Page 32 of Unbound
A kid. I have a fucking kid I didn’t know about?
It’s the last place I should be, but I walk into Murphy’s with one intention. Solitude.
A son? How could they have not told me?
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Zack says the moment he sees me. To my left I notice immediately there’s someone on the stage with the country twang of a guitar.
I look, not knowing who it is, and then take a seat at the bar. “Jack and Coke.” And then I pause. “On second thought, just bring the Jack.”
Zack smiles, reaching for the Jack Daniels bottle and a shot glass, pours the shot and then puts the bottle away.
“Nope.” I motion with my hand for him to put the bottle back. “Just give me the bottle.”
“Oh, so that kind of night, huh?” He gives a nod to the door and leans into the bar. “Everybody that has me leave the bottle ends up crawling out of here.”
“He’s yours.”
I down the shot. “Sounds good to me.”
As I stare at the bottle and the glass, knowing I shouldn’t be drinking, I think back to Sophie’s face when she said,“He’s yours.”
The words hit me like a bullet, unexpected and straight in the heart. I blink slowly at the memory and drag my hand down my face. My temper burns so fucking bad. Why is it that everyone thinks they know what’s best for me? They don’t fucking know.
My eyes squeeze shut, my head bowed, tucking my chin to my chest.
“How the hell have you been, man? We’ve missed you.”
I look up shrugging and take a drink, my eyes peering over my glass at the stage. “Who’s that?” I don’t want to talk about me or how I’ve been doing. I’ve been doing pretty fucking shitty.
Zack nods to the stage. “Kid out of Eugene. Reeve something.”
Glancing around the bar, I notice there’s only a handful of people in here, which is odd since there’s a band on stage. “Slow night?”
“We don’t draw crowds like we used to with you here, buddy.” He then taps the bar with his knuckles. “I got your EP when it came out. Amazing songs on that one.”
I nod. I’ve never been one who takes praise very well. Makes me uncomfortable.
FOR HOURS I sit at the bar, trying to remember why I’m sitting here and the fact that I have a son. When the bottle’s half empty and my mind is numbing, a familiar voice rings in my ear, a hand placed on my shoulder.
“You’re looking good. And drunk.” Berkley laughs, her hand moving from my shoulder and down to my forearm. “Wanna get out of here?”
I laugh, knowing there’s no way I’m riding tonight, but I’m still not going home with Berkley. “I’m notthatdrunk.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Handing Zack a fifty-dollar bill for the Jack, I lean in and whisper to Berkley, “I think you know.”
She pushes me back, hard, and I catch myself against the bar. “Jesus, you certainly haven’t changed much, have you?”
My eyes burn into hers, my stomach knotting and pulling tight. Fuck her. Just… fuck. Her. I want to stop, shut up, I should, but it’s a long wide-open pass in the end zone, and I speak my mind. “You’re a fucking whore. Learn to keep your goddamn legs closed every once in a while, and maybe someone might treat you with respect.”
I’ve neveractuallyhad sex with Berkley. I only got blow jobs from her, yet she kept coming back like I was supposed to offer her something more. I’ll never understand why. A lot of people around town assumed I was the reason behind her break up with Tyler. I’m not. But I know who is. One of my best friends growing up. Austin. I haven’t spoken to him since the day I found out he slept with her.
Not because he did, but because I thought it was wrong. Austin knew she was with Tyler, but one night they were drunk and slept together. The whole thing reminded me of my situation and I stopped talking to him. I’m a bit of a grudge holder.
Berkley holds my stare and swallows hard. I see her throat muscles work. “Like you’re precious Sophie?” If anyone knows how to sink a knife in and twist, it’s Berkley. “You realize she got knocked up as soon as you left town? She certainly didn’t wait long, did she?”
I’m biting my tongue to defend Sophie and I don’t know why I am. She lied to me.
