Forever and Always

Chapter 42- And Subsequently the Worst

It had been a long day at school. I did even more to avoid the people that were being assholes, but as the group of people grew, it grew more difficult to avoid them. I got home from work and finished my homework early, eager to call my fiancee before I went to bed. Flopping backwards, I pressed the call button by Levi's name. It rang until it went to his voice mail box. That had never happened before. Figuring he was probably showering or something along those lines, I waited a few minutes and tried again. 

"You have reached Levi Ackerman," the recording of his voice droned yet again. Something felt wrong. On a normal day, I wouldn't have been worried, but something left a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. At the message tone, I left him a voicemail.

"Hey, Babe, it's me. Call me," I said quietly before hanging up the phone. I tried one final time and was sent again to his voicemail. Letting out a distressed sigh, I stood and shuffled to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face before returning to my bedroom. I peeled my clothing off and slipped in between my sheets. Sending a text to Farlan and a text to Isabel, I asked what might be wrong with Levi, before I fell asleep, my ringer volume all the way up.

I gasped as I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. It was midnight, meaning it was three in the morning Levi's time. I answered immediately.

"Levi," I sighed, relieved to have heard from him.

"Baby," he slurred. "I'm sorry." The sound of his voice made my blood run cold. 

"What did you do?" I begged to know.

"I'm not high," he began slowly. His nose sounded blocked, like he had been crying. "I'm just really drunk. Like really really drunk."

"What the hell, Levi?" I snapped. "You missed our phonecall so you could get wasted?! I thought you were in a ditch somewhere!"

"I'm sorry," Levi hiccuped, his words hitching into a sob. It sounded like he had done that a lot tonight.

"I cannot believe you! How-"

"She's dead, Eren. It was either the bottle of vodka or the bottle of sleeping pills."

I was speechless. I sat in the deadly silence, completely strangled by it. I felt the tears building up in my eyes. I had to get to him. Instantly, I shot out of bed and packed a backpack full of clothes and toiletries, shoving my phone charger into the front pocket.

"E-Eren? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," I whispered, my only reply. I was completely in shock.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm getting on the next flight out."

"N-no, Eren. I got - I can handle-" he tried to say before he burst into tears again. "I thought I'd get to see her again. I thought I would have enough war-ning," he wheezed, choking on the tears and coughing.

"No, you, Levi," I hissed through the tears that were rushing down my face. I felt a protective instinct come to life as my aggressive side pushed through. "You don't have a fucking choice. I'm coming out to see you."

"But you h-ave school," he gasped, trying to catch his breath, but failing miserably. I wanted nothing more than to hold him. I could nearly hear his body shaking over the receiver.

"And you need me. I'll make it up. I don't need A's to graduate."

"But your m-mom, and Mikasa," he whimpered.

"I'll leave them a note. And if I'm grounded when I get back, so be it."

"You don't have money, Baby," he swallowed, still breathing hard.