Ronnie

1

June 5, 1986. McAllen, Texas

He stood outside of the hole-in-the-wall bar smoking a cigarette. The humid night air washed over him.
“Fuck you Kirk!" she yelled as she ran out of the bar, slamming the door behind her.
He jumped at the sounds.
“Jeez, Cas. Couldn't you be a little quieter?”
“No, Cliff, I can't. He's pissed me off for the last time.”
He chuckled, but it was inaudible to Cassie.
Kirk and Cassie always got into fights. Even more so when Kirk was drunk. Cliff knew the deal. She would complain to him, he would give some sort of advice, then she would make some sort of excuse and go back to Kirk.
“You say that every time.”
She sighed and slouched down onto the sidewalk. “You're right.”
He brought the cigarette down towards her, so she could take a puff.
“Cliff?”
“Yes.”
“What do I do?”
“We've been over this a hundred times Cassie. You leave him.”
“And we've been over this a hundred times. I can't.”
“What's your excuse this time?”
“Excuse?”
“Yeah. You always have some way to defend him after everything he says about you.
What'd he say this time?”
“That, uh. I was gaining weight.”
Cliff looked down to her.
“Huh. Yeah, I guess you are getting a bit pudgy."
She hit him harshly in the leg.
“Hey!”
“Calm down. You know I was just messing with you,” he said with a laugh. Even though the only light around was the clouded crescent moon and a dim street light yards away, Cliff's half-ass smile was still as bright as ever.
Cassie found Cliff very charming, although she would never admit it to anyone.
She knew he was right. She should leave Kirk far behind, but she just couldn't. He meant so much to her. She was in love with him.
“I love him Cliff. I know he means well, and he can't help what he says when he's drunk. I, I, just can't take it anymore.”
“Then leave. I don't know much more to tell you.”
“But. I love him.”
. . .
“Do you think he loves you as much as you love him? Or does he love you more than you love him? Or maybe Cas, he doesn't love you at all.”
She was stunned with this assumption. How could he think that Kirk couldn't love her a little. She had been dating him for two years, they lived together, and she had been on this Damage Inc. Tour from the beginning. Besides these things, she dedicated so much more of her time to him. Kirk said he loved her. How could he not?
She shot up, now facing the building of a man, “How could you say that Cliff, you don't think he loves me at all!?”

“I didn't directly say he didn't love you. I said, 'maybe' he didn't. . .”
“

Cassie, I just don't see what you two have being love,” he stated with a little huff and a small smile, trying to ease the situation. “I mean, maybe you do love him, okay? Maybe you do. But he doesn't respect you. He doesn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated. It's a one sided relationship. You're putting in too much and getting nothing in return.”
Every single word that poured out of Cliff's mouth was true. It was just what she needed to realize.
Kirk didn't love her.
Sure, he cared about her a little. Altogether, he wasn't treating her the way a woman needed to be treated. She was just another girl to him. One he could find anywhere.
Cliff whispered and put an arm around her shoulder, “You deserve better Cassie. You're a sweet girl.”
A few tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I know.”
She didn't realize that her tears had hit Cliff's hand.
He hated for her to be upset. It took all that he had not to yell at Kirk every time he would hurt Cassie's feelings. He wanted to hold her tight, give her a kiss, and tell her that everything would work out in the end. It wasn't his place to do that though, well, at least the kissing and coddling part. She had a boyfriend that should be helping work through their problems. He shouldn't have to guide her all the way through a relationship that wasn't even his own.
God, Kirk pissed him off to a great extent.
“Don't cry Cas, it won't help any.”
A sniffle escaped her little nose.
“I know. It hurts though, cause now I know what I need to do. I just don't know how I'm going to do it.”
“You'll figure it out. I believe in you.”