sacrificed a place to live, just so I could finish school and find a job that would make it so that I never had to wonder what I was going to eat again. Never not have somewhere to go again. Never have to depend on anyone for anything ever again. You're saying I can't ever go back? That all that time and money spent was...for nothing?"
Oh, no... What had I done? I hadn't just put her in danger, no. No this was way worse. I'd ruined her life. She was right. She could never go back, never transfer to another college with her same name which meant she couldn't transfer her credits. She had to become someone else. He'd find her. All because he'd use her to get to me. All because of me...
"Oh, God...Marley. I'm so sorry."
"Jude," she pleaded, "please don't say that I can't finish school."
"You can't. I'm sorry. I'm more sorry than you'll ever know." I turned with a laugh that was anything but humorous. "See, this is why I don't do people. I can't. They get hurt, they're ruined, life shattered, they die because of me. If you had never met me, you wouldn't be in this mess right now. You could keep on doing what you were doing, finish school, and never have known anything but your life."
"No," she argued. I didn't turn. "It's not your fault that he's doing this."
"It pretty much is." I looked over my shoulder. "I'm sorry just doesn't quite cover it, but I am sorry."
I stepped into my boots, not even tying them, and went for the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked, panic coating her words.
"Out," I bit out. I knew I was being a jerk, but I needed to get away from her. She was causing me aches and pains in my guts at knowing what I'd done to her, and I wasn't used to caring about…anything. "Stay in the room and lock the door."
"Jude," she protested. "Come on-"
"Stay in the room," I repeated before slamming the door. I waited right there, listening, for her to bolt the latch. When I heard it, I headed downstairs to the bar I'd seen on the way in.
Yep. It was about to be a cliché night all the way around. I was going to get drunker than drunk because I couldn't handle what she was telling me. It was stupid. I was stupid.
I was heartbroken for her, heartbroken that she'd ever had to cross my path.
x
"Another," I ordered and didn't give a care about the slur. He gave me a look. The look that meant, You're about to get cut off, buddy . "Another," I said, harder.
He rolled his eyes and poured the amber liquid into my glass. The bar was a dive of the best kind. Dirty, cheap booze, and nobody cared about what anyone else was doing but themselves. Except the female currently raking my hair. I looked over at her. I hadn't said one word to her, but here she sat, trying to see if she could get lucky with me tonight.
If I wanted to send Marley for the hills, that would be one darn good way to do it.
I shook her hand off and downed my last shot. I felt raw in my insides, but the alcohol was helping the pain in my shoulder. That was a plus. The jukebox was playing country something or other. There was a girl dancing on the bar with short jeans shorts and cowboy boots, like Marley's. A vision of Marley up there doing that dance...
No.
I turned to nameless-girl and smiled. "Hey, darlin'." She beamed. "What are you doing in a place like this?"
"Looking for you, sugar," she said, sweet as saccharin. Her eyes wandered my scar
Oh, no... What had I done? I hadn't just put her in danger, no. No this was way worse. I'd ruined her life. She was right. She could never go back, never transfer to another college with her same name which meant she couldn't transfer her credits. She had to become someone else. He'd find her. All because he'd use her to get to me. All because of me...
"Oh, God...Marley. I'm so sorry."
"Jude," she pleaded, "please don't say that I can't finish school."
"You can't. I'm sorry. I'm more sorry than you'll ever know." I turned with a laugh that was anything but humorous. "See, this is why I don't do people. I can't. They get hurt, they're ruined, life shattered, they die because of me. If you had never met me, you wouldn't be in this mess right now. You could keep on doing what you were doing, finish school, and never have known anything but your life."
"No," she argued. I didn't turn. "It's not your fault that he's doing this."
"It pretty much is." I looked over my shoulder. "I'm sorry just doesn't quite cover it, but I am sorry."
I stepped into my boots, not even tying them, and went for the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked, panic coating her words.
"Out," I bit out. I knew I was being a jerk, but I needed to get away from her. She was causing me aches and pains in my guts at knowing what I'd done to her, and I wasn't used to caring about…anything. "Stay in the room and lock the door."
"Jude," she protested. "Come on-"
"Stay in the room," I repeated before slamming the door. I waited right there, listening, for her to bolt the latch. When I heard it, I headed downstairs to the bar I'd seen on the way in.
Yep. It was about to be a cliché night all the way around. I was going to get drunker than drunk because I couldn't handle what she was telling me. It was stupid. I was stupid.
I was heartbroken for her, heartbroken that she'd ever had to cross my path.
x
"Another," I ordered and didn't give a care about the slur. He gave me a look. The look that meant, You're about to get cut off, buddy . "Another," I said, harder.
He rolled his eyes and poured the amber liquid into my glass. The bar was a dive of the best kind. Dirty, cheap booze, and nobody cared about what anyone else was doing but themselves. Except the female currently raking my hair. I looked over at her. I hadn't said one word to her, but here she sat, trying to see if she could get lucky with me tonight.
If I wanted to send Marley for the hills, that would be one darn good way to do it.
I shook her hand off and downed my last shot. I felt raw in my insides, but the alcohol was helping the pain in my shoulder. That was a plus. The jukebox was playing country something or other. There was a girl dancing on the bar with short jeans shorts and cowboy boots, like Marley's. A vision of Marley up there doing that dance...
No.
I turned to nameless-girl and smiled. "Hey, darlin'." She beamed. "What are you doing in a place like this?"
"Looking for you, sugar," she said, sweet as saccharin. Her eyes wandered my scar
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