped her fingers against the table in irritation. She hated thinking about it, it only depressed her even more. She had thought she and David had had something good together, but they couldn’t get past their inner turmoil. It was pathetic on both their parts.
“Okay, enough about that, you wanted to come here to forget about all that,” Brooke said, seeing the depressed look on Kyleigh’s face. She clapped her hands together and said, “Let’s go dance.”
A couple of more shots later, Kyleigh felt herself finally loosening up, felt herself able to push back her problems for the moment. She danced until her legs couldn’t hold her up any longer, listened to the band play five songs, and then grabbed Brooke’s hand to lead her back to their table. “Oh, my God, I’m so worn out,” Kyleigh said as she fell back into her seat. “I think the dancing is making me sober. I need more alcohol,” she said, laughing so she wouldn’t start crying.
“I’ll get you two more shots,” Brooke said with a smile.
Kyleigh gave her the thumbs up and watched her leave. With a moment to herself, she wondered what David was doing. She hoped he wasn’t drinking more tonight, he had already looked wasted. She sighed, not sure why she was wasting her time worrying about him when he would rather spend his time with the bottle. Her eyes lit up when she saw Brooke carrying four shots, two for each of them. She needed it, needed more to lift her spirits.
“Here you go,” Brooke said as she set the shots down in front of her.
Kyleigh looked down at the shots, not believing she had let herself turn to alcohol tonight. But, she was down and out right now, and it was a weird twist of fate that after all her talk about hating alcohol so much, tonight it was her shoulder to lean on. It was there for her when people she cared for wouldn’t or couldn’t be. She tipped her head back and downed the drink, telling herself she wasn’t like her dad or David. They were alcoholics who needed it daily to get by. This was one night for her. She rarely got drunk and that was the difference.
Once the first shot was gone, she said, “And by the way, where in the hell were you the other night for Tyler’s birthday at The Broken Spur? I thought you were coming?”
Brooke’s red lips twisted into a devious grin, making curiosity take over Kyleigh’s thoughts for the moment. Brooke’s eyebrow rose as she said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Kyleigh sat up straight in her chair and gripped Brooke’s arm. “What on earth did you do? I can tell it was something crazy.”
Brooke laughed a sultry laugh, one that a woman gave when they knew they were doing something they shouldn’t be doing, and it made Kyleigh want to know even more. Finally, she said, “Let’s just say that I am a woman who gets what she wants, one way or the other.”
Kyleigh’s mouth shot open and she threw her hand up to it before saying with wide eyes, “Oh, my God, you slept with the new doctor, didn’t you?”
Brooke’s high pitched laughter carried over the sound of the band, and she threw her head back as laughter continued to spill out of her. When she’d calmed down, she pushed a stray of blonde hair out of her face and said, “You know me too well, Kyleigh.”
“I can’t believe you, Brooke. I thought you said you’d never have a chance with him?” Kyleigh said, her other drink forgotten for the moment.
“Well, as I was leaving work yesterday, he stopped me in the hall and asked if I wanted to grab a drink later that evening. Of course I said yes, and then one thing led to another, and before I knew it he was back at my place, and we were breaking in my new couch. And by the way, it’s very comfortable now, if you ever need to crash on it,” she said, still laughing.
Kyleigh burst out laughing, surprised at how good it felt to get out and laugh with a friend and hear their drama instead of her own. “So, you have got to spill the details, girl,” she said, leaning over the table, her eyes glistening with anticipation. Just as Brooke opened her mouth to begin, Kyleigh felt someone slide in next to her. She jumped and felt her good mood die away when she looked to her right. “Brad, what are you doing here?” she asked, her tone flat as her smile slowly died away.
He gave her an endearing smile that would normally look flattering on anyone else, but on him it came across as a pervert seeing his favorite porn movie. Kyleigh flinched and gave Brooke an “I can’t believe him” look, and then downed her forgotten shot.
“Drinking a little bit tonight?” he asked as he eyed the numerous, empty shot glasses in front of her.
“Maybe. It’s really none of your business. Do you need something?” she asked, her words slurring just enough to be noticeable.
“No, I just saw you sitting here and thought I’d come over and say hi,” he said, leaning back in his chair as he lit a cigarette.
Kyleigh scrunched her nose up and waved the smoke away from her face. “Geez, Brad, do you have to blow that right in my face?”
He looked at his cigarette as if just now noticing it. “Sorry,” he said as he put it out in the ashtray.
She gave him a confused look not sure why he was being so polite. “Okay, you said hi, now you can leave. We’re having girl time here,” she said, gesturing for him to go.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and said, “Will you at least dance with me, just once?”
Rolling her eyes, Kyleigh looked at him, not sure why she was even contemplating it. But if it got rid of him for the rest of the night, then it wouldn’t be so bad. “Fine, just one if you promise to leave us alone right after.”
“Deal,” he said as he stood up and took her hand, leading her out to the dance floor.
She gave Brooke a shrug as she walked off, and said, “I’ll be back in five. Whatever it takes to get rid of him.”
“Okay, Kyleigh,” she said, smiling as she shook her head.
She flinched when Brad’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him as he started gently swaying to one of the slower songs the band was playing. She draped her arms casually around his neck, not wanting to get too close, but she’d had quite a bit to drink, and was a little looser than she normally was.
“Kyleigh, I want you to know that I really can change, I wish you’d trust me,” he whispered in a gentle voice that was unlike him. “Don’t you believe people deserve second chances?” he asked.
She thought about that question. It brought back the conversation she’d had with her aunt. Her aunt gave her father a second chance for doing something that was unimaginable. But did she believe in second chances? She wasn’t sure. She had never really thought to give someone a second chance. If they’d wronged her, she never looked back, end of subject. Had she been wrong to do that? Had she missed out on a lot of good friendships because of it?
“I don’t know if I believe in second chances, Brad. Why on earth would you deserve a second chance?” she asked, already rolling her eyes at the conversation.
He licked his lips as he stared down at her, thinking about his answer. “I deserve a second chance because I might have screwed up, but I love you and we had a lot of good times together. I wasn’t always an ass, Kyleigh, and you know that.”
She was starting to become light headed, all the shots catching up with her. She focused her gaze on his and said, “Yes, we did have some good times, but they were few and far between.”
He dipped his face down to hers, and said, “Kyleigh, you make me want to do better. You rescue me from the bad things that hide deep inside me. Without you in my life lately, I feel completely lost.”
Feeling uneasy, she pushed back away from him and said, “Brad, I’m not intereste
d in getting back with you, okay? I said one dance just so you would leave me alone the rest of the night.”
As she started to walk away, he surprised her by grabbing her arm. Her eyes flew to his hand and then to his face, seeing heat smoldering deep inside his dark eyes. “Our song isn’t over yet,” he said, yanking her back.
Startled, she stared at him, not liking the vibe he was putting off. She slowly began to dance, wishing the song would hurry and end. His hands began to wander across her hips as he tried to pull her close, and she quickly pushed away from him and continued dancing. She was here to forget, not get hit on, and it was time to dance.
Chapter 14
Deceived
“Brooke, you are the bestest friend ever, to come save me tonight. If you ever need a favor, I’m all yours,” Kyleigh said in a slur that was both noticeable and loud as she draped her arm across Brooke’s shoulders, putting most of her weight on her.
With her arm wrapped around her waist, she said, “Anytime, Kyleigh, but you’re really heavy.”
Kyleigh giggled and then felt herself being launched to the left as Brad gripped her waist and held her close to him. “I’m so glad you finally got that hot doctor in bed. I want all the details later,” Kyleigh said, in a dreamy tone.
“Okay, Kyleigh.” Brooke looked up at Brad and said, “Here, let me have her, I can take her home.”
“It’s okay, I can, it’s on my way home anyway,” Brad said, gripping Kyleigh’s hand into his.
“Oh, no!” Kyleigh yelled in a belligerent tone as she raised her finger up into his face. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Brad.”
“Kyleigh, I’m just taking you home. I want to talk to you more about us on the way.”
“Brad, she’s not even coherent,” Brooke said sarcastically. “She’s not going to remember a thing you say tomorrow. Just let me take her.”
“You guys are so sweet fighting over me like that,” Kyleigh mumbled as she tenderly touched Brooke’s cheek.
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