‹ Prequel: Dear God
Status: ACTIVE
Almost Easy
Promise me no promises
Matt’s POV
Zack and I were at the bar, a dozen or so beers deep when his phone started ringing. A frown crossed his face momentarily before he excuse himself and walked outside. “Jacky.” Brian leaned over and nudge my arm.
“Oh, figured.” I slurred my word slightly and went back to my beer, “So how have things with you and Mich been?”
“Great, actually.” He nodded and grabbed his drink, “Listen I’m not here to talk about marriage shit ok? Because frankly the thought of you and Liz breaking up for good is a real fucking mood killer.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” I glanced at the annoyed look on his face. I sighed to myself and shook my head, “Was just asking, man, don’t have to act like I was being a douche.”
“No, sorry, that’s not what it was at all… just… not tonight.” He clapped his hand on my back and pointed at the bar, “Let’s take a shot and call it a night huh? I have a pretty good feeling Zack’s going to come in here with some downing news of his own.”
Without another word I hazily watched Brian order us all a round of Jaeger shots and the bartender began to pour them.
“So that was the warden.” Zack was suddenly beside me, tucking his phone back in his pocket with a well timed eye roll, “Apparently Liddys been throwing up for over an hour, Jacky needs a little sanity time and I’m totally sober enough to handle that.” He ran his hand over his face and chuckled as Brian handed him the first shot with a smirk.
“One last before we go.”
“Here’s to two more fuckin babies.” Zack laughed as I raised my shot glass up.
“Wait, two?” Jimmy asked and leaned in as we all took our shots, “You’re having twins?”
“Uh… no.” Zack pushed the shot down, “I meant me and Jacky’s, then Liz and Matt’s.”
I felt my head spin and the room fell nearly completely silent, “What?” I felt the liquid race back up my throat.
“I mean Liz’s like, I just lumped her in with you out of habit.” Zack instantly paled and shook his head, “I Uhm-“
“Let’s go.” I slammed a wad of cash down on the bar and made my way for the door, barely making it outside before my stomach churned and I could feel my face growing hot.
“Woah woah there,” Brian grabbed me before I stumbled in to the street, “Come on, let’s get you home.”
“My fuckin kid?!” I turned, shaking his hands off my shoulders, “That douche bag is hurting my fucking wife and my kid?!”
“Matt he’s not hurting anyone,” Zack grabbed his phone and ordered us a car, “They argue like any of us.”
“But, that’s my kid? My kid that I’m fucking leaving him to raise?!” I kept pushing away Jimmy and Brian’s offers to steady me, “This is fucked, why? Why is this happening tonight?!”
“Matt you’re hammered, come on let’s get home and sober up before we talk about this.” Jimmy gently smacked the side of my face and held me still, “Come on man. Fucking stop.”
I felt the tears on my face finally and nodded, wiping them furiously as the car Zack had called for us pulled up beside us, “Load in lets get emotional Emma home before the cops get called.” Brian shoved me towards the car.
.:.:.:.:.:.
“Oh for the love of fuck.” I sat up in bed and groaned, feeling my head throbbing with each breath I took. Last nights events whirled through my skull, bashing off my bones and crashing directly in to the foresight of my mind. My eyes blurred so far that I couldn’t see my feet at the end of the couch, my heart sunk so far it felt like it was pulling my throat down to my ass.
I looked down at my blinking phone and slapped my forehead. I had called Liz seventeen times last night and I could only imagine the messages I left. I left it laying beside my leg and rested my head back on the sofa cushion, hearing a soft noise coming from the kitchen. Fuck.
“Well someone’s awake finally.”
I looked up and sighed, “I’ve never been more relieved to see your face in my life.”
Michelle walked from the kitchen to the couch and handed me a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen, “Yeah Brian decided to crash here last night so I figured I’d come nurse both your dumb asses back to the state you consider normal.” She pointed to the stairs, “He made it to the tub.”
“Oh cool.” I nodded and sat up carefully as Michelle watched my every move, “When did you get here? And how-“
“I got here in the middle of phone call fifteen, and I broke in through the back sliding door. Your locks suck, well actually it wasn’t even locked so there’s that… but Liz obviously hadn’t picked up, and you left three voicemails while I was here and let’s just say you sounded worse than a middle school girl being dumped.”
“Well that’s how I feel so. There’s that.” I mocked her and groaned, “Was Zack right? Did he tell you what he said-“
“That it’s your baby? No, but I know that’s what everyone’s thinking. And by everyone I mean everyone, except me. I don’t know. I’m rooting for it not being yours solely for the fact I want her free of your indecisive bullshit already. But from the looks of the last ultrasound and the date they’re telling Liz she conceived him adds up to you being the unlucky fuck.”
“Great.” I looked at the time, they were well on their way to the Alps right now so a phone call to explain was useless, “What do I do now, Mich? I’m even more of a fucking train wreck.”
“Well, that’s all up to you.” She sat on the arm of the lounge chair across the room and crossed her arms over her chest, “You only have a few months to decide if you want to make it a big deal or not, and then it’s kind of just a bigger more confusing mess.”
“Yeah… fuck.”
“Tell me about it, you’re not the one who has to listen to her. Her mother’s still in rehab and now she’s dealing with a divorce and a baby on top of that. A little bit of stress for her, don’t flatter yourself about being upset.” Michelle looked at her watch, “Id better go make sure he’s still breathing. If you’re up for it I’ll make breakfast when I come back down.”
“Do whatever you want, I’m going to go drink myself in to a morning coma.” I waved her off and stood up, heading for my room and my under bed stash of Jack.
Zack and I were at the bar, a dozen or so beers deep when his phone started ringing. A frown crossed his face momentarily before he excuse himself and walked outside. “Jacky.” Brian leaned over and nudge my arm.
“Oh, figured.” I slurred my word slightly and went back to my beer, “So how have things with you and Mich been?”
“Great, actually.” He nodded and grabbed his drink, “Listen I’m not here to talk about marriage shit ok? Because frankly the thought of you and Liz breaking up for good is a real fucking mood killer.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” I glanced at the annoyed look on his face. I sighed to myself and shook my head, “Was just asking, man, don’t have to act like I was being a douche.”
“No, sorry, that’s not what it was at all… just… not tonight.” He clapped his hand on my back and pointed at the bar, “Let’s take a shot and call it a night huh? I have a pretty good feeling Zack’s going to come in here with some downing news of his own.”
Without another word I hazily watched Brian order us all a round of Jaeger shots and the bartender began to pour them.
“So that was the warden.” Zack was suddenly beside me, tucking his phone back in his pocket with a well timed eye roll, “Apparently Liddys been throwing up for over an hour, Jacky needs a little sanity time and I’m totally sober enough to handle that.” He ran his hand over his face and chuckled as Brian handed him the first shot with a smirk.
“One last before we go.”
“Here’s to two more fuckin babies.” Zack laughed as I raised my shot glass up.
“Wait, two?” Jimmy asked and leaned in as we all took our shots, “You’re having twins?”
“Uh… no.” Zack pushed the shot down, “I meant me and Jacky’s, then Liz and Matt’s.”
I felt my head spin and the room fell nearly completely silent, “What?” I felt the liquid race back up my throat.
“I mean Liz’s like, I just lumped her in with you out of habit.” Zack instantly paled and shook his head, “I Uhm-“
“Let’s go.” I slammed a wad of cash down on the bar and made my way for the door, barely making it outside before my stomach churned and I could feel my face growing hot.
“Woah woah there,” Brian grabbed me before I stumbled in to the street, “Come on, let’s get you home.”
“My fuckin kid?!” I turned, shaking his hands off my shoulders, “That douche bag is hurting my fucking wife and my kid?!”
“Matt he’s not hurting anyone,” Zack grabbed his phone and ordered us a car, “They argue like any of us.”
“But, that’s my kid? My kid that I’m fucking leaving him to raise?!” I kept pushing away Jimmy and Brian’s offers to steady me, “This is fucked, why? Why is this happening tonight?!”
“Matt you’re hammered, come on let’s get home and sober up before we talk about this.” Jimmy gently smacked the side of my face and held me still, “Come on man. Fucking stop.”
I felt the tears on my face finally and nodded, wiping them furiously as the car Zack had called for us pulled up beside us, “Load in lets get emotional Emma home before the cops get called.” Brian shoved me towards the car.
.:.:.:.:.:.
“Oh for the love of fuck.” I sat up in bed and groaned, feeling my head throbbing with each breath I took. Last nights events whirled through my skull, bashing off my bones and crashing directly in to the foresight of my mind. My eyes blurred so far that I couldn’t see my feet at the end of the couch, my heart sunk so far it felt like it was pulling my throat down to my ass.
I looked down at my blinking phone and slapped my forehead. I had called Liz seventeen times last night and I could only imagine the messages I left. I left it laying beside my leg and rested my head back on the sofa cushion, hearing a soft noise coming from the kitchen. Fuck.
“Well someone’s awake finally.”
I looked up and sighed, “I’ve never been more relieved to see your face in my life.”
Michelle walked from the kitchen to the couch and handed me a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen, “Yeah Brian decided to crash here last night so I figured I’d come nurse both your dumb asses back to the state you consider normal.” She pointed to the stairs, “He made it to the tub.”
“Oh cool.” I nodded and sat up carefully as Michelle watched my every move, “When did you get here? And how-“
“I got here in the middle of phone call fifteen, and I broke in through the back sliding door. Your locks suck, well actually it wasn’t even locked so there’s that… but Liz obviously hadn’t picked up, and you left three voicemails while I was here and let’s just say you sounded worse than a middle school girl being dumped.”
“Well that’s how I feel so. There’s that.” I mocked her and groaned, “Was Zack right? Did he tell you what he said-“
“That it’s your baby? No, but I know that’s what everyone’s thinking. And by everyone I mean everyone, except me. I don’t know. I’m rooting for it not being yours solely for the fact I want her free of your indecisive bullshit already. But from the looks of the last ultrasound and the date they’re telling Liz she conceived him adds up to you being the unlucky fuck.”
“Great.” I looked at the time, they were well on their way to the Alps right now so a phone call to explain was useless, “What do I do now, Mich? I’m even more of a fucking train wreck.”
“Well, that’s all up to you.” She sat on the arm of the lounge chair across the room and crossed her arms over her chest, “You only have a few months to decide if you want to make it a big deal or not, and then it’s kind of just a bigger more confusing mess.”
“Yeah… fuck.”
“Tell me about it, you’re not the one who has to listen to her. Her mother’s still in rehab and now she’s dealing with a divorce and a baby on top of that. A little bit of stress for her, don’t flatter yourself about being upset.” Michelle looked at her watch, “Id better go make sure he’s still breathing. If you’re up for it I’ll make breakfast when I come back down.”
“Do whatever you want, I’m going to go drink myself in to a morning coma.” I waved her off and stood up, heading for my room and my under bed stash of Jack.