Page 55 of Come Back to Me

“No, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Jack’s okay, but he’s… drunk,” Ben explains.

“Drunk? Jack?” I ask, confused. “Jack barely drinks.”

“I know. But I just got a call from the evening bartender at O’Riley’s. She says Jack’s been there drinking since around three and Benny gave her my number if he didn’t sober up.”

I don’t answer right away because it’s so unlike Jack and I don’t know what to say.

“They took his keys, but I can’t get away for another hour or so… I’m sorry to bug you with?—”

“God, no, I’m sorry. I’ll go get him. I wasn’t ignoring you, I’m just… shocked,” I say.

Fifteen minutes later, I’ve taken an Uber to the bar and I’m walking into O’Riley’s.

Jack’s at the bar, one elbow resting up on the counter and his head propped in his hand. He looks so sad.

It stops me in my tracks. I’ve never seen him like this before.

I take a few seconds to gather myself before I walk over and sit down next to him. The bartender nods at me and slides two waters in front of us.

“Hey, Jack,” I say gently.

“Annie? What you doin’ here? You’re suppos’ to be at work,” he says, slurring his words a bit.

“I got home a few hours ago. What do you say we go home and eat something, huh?” I ask him.

It takes a few minutes, but I convince Jack to come with me, and the bartender hands over his keys. Twenty-five minutes and a lot of coaxing later, I’ve got him into his truck, back to my place, up the steps, and into my house.

I get him to eat a little and text Ben to tell him I have Jack safely at my house before I help him into bed. Ben says he’ll message their parents and ask them to keep Gracie another night.

Once I get Jack tucked into the bed, it’s still early, so I decide to go back to the kitchen to clean up a bit. When I stand, Jack grabs my arm.

“Don’t leave. Stay… please,” he asks.

I lie down next to him and grab my e-reader, since it’s too early for me to fall asleep.

A few minutes later, when I think he’s already drifted off,Jack whispers, “I’m sorry I was a dick, sugar. Don’t be mad at me.”

“It’s okay, Jack. I’m not mad,” I answer. “Now get some sleep and we can talk tomorrow. I love you,” I assure him.

“Love you so much,” he answers sweetly.

JACK

Ugh. My mouth is so dry, and my head is killing me. And the sun. My god, the sun is at least twenty times brighter this morning than usual—I’m sure of it—as I try to ease my eyes open.

Nevertheless, I peel my lids open and face the day.

On the nightstand, I see a glass of water, a few over-the-counter pain relievers and a note from Annie telling me she’s on a run and will be back soon.

The scent of coffee brewing fills my nostrils, and I whisper a prayer of thanks. God, that woman is a saint. I remember little from last night, but I’m pretty sure she had to haul my sad, drunk ass home from the bar.

I throw back the pain pills and chug the glass of water before climbing out of bed and jumping in the shower. Feeling a miniscule amount more human afterward, I grab a cup of coffee, thanking my lucky stars that Annie has my sweet-cream creamer in the fridge. I decide to head out to the balcony to get a little fresh air while I have my coffee and wait for her to get back.

I know I should talk to her about what’s been going on in my head. I just don’t know how. I promised her I would try. But how do you tell the woman you love that you feel like loving her caused you to let your best friend down? How do you tell her you’re a selfish ass who chose his own happiness over protecting someone else?

I’ve gone down the rabbit hole again, thinking about all the things I could have, and should have, done differently that might have resulted in Teddy still being here. The only thing that helps me forget is alcohol. I suspect I probably have a pretty low tolerance. I’ve never been much of a drinker, always wanting to be sober in case Teddy needed me. But I don’t have that reason to limit myself anymore, and when I just need to forget for a few minutes, a drink is the fastest way to achieve that.

I don’t know how long I’ve been lost in thought, but I’m pulled out of it when Annie sets a second cup of coffee down on the table for me and slips into the chair beside me.

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