Page 34 of Echoes From Within
“Miss, are you okay? Are you here with someone?”
“No, I’m all alone,” I tell the strange man. Which in hindsight might have been a stupid thing to do.
“Can I call someone for you?”
“No, thank you,” I say, taking another shot of vodka. I’ve never been a drinker before, but the burn that rolls down my throat causes me to feel. Even if only for those few seconds. “Can I get some water please?”
My phone dings and I pull it out of my bra to see who would bother to message me.
Unknown Sender: Babygirl, this is Travis. How are you doing?
Travis? Didn’t he go back to living his life? Why would he message me?
Unknown Sender: Your friend Cady is worried about you. I’m worried about you. Where are you?
Me: I’m fine. Just needed a break.
“Hey there, sexy. Care for a drink?”
I look up at the stranger and then at the drink he’s offering. An amber liquid in a glass of ice.
“Nope,” I say, popping thep.
“Awe, you’re going to hurt my feelings,” he says, pouting. “I bought it just for you.”
The man looks like he’s in his late forties and is quite handsome. However, I may be slightly buzzed from my own shots, but I’m not stupid.
“I’m going to have to pass,” I smile.
He frowns before tossing the drink onto my chest.
I don’t flinch. I don’t even move.
“Fucking bitch,” he says before walking away.
“Are you alright, miss?” I hear someone say but I’m already back to looking at my messages. I’ve programmed Travis’s number into my phone. Not that it matters. I won’t be using it. But I like knowing that I have it, regardless. I threw his card away before leaving the hospital. I always regretted that.
Travis: Where are you?
Me: Someone just tried to get me to drink something that I know they spiked.
Travis: …
Me: They got pissed when I didn’t take it and dumped it all down my shirt. Gotta go now. Bye.
Travis: Where the fuck are you? Are you drunk? Is someone there to protect you? Who the fuck tried to drug you? I’ll fucking kill him.
I smile at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. I’m not even sure why I told him.
Me: You say the F word a lot.
Shaking my head, I turn off my phone and shove it back into my bra. I don’t have enough room in my damaged heart for someone else right now. It’s already hard enough pretending around Cady and my therapist.
I’m about to get up and leave when he catches my eye. The whole reason I’m here pretending to me smashed to begin with walks over to the corner of the room and falls into a seat.
Bingo.
“Here’s your water,” the bartender says.