Time Bomb

Sitting on the arm of the plush leather lay-z-boy, Jack rubbed his hands over his face, sighing heavily. Josh had suggested telling Riley after they got home, if she freaked out then there would only be Jack to deal with the breakdown. Running the idea by Rian and Alex, who agreed that it was for the best, Jack finished his conversation with Josh. In the meantime Josh had mentioned booking a flight for both Riley and Jack to Vancouver.

“What’s the situation?” Rian asked grimly staring at Jack.

“We go back out there, act like nothing is wrong and when we get home, I’ll break the news.” Jack replied, clenching his fists to stop them from shaking.

“Are you sure you can do that?” Alex asked his best friend, catching the sight of Jack’s shakiness.

Jack nodded and pushed a smile onto his worried features. “I’ll have to.”

Stepping back into the hall, Alex made a lame joke causing Rian and Jack to laugh, appearing as though the three were fine and things were as usual. Rejoining the group, Rian stopped flat noticing that there was a fourth empty seat at the table. Stepping up beside him, Jack’s face fell when he saw the empty place next to him and a worried looking Cassadee nervously picking at her dinner.

“Where is Riley?” Jack asked facing the group of people.

“She left. She went to the washroom and came back, saying she had to go.” Cassadee explained quietly. “I tried to get her to stay; she said she had to leave. What happened?” she demanded.

Jack groaned and Rian took his girlfriend’s arm, leading her off to explain the situation. Knowing Cassadee, she’d be in hysterics; with Riley missing it would be even worse. Riley must have heard the conversation in the den, when she passed to go in to the bathroom and freaked out. Had he been upfront and not tried to keep it until after dinner, when they got home, Jack wouldn’t be frantic as to where his girlfriend was.

All Jack wanted was Riley to enjoy her evening, he didn’t want her to worry or freak out, not until they were safely home and he could talk her down and help her with the situation. A grim expression lined Alex’s features when he rejoined Jack at the table, giving his buddy a firm squeeze on the shoulder.

“She took a bottle of Jose on the way out.” Alex explained with a dull tone.

“Fuck!” Jack shouted, slamming his fist on Alex’s table, causing the plates and silverware that had been left to rattle. “I need to go find her. Stay here, in case she comes back?”

Alex nodded. “Take Rian with you, Cass and I can try calling her and we’ll call you if we can reach her.”

Glancing across the bar at the girl slumped over on her stool with a glass in hand; Zack leaned back in his chair watching as she took another shot the young bartender handed over. This had to be her fourth or fifth shot by now and the brunette wasn’t easing up on the liquor. The buxom blond by his side trailed her fake finger nail over his forearm, trying to capture his attention back. Turning his head for a split second, Zack gave her a clear what the fuck look and shook his head, his eyes focusing back on the brunette.

He had been on a date, a date from hell, blowing off dinner at Alex’s house. From the looks of things at the end of the bar, something had gone horribly wrong there. While the blond insisted they head home, Zack sighed and turned back to her. The least he could do was pay her cab ride home.

Handing her two twenties, he informed her that he had to go help a friend in need. Leaning around him to look at the mess of a girl at the end of the bar, the blond snorted and commented on how some guys would pick up anything. Letting her believe what she wanted, Zack grabbed his jacket and walked toward the girl. Riley didn’t bother to move when somebody sat down beside her. Taking a sip from her drink, straight gin, she licked her lips.

“Her tab is on me.” Zack spoke to the bartender handing over a fist full of bills. “This is her last drink anyway.”

“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” Riley hissed, her blue eyes burrowing a hole in him. They were puffy and red; Zack hoped it was due to a crying marathon and not something else.

“A concerned friend.” Zack replied casually, standing up and putting his coat on. His large hand wrapped around Riley’s arm, pulling her to her feet the second she finished her drink. “A bar is no place for an alcoholic trying to get clean.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Riley’s words were sharp and angry. “You’re not my boss.”

“No, Jack is my best friend and I am not letting you do this.” Zack informed her, lowering his head so his words were only heard by her. “I will throw you over my shoulder and leave, don’t tempt me. If you try to run or defy me, I will only make it that much worse for you. We’re going home, now.”

“I-I don’t want to go back to Jack’s.” Riley said her eyes shifting to her feet. Her hard and tough exterior gave way to the scared girl inside.

“You don’t have to, I’ll take you to my place and then you can tell me what the fuck this is all about.” Zack replied with a hint of anger in his own voice.

He wanted to yell and scream at her, but it wouldn’t do any good. He’d have to remind Jack of the same thing, when he saw her again.

Getting Riley in the house, Zack wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight on his side. She was a lot drunker than he had thought; Riley had told him the entire story on the way home. How Jack had left dinner to take a phone call, Rian and Alex going along with him. She told him how she’d overheard the conversation and that Jack wasn’t all that upfront about telling her anything. All Riley knew is what she’d heard, there had been a car accident and her mother was in the Vancouver General Hospital ICU and there was no word.

“I hate him!” Riley burst out with a sob. “I hate Jack so much for not telling me. Why wouldn’t he tell me, Zack?” she kept asking over and over.

Each time, Zack would shrug and tell her he didn’t know, but he’d find out and until then she just needed sleep. The answer seemed to calm Riley enough to go along with whatever else Zack was saying.

Zack was livid with Jack, Rian and Alex as well. Why couldn’t he have just told Riley the damn truth? Helping her into his bedroom, Zack sat her down on the bed grabbing a clean shirt and some shorts, they’d be miles too big but more comfortable than what she was in. Turning back around to give Riley the clothes, Zack smirked seeing her sprawl out in the middle of his bed, sound to sleep. Leaving the clothes on the bed next to her, in case she woke up and managed to change, Zack escaped to the living room.

Pulling out his phone he dialled Jack’s number and waited for his idiot of a friend to answer. The second Jack answered, it took everything Zack had not to yell and lecture him on what an asshole he was. Why didn’t Jack listen? Somebody always ended up hurt when Jack fell in love, yet Jack didn’t seem to take Zack’s advice. As usual.

“Zack?” Jack’s voice greeted him again.

“Oh uh yeah, I’m still here.” Zack replied rubbing his hand over his face.

“Hey, Zee. I can’t talk, Riley is...” Jack answered, sounding frantic.

As much as Zack wanted to be mad, he couldn’t be. Jack sounded terrified.

“At my house, she’s fine. Call off your man hunt.” Zack replied trying to lighten the mood.

“Oh thank god!” Jack exhaled a huge breath. “She left Alex’s house and...I’ll be right over!”

Hearing that Riley was safe had caused tears that Jack didn’t even know he had been holding in. Wiping his hand over his eyes, he tried not to make it obvious to Zack that he was crying. It was bad enough that Rian, who was driving him around, had to see.

“I don’t think that is wise. She’s pretty mad at you right now, why were you going to keep her mother being in an accident from her?” Zack asked irritated that Jack would do that.

“I wasn’t! Josh and I collectively agreed to tell her once she and I got home. We knew she’d freak out, she overheard Alex, Ri and I talking and flipped. I was going to tell her, the second we got home. Josh told me to wait, let her enjoy the night.” Jack explained frustrated.

Be damned if he was being played as a bad guy in this.

“Okay fine, but don’t come over. I have her tucked in, she’s passed out and I think she needs time to cool off.” Zack replied with a softer tone. “Just so you know I found her at the bar she’s pretty loaded too.”

“Fuck.” Jack muttered.

The last thing he wanted was for Riley to head back down that path. He wanted to her comfort and support not a damn drug, how could he expect her to do that when Jack was the one hurting her?

“I’ll call you in the morning when it is safe for you to come get her.” Zack instructed before hanging up.

Spending the night in the spare room, Zack heard Riley get out of bed around four or five, the compassionate person he was wanted to feel bad for her when he heard her in the bathroom. The logical side of him felt she deserved it; you didn’t stupidly drink the way she had and not pay for it. Once she was done emptying her stomach contents into his toilet, Zack laid listening as the shower turned on. He couldn’t blame her, a hot shower probably felt pretty damn good in the state she was in and it would help her relax any tension.

Unable to get back to sleep, Riley had laid in bed watching the ceiling spin over and over, each time causing her to feel sick. When she thought she had nothing left to come back, her body fooled her forcing more of the alcohol and anything else in her stomach back on her. Giving up on making a marathon dash from the bedroom to the bathroom, Riley opted to lie on the cool tile of the floor next to the toilet for the remainder of the night. If there was any mess, she’d clean it in the morning. Zack was good enough to bring her home, it was the least she could do.

The sun was starting to peek above the tree tops when Riley managed to find her way out of the bathroom and into the living room. Zack was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the tv, a bowl of half eaten cereal sitting on the coffee table in front of him next to his kicked up feet.

“Morning Sunshine!” Zack greeted a sick looking Riley.

“I just want to die.” Riley groaned.

“How much did you drink and what drugs did you do last night, before I found you?” Zack got right to the heavy questions.

Riley sank onto the couch next to him, resting her head in her hands and sighing. “A bottle of Jose, the shots and gin you saw me drink. No drugs, I swear.”

Grumbling that the latest football update was too loud, Riley continued to sit with her head in her hands. She wanted to crawl under the couch and die. Kindly, Zack turned the volume on the tv down, giving Riley some relief from the pounding in her head. Reaching for his bowl, Zack sat back watching the sports highlights, while Riley curled up into a ball next to him.

Silently watching tv for a few minutes, Zack caught a glimpse of Riley from the corner of his eye. She was curled up, resting her head on the arm of the couch staring into space. Her complexion was pale and her bright blue eyes were dull and shiny like she was about to cry.

“Jack wants me to call him, when you’re ready to go home.” Zack replied in a quiet manner, playing with his phone.

Riley snorted. “Why would he think I want to see him?”

“I know you really don’t like me, but Jack is my best friend and if you are going to fuck him around, you might as well tell him now.” Zack spoke in a harsher manner. “If you want Jack, then you need to trust that everything he does for you it’s because he thinks it is the right thing for you. He would never do you wrong.”

“My mom was in a car accident and he didn’t even tell me, Zack.” Riley spoke her voice cracking.

“Josh told him to let you enjoy dinner. He was going to tell you when you got home, because Jack knew you’d flip. Jack would never do anything to intentionally hurt somebody.” Zack shrugged at his sense of logic.

Scoffing, Riley wiped her eyes. “Easy enough for you to say.” She mumbled with a huff.

“I always thought you were a bit of a bitch, the type of girl who thinks of nobody but herself.” Zack confessed. “Seeing how much Jack liked you made me think maybe not, but right now you’re exactly what I thought you were. Give him the fucking chance.”

“I don’t have to take this.” Riley stated standing up, holding her hand up in defense. “Your opinion of me doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does.” Zack commented, his eyes locking with Riley’s. “You’re not fooling anybody, you can tell yourself whatever you want, but you crumble the second you think somebody is judging you. This defensive bitch you’ve created, it’s not really you.”

“Who are you to tell me who I am? You hardly know me.” Riley snapped, tears filling her eyes again.

“If you were the hardnosed bitch you want people to believe you are; Jack would have taken one look and ran in the other direction. Let him help you, don’t be mad at Jack. As much as you hate me right now, you’ll thank me for it later.” Zack reasoned.

Riley could hate him all she wanted, it didn’t hurt Zack’s feelings any. As far as he was concerned, she needed a big dose of the truth and that was all he’d given her. Watching her sulk as she headed back down the hall, Zack pulled out his phone, it was time for Jack to come pick his girlfriend up.