Endless: REWRITTEN

12. Diamond

Natalie

It's astonishing the different sides of Robin I get to see every week. When I get a call tonight at two A.M, I'm thinking he's outside of my building wanting to be let it. So I answer the phone, a bit giddy to see him. Work today was rough, so maybe having a little bit of his affection would help me feel a little better.

Of course, the one night I'll take all of it I can get, he doesn't come through.

"So...we got a situation." He's laughing into the phone and it makes me nervous. His words are also incredibly slurred.

"Uh... define 'situation'," I reply.

He clears his throat. "Well... I got into a fight with my brother. And... I didn't want to bother you, y'know? So I decided to get a drink and well..."

I sigh. "What bar are you at?"

"Really?" His voice is elated now, almost dream-like. "You're the best... man, I have the best girlfriend."

He rattles off the bar's address and I get dressed and go over to pick him up. It's weird because Robin has never really expressed an interest in drinking. We've had wine with dinner before, but he's never gotten drunk. And he's never drank to deal with his problems. The fight with his brother must've been terrible.

The streets of Manhattan still have traffic on them, but it's not as lively. It's almost comforting in a way, but then I realize the reason for why I'm out at this time of night. This is definitely not the first time I've had to pick up a drunk man from a bar, but I certainly don't miss doing it.

I locate the address and find my hopelessly intoxicated boyfriend standing outside of the now-closed bar, sitting on the curb. As soon as I pull to the side, he springs up quickly, staggering on his feet.

I expected a lot of things to happen when he got in the car. He would get belligerent. He would get tired and pass out. He would probably throw up in the car and I would have to get the carpets cleaned. I even expected him to still be completely elated and ready to hit the next bar or liquor store.

None of those things happened.

Instead, he began crying.

I had just gotten back on the main road, ready to take him back to my place to sleep it off, when suddenly I hear sniffling in the passenger seat. I stop at a red light and take the chance to look at him and thick tears are pouring down his face, sobs racking his body.

Uh... I wasn't equipped for this...

"Robin?" I didn't know what else to say, so saying his name might bring him back to earth.

It didn't. "I'm s-sorry."

"For what?"

He's back at the point where he can't talk, and I just don't know what to do. My heart obviously hurts for him so bad and I'm desperately searching for anything to make him feel better. At least one thing is true: I've officially never dated a man like this. So open with his feelings in this way.

He's still sobbing when we get back to my apartment. I help him get upstairs and inside. There's no way he can go home in this state, especially if his brother caused this (meanwhile, I've decided that his brother must be an asshole to make him feel like this), so I set up a makeshift bed on the couch.

I turn and Robin is leaning on the small table in the dining area. He's taken off his jacket and is just sniveling at this point. I take the liberty to grab him some aspirin and a glass of water to take before he sleeps. I set it on the coffee table gently, as to not startle him.