Page 5 of Broken Hero
I go through a door which I’m presuming leads to the living room – I’m right. It’s a large living space that he stumbles into and collapses down on the sofa.
He stares into space and mutters. “You ever find someone you love, you make sure they're safe, you make sure they're safe all the time. Because that’s it, you don't love again - all you do is feel fucking empty inside. Happy birthday, Violet. Hope she’s having a good time because I'm in fucking hell.” His voice breaks as he says the words. Seconds later, he passes out.
I stand there, staring at him. The emotion in his voice hits me right in the gut. This man is broken...it hurts to be around him.
Shit, he’s passed out.
Great.
Is this my life right now? I look around, wondering what I should do next - should I leave him? There is no way I could move him. I start to take his boots off – bloody hell - what size are these? They must be like a fourteen or something - where does he buy them from this big? I cant see a blanket or throw to cover him, so he's going to have to stay like that. Water! He will want water when he comes around. He’ll need painkillers too, but I'm not going fishing around in his cupboards. I walk through the house into the kitchen. It’s weird walking around in someone else's house when they have no idea who I am and that I'm here. I find a glass on the draining board that looks clean. I rinse it out, fill it with fresh water, and lay it down next to him. I notice a writing pad across the room, and my lips curl up. I'm going to leave him a little note. He should learn a lesson about getting so drunk with no one to look after him.
I write: Water at the side of you.Thank you for a fantastic night.Locked door behind me and posted your
key through your letterbox, Big Man.
I mean, Icouldbe being sarcastic. He’ll have no recollection of me - he was drunk the first time I spoke to him. He’ll wonder who the hell left the note. I could have been some psycho - I could have robbed his house, for crying out loud.
I go into his wallet and take out more than enough cash for the taxi driver to give him the decent tip he deserves - he waited for me and let him in his taxi in the first place when most taxi drivers would have driven off!
I lock the front door behind me and slide his key back through the letterbox. On the cab ride all the way home, I wonder what happened to such a fine man, who appears to have everything, act like he has nothing.
Chapter One
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SOPHIE
Two years later
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DON’T CRY, SOPH - HOLDit together.
Two of my favourite people getting engaged. Jack is down on one knee, proposing to Robyn. Who would have thought we would ever see the day? I never thought I’d see Jack settle downever. He has always been the epitome of bad boy, but that changed as soon as he met Robyn. Oh, he’ll always have that bad boy charm, but now he behaves himself. He’ll do anything to make her happy—pure devotion. Everyone says I'm too optimistic, but surely this is proof that I'm right to be optimistic? I’ll meet my dream man one day, and he’ll be all mine, and he will feel like it’s his purpose in life to make me happy. I know I will find him.
I look around at all the smiling faces – family and friends. There are lots from work too. Being on Jack’s race team makes us all so close. You have to be able to trust your team one hundred per cent. Jack is one of the best in his field, and we get to be part of that. It’s my job to keep his accounts and itinerary running smoothly. Denny, his head mechanic and one of my best friends, is standing next to me, grinning and shaking his head.
