The best of him

Flashback

"Brantley, please put the bottle down. You're going to drink yourself to death,"I tear up.
"Just let me drink in piece woman,"he growls.
"If you don't put it down, I'm leaving," I cry in plead.
"Okay there's the door,"he roars. I walk upstairs packing up stuff in a duffle bag, and I head out the door stepping over all of his beer bottles on the floor.

A week later, I meet Brantley by Lake Sinclair so he could give me the rest of my stuff. As soon as he steps out of his truck, I tear up. We got all my stuff loaded in my car, and I almost let him walk away.
I let out,"Baby, please don't give up on me!" I can feel the tears start rolling down my face. I don't want to let him leave, but maybe it's best. I hope so anyways.
"Lindsay, don't be ridiculous if I can't drink on my free will then you're not worth it," he said walking back to his truck and driving away. He really is leaving me here crying.

For a year, people tell me he's drinking himself in the ground. They tell me how it's worse since we split up, but I have to stay away from him. Two years later, I get a call about his career picking up an that he was sober for a month. A month later, I get a call from him.
"Brantley?"I breath into the phone.
"I love you, baby,"he says in his lovey dovey drunk voice.
"I'm not going to do this."
"I know I sound crazy, but lets just work this out, yeah, and settle down," he says, and I can picture him smiling. I have to hang up before I get warped back into the whirlpool or drinking.

I didn't hear from him again until two weeks before I'm due to be at Tyler's.
"Lindsay?"he says as soon as I push answer.
"Brantley, please don't. I can't handle anymore tonight,"I say in tears.
"Are you crying?"he asks.
"It's been a rough night."
"I'll be there in five,"he says as he hangs up.

Sure enough, five minutes later, he's at my door with a minti vanilla bean from Starbucks.
"What are you doing here?"I ask.
"I was in town for my music video,"he says handing me the cup and straw. We walk in and sit in the living room facing one another.
"What happened tonight?"he asks softly.
"I found out David was cheating on me with Rachael. I am requested for a transfer, and I have to start packing."
"Lindsay, take a deep breath. Life goes on."
"I learnt that the hard way,"slips out of my mouth.
"I'm sorry, but I've been sober for nine months now."
"Good."
For the rest of the night, I go through my old stuff and cry at the thought of what Brantley and I used to have.