Catch Me

Chapter 6- Drinks

Drunk. I was drunk. 

After being so fucking stressed I was drunk off my second bottle of wine I was carrying around like a juice box. No joke I even stuck an extra long straw in there. 

Pathetic that I was drinking alone, but my friends.. weren't really close to me. I didn't let anyone close to me. Was easier to not trust anyone than to let people in. 

I stumbled around my apartment. I had plans to clean earlier, but picture a drunk 27 year old trying to clean... things get picked up and then shoved somewhere else, to be forgotten about later. 

The case I had today didn't go well in court. The parents had fought me every step of the way through cross examination and it looked to the jury like I was fighting with them at some questions. This little boy had no one on his side but me and my team. He had no one that believed him. His mother, father, four siblings and grandparents all glared at him through the entire court day. Even hissed at him when he walked down the aisle to be sworn in for his own testimony. This little boy, only eleven years old, was brave enough to confront the person who had done unspeakable things to him for years and all his family did was treat him with disbelief. 

Those parents can rot. Evil people. 

The case had been heard and judged all in three days. Jury came back with a not guilty verdict. I had to keep a brave face for the boy who didn't quite know what was going on when his dad was taken out of handcuffs and hugged the whole family that was sitting behind him. Thankfully Walter had rushed the boy downstairs to my office and kept him separate from the family who met me with abusive whispers as I walked past them with my things. 

An aunt had stepped forward saying that  she would claim custody since the family now wanted nothing to do with the little boy and I was supposed to be working on those arrangements right now. But instead, I was drunk. 

Drinking to numb the pain... to numb the memories. 

I stumbled my way over to the couch, misjudging the distance and slipping off the edge. I plunked down onto the hardwood, a tear sliding down my face. How was I so alone? Here I was, approaching 30, somewhat successful, educated...and drinking alone. 

I fumbled for my phone on the table, looking through the small amount of contacts I had. There were a few work colleagues, a random take out number, and Walter. 

Walter. I thought to myself. Why not him. He is older, handsome, kind, single, muscular, tall, understanding.....

My thoughts trailed off as I sipped harder through the straw in the bottle. I was almost halfway done now. 

Do I dare? I thought as I clicked on his contact name. My thumb hovered over the call button. 

It was 10:17 pm. I didn't even know if he was awake. I just needed someone in this moment, someone to hear me. 

I pressed "call" and waited.