Smokin Gun

Flashback: Memories and Regrets

March 2011

Brantley's POV

I rolled over and blinked my eyes against the bright ass sun. I groaned when I rolled too far and fell onto the floor. Fuck. I sat up holding my aching head as I took in my surroundings. I realized I was on the couch at Mama's. Damn, I was gonna be in so much shit.

I heard a throat clear and lifted my bleary eyes to see Ben standing there holding a cup of coffee in each hand walking over to me. I took the cup he handed and sat it on the coffee table in front of me as I reached for my jacket that I had been using for a pillow and slide the bottle out to shake a pill out to help with the pounding in my head.

"Fucking really BG," I heard Ben growl at me as I swallowed the pill down with a sip of coffee wincing against the burn.

"What Ben?" I snapped holding my head and digging my phone out of my pocket to look at the time. I cleared out a few missed calls from a girl I had been talking to and looked up at Ben as he sat on the chair across from me. I knew he was pissed off about something. "What's your fucking problem? Why are we at Mama's? We were supposed to go to Steph's engagement party last night."

"Oh, we did," he grumbled tapping a finger on his knee as he took a sip. "You my friend, decided to be a royal jackass."

"What," I scoffed rolling my eyes. "No, I didn't, yea I'd a few drinks before we went but I didn't show my ass. I wouldn't do that to Steph. Probably that douche bag fiancée of hers did something to piss me off."

"Nope, can't blame Numbers Boy this time BG," Ben said shaking his head. "Didn't even make it in the door last night. I don't know what went down between you and Steph man. But it wasn't pretty. Y'all were facing off in the hall and Kolby and I had to pull you apart. She looked like she was gonna break at any minute when I pulled you away. I know she told you she was done."

"Done with what Ben?" I snapped as fear coursed through my veins. No surely not. Stephanie was my best friend, and when I wasn't too chicken shit  to admit it, she was my everything.

"Done BG," he said quietly. "Said she can't sit back and watch you go down this road."

"Bullshit," I snarled yanking my phone up and hitting the speed dial with her number and stood up to pace Mama's living room as the phone rang. It rang then went to voicemail. I hung up and tried again, then again. She wasn't answering because of David, that was it. I tried one more time and got voicemail again.

"Sweetheart, it's B. Call me when back when you get this darlin. I'm sorry if I was an ass last night. Let me take you out for your birthday today and make it up to you honey. Ok, umm, I'm at Mamas. I don't have to leave heading back to Nashville until tomorrow morning so just call me back," I mumbled into the phone.

I sat there and stared at it for another ten minutes with Ben sitting there watching my quietly.

"Ben," I asked softly shaking my head to blink back the tears. "Did she really say that? Sure, it wasn't just out of anger. You know how Steph's temper can be."

"BG, man," he said running a hand over his sleep flattened mohawk and stared me down. He always said Steph could get it to stand up better than he could. "She just looked defeated. Not like Little Bit at all."

"Fuck, "I said running my fingers through my hair and tugging. "I've fucked up big time. You sure you have no idea what I said last night?"

"No man," he said giving me a sad smile. "I don't."

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach when I picked up the phone and dialed again.

Stephanie's POV