After the echo

Bane finding her

It’s my 23rd birthday, and I’m alone and drunk at this shitty bar with cheap whiskey. I’ve only done this to myself. No one’s ever wanted to stick around except for her. And I even ended up f*****g that up too. With that thought, I order another whiskey, throwing that back, and head home. My phone’s buzzing in my pocket. It’s probably Arthur about the college party or Lucas sending me wedding updates. I don’t get why he wants me of all people to be his best man when he’s marrying the girl I’ve done nothing but ruin. She used to be in love with me. I was her person. But I let myself ruin that, just like I ruin everything. I was a top student, a great football player who could’ve gone pro. But I failed. I had to drop out to help my mom. She’s got problems, lots of them, but the biggest is her drug use. I got us a place, and Danny’s machine shop is just down the street. Things were going well and then she left with some man and hasn’t been heard from in three years.

As I turn the corner to my apartment, I see Arthur sitting on my steps. His clean dress pants and white button-up shirt contrast starkly with the peeling white paint of my stairs. His red hair is pulled up into a messy bun like he didn’t have time to fix it properly. I quicken my step. “Hey man, I brought a couple things. Care if I hang out?” he asks, holding up a 12-pack of beer and a chocolate cupcake. “Yeah, come in,” I reply with a smile. We head upstairs, I skip every other step, kind of excited that someone remembered my birthday. When we get inside, I rush to the kitchen and grab a few bottles from the fridge. I open the cabinet with my favorite shot glasses. I sit next to him on the couch and hand him the red one, keeping the blue one for myself, the one Ophelia gave me for my 18th birthday. Not that I’d ever admit that, not now that she’s getting married.

“Bane, you good?” Arthur asks, waving a hand in front of my face. “Sorry. Long day. Ready for our first drink?” I say, pouring us two shots. “f**k yeah! We’re not stopping till morning.” Oh f**k. When Arthur drinks, he gets either sappy or horny. Neither is a good thing. Last time he said that, we ended up sleeping together. That was the first and last time. “Maybe we stop when we finish this bottle,” I suggest. “We’ll go from there.” We still ended up drinking all night. Arthur even called one of his friends to bring more alcohol, thank God for more whiskey.

In the morning, I wake up to the smell of bacon and sausage. I rush to get dressed. Arthur’s cooking, which means the food’s gonna be good. “What are you cooking? It woke me up. Looks like you’re in a good mood this morning, after all that drinking,” I say as I turn to grab the orange juice. Just then, I see his friend scrambling to cover himself in the living room. “Oh. Don’t answer that,” I laugh. I grab a plate and pile on everything he made. “Thanks for the food, but I gotta get going. Dan called, said they’ve got a car that needs fixing. Just make sure you lock up before you leave,” I yell to Arthur on my way out.

When I pull up to Danny’s, I freeze in the middle of the street. There’s no way. That’s her car. Out of all the fancy mechanics she could’ve gone to, twenty at least, she picks this rundown shop on the other side of town from her mansion? I rush inside, and there she is, sitting in the office in her designer clothes. Of course she’s wearing those f*****g red-bottom shoes. I jump when a hand lands on my shoulder. Turning, I see Dan with a big smile. “My niece came in. The s**t guy on the other side of town’s been overcharging her and messing stuff up. I expect you to give her the best service possible.” I stiffen. Niece? I never knew they were related. f**k. How could this day get any worse?

I head to the office to grab the reports for the cars I’m working on, trying not to look at her. But the scent of her vanilla perfume hits me the moment I open the door. She bites her pouty lip, smiling at her phone. Her bright blue eyes flick up at me with a flicker of sadness. Then it’s gone. “I’ll have your car done in an hour, two at most, depending on what I find,” I say gruffly. As I turn to leave, I hear her mutter, “Thanks, Bane. I appreciate you getting this done quickly.” “It’s my job,” I snap back, shutting the door behind me.

I lose myself in the work, and before I know it, an hour and a half has passed. When I head back to the office, I hear her sweet giggles from outside the door. I pause, just listening, then open the door and hand her the keys. She reaches into her purse for her card. “Your uncle said it’s on him today.” “But he told me he couldn’t cover this one, said there was too much to get done. Please, here’s my card.” She tilts her head, offering it to me. I set the card on the table and walk out without another word.

Why does she always question everything? It would be so much easier if she just took the damn gift without complaining. It would be easier to do something nice for her. I keep hearing her giggle loop through my head.