The Truth

"I've been waiting for you." I heard a cold voice say to me, as I shot the last of my Jack and Coke. A man sat down next to me, a man I did not recognize. "Why didn't I stop her?" He asked, his voice welling with tears. "Why didn't I stop her?" He choked the question out once more, only this time I could almost hear the tears running down his cheeks.

"Do you want to know the truth? The truth is I never loved her. Not even a little bit. Not even at all."

I could not tell if this man knew he was talking to me or not. Was he spilling his heart out to some stranger at a bar? Or did he genuinely think I was someone else? He wouldn't look at me, and I barely looked at him. I kept my hood up and my hand on the glass that I was using to wash away my own secrets. From a quick glance, I saw his face. He was tired and worn. His scruff had not been shaved in what looked like weeks. He wore heavy bags under his eyes and had a cut above his right eye, a wound that looked fresh.

"The truth is," the sad man continued, "I was tired of playing games. Both of us running around on each other, could I even say that she loved me? Of course, she must have, to commit the act that she did..." He trailed off, more tears running down his face.

Suddenly my phone buzzed. I looked to see if it was Krista, knowing that it probably wasn't. I had already checked my phone ten times in the past twenty minutes. Why wouldn't she answer me? I finally grew the balls to leave my bitch of a wife for her and now she decides to cut off communication with me? Was she getting cold feet? Had she decided to stay with her husband, after all the shit he had put her through? So many questions rattled my brain. It wasn't Krista, just my mother again asking me if our plans were still on for tomorrow, plans for her to finally meet Krista, the love of my life. Well, they would be if Krista would answer my calls.

The man continued with his story, and I continued to listen, while impatiently awaiting a phone call that I wasn't sure I was even going to get.

"The truth is, maybe deep down, I wanted her to do it." The man started sobbing. "What kind of a monster am I?!"

My heart sank to my chest. What on earth was this guy going on about? Is he some kind of lunatic?

The sobs continued. I thought to myself how thankful I was to have a woman like Krista in my life. Soft, yet strong. She was a tall and beautiful woman, like one out of a magazine. Long blonde hair, legs for days, and a smile that could melt the heart of anyone who is lucky enough to make her acquaintance. I was the lucky one, to finally have her.

If she would just. Answer. My calls!

"God, why does it have to end like this? Are you gonna be coming to the funeral?" The man asked and finally looked at me. We locked eyes.

"Oh man, I am so sorry. I totally thought you were someone else." There it was, he just told a horrendous and confusing story to a complete stranger. His phone rang and he answered it with more sobs. "Hey mate, did you hear the news? Yeah, Krista's gone. She killed herself."