It Was You All Along

I took a swig of the Ale that sat in front of me. I put it back down on the bar and just stared at it. The atmosphere around me was bubbling with excitement, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Derek, and what he was probably doing to that prostitute he brought into our house tonight. Maybe he’ll think about leaving with her…

I mentally slapped myself. I should be used to this by now. He does this all the time. He just uses other people to please himself, then they leave and he allows me to come back into the house. That’s all. He still loves me. I still love him. We’re perfect together.

I saw someone out of the corner of my eye sit down on the stool next to me. I didn’t bother lifting my head up until I recognized the red tips at the end of their wavy dark brown hair. Jared caught me staring at him and looked at me. A huge smile erupted on his manly features.

“Hey! James, buddy! What are ya doing down here?!” His happy self screamed in my face. He was always eager to see me. That, and also the music was so loud that even sitting right next to me he had to scream in order for me to hear him.

I managed a small smile his way. “I’m doing alright, I guess. I just had to clear my mind, that’s all.”

Jared’s smile faltered and that knowing look came into his eyes. “You’ve gotta be joking me. Again? Isn’t that like, what, his third this week?” Jared turned and thanked the bar dude, and then took a swig of the Bud Light he received before turning back to me.

Jared and I have been friends a long time. He knows all about my little… predicament with my boyfriend, Derek, and how he likes to cheat on me with random prostitutes he finds on the side streets. You see, he wouldn’t have to do that if I just had sex with him. But the problem is I don’t think I’m ready to make that big of a jump yet. Yes, I’m still a virgin. Go ahead and laugh. But I want to wait for the perfect moment, when everything feels… right. Derek didn’t want to wait, so he says it’s my fault he brings in all the prostitutes, not his.
“It’s actually his second, but it still hurts all the same.” I sighed and took another drink of my Ale.

“Dude, why do you even put yourself through all this? I’ve been telling you that you need to just break it off with him! Free yourself from that asshole.” Jared downed the rest of his Bud Light. He drank a lot, but he could hold his alcohol well.

“I still love him, Jared. It’s not that easy to just let him go like that, and you know it.” Jared’s been trying to get me to leave Derek since the day I met him. Somehow he’s always known that Derek wasn’t right for me. But I fell too hard, too fast. Now I don’t know where I would be without Derek. Probably in a better house with a better job, but I’d be lonely and sad. I hate it, but unfortunately you can’t help who you fall in love with.

Jared sighed. It was one of those long, drawn out ones. Then he gave me that look with his eyes that said “Forget it, I completely give up on you,” but I know all too well he hasn’t given up on me yet. He gives me that look all the time. Jared turned to the bartender and asked for another Bud Light.

“You know what you need?” Jared asked me while looking at his beer and spinning it around on the bar.

I gave him a skeptical look. “What do I need?” I asked slowly.

He turned to me with a sly smile on his face. “You need a guy’s night out. Just to be away from Gaylord Derek and forget all about him; just for one night. In fact, why don’t you come over my house tonight? We’ll have a guy’s night, just the two of us.” He took a gulp of his beer and then looked at me with wide eyes.

It really was a good idea. Jared was right. I just needed to be out and away from Derek for once. He’s the only thing that’s ever on my mind. I need to forget about him, just for one night. It couldn’t hurt… right?

“I think we should, but I’m not in the mood to get drunk right now, okay?” I took a small sip from my Ale, almost forgetting it was there.

Jared threw his hands up in the air. “Why must you think that every time we hang out, it’s my way of telling you that I want us to get drunk?!”

I chuckled. “Because that’s all we ever do when we hang out.” Which is very true.

Jared nodded his head in agreement and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, you’re right. Touché.” We both laughed.

“So, come on. What do you say?” He bobbed his eyebrows up and down while smirking at me. I couldn’t help but chuckle. There was no saying no to this guy. He was the only person who could get me to smile after a bad night with Derek.

“Yeah, sure.” I smiled at him through my side bangs.

Jared’s eyes got wide again and his smirk grew into a full blown smile, covering the entire bottom half of his face. “Alright! Let’s do this thing!” He chugged down the rest of his Bud Light before we both left the bar in a fit of laughter.

And for that one split second, I forgot about all my troubles. I forgot about Derek.