The Trials of That Thing We Call Love

Chapter 13

One drink after another, Cassidy sank further and further into himself. He couldn't shake it no matter how intoxicated he became. He fucked up. He had ruined the one thing he wanted more than anything in this life and that was Abigail. He was drinking to see if the toxin could somehow fill the void he had just seemingly caused. She'll never speak to me again, he thought, if she even speaks to anyone again. Who knows what I've caused her to do?

It was crippling him, eating him away to his very core. It had been mere hours since the altercation had occurred. Finishing his drink with a fit of rage in himself, he clanked it on the table and ordered another to which the man across the counter crossed his arms and looked him sternly in the eyes.

"Nope. I'm not going to do it."

"What, you're not going to serve me? Fine. I'll just go drink somewhere else, no biggie."

"No, I'm not going to do that either."

"What, I'm not allowed to leave?"

"No, boy. Look at you! You're pathetic."

"Damn right, I am."

"Come on, now, no need for this. None at all."

"I can drink if I want."

"Of course you can, but you're not drinking. That's for having fun. And boy, you look like hell. That's not fun. That's not drinking. That's, as I said, pathetic."

"Then that's just me, a sad sack of shit."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Why not? I'm nothing anyways."

"Sure you're something. A young man like you, good looks, and can perform like a pro. I saw you on that stage."

"That was before I fucked my life up."

"Boy, if you don't shut up. Fuck your life up? What the hell do you mean? The damn thing hasn't started."

"Well after tonight, it's not worth living."

"Oh damn, I've got one of those moody artist types. Let me guess, girl trouble?"

Cassidy dropped his head.

"Of course it is. Around here, that's all I see. They fight, they break up, they kiss, they make up, just like the damn pop song."

"Not that simple. This time I really hurt her, and she's been hurt before."

"We've all been hurt before, but as long as you didn't do any lasting damage like laying a hand on her or betraying her trust, a 'sorry' goes a damn long way. Take it from an old man."

"I just don't see that being the case this time."

"We as people never do. When the sky falls, it falls, and we won't hear otherwise. Wait, dammit, that's it! You've got girl trouble and I know a girl who is trouble."

"Wait, what?"

"Let me get her."

The man reached down to grab a walkie talkie and radioed out to someone who, after a short period of time, joined them at the bar. Of course, by this point in the evening, the bar was seeing little to no traffic.

There she was, the girl who had welcomed Cassidy on stage and who he had heard playing as his life seemingly fell apart around him. He honestly had no clue as to why the bartender would call her over, nor did he care to find out.

"Hey Danny, what's up?"

"Got a boy here that's having some girl trouble. Thinks the sky is falling. I know you're a heartbreaker yourself, always causing the sky to fall for every suiter comes your way."