Song is "Over my Head" by the Fray. Speaks perfectly for what Bass is going through at the moment.

The horn finally quit roaring once I pulled onto the parking lot of Johnny's Market. For it being a Saturday evening, it was relatively quiet. I only counted one other car, parked on the far side of the small brick building.

The rain stopped, and the sun decided to show itself for the first time today. Just in time for sunset. I jumped from the cab of my truck and landed right in a puddle that sent the watery muck splashing up my bare legs. Fitting for how my day was already going.

The not-so-subtle high pitched ding dong of the chime when the door opened startled me. Did it make that noise the last time I was here? It was only a week ago, but still. My head hung low as I passed a row of hard liquor and wrapped my hand around a bottle of Jack. Cold to the touch, the same as the rest of the store.

Johnny kept the place like an icebox on purpose and was one of the main reasons everyone shopped here. Well, that and he didn't card anyone he liked. Fortunately, I was a member of that very small club.

I made my way to the rear of the store and grabbed a case of twenty-four beers. The door chimed and I rushed to the counter to pay. There was no way I could risk anyone seeing me here tonight. I set the alcohol besides the register, along with the added two packs of gum I found on a nearby display.

A guy, maybe a few years older than me, stepped from the back room. He peered at me with his brows raised to challenge. "I think you're a little young for that." He pulled the case of beer toward him but left the gum.

I was not in the mood for all this. My eyes zeroed on his name tag. "Greg, is it?" I asked while yanking the money from my wallet and plopping it on the counter to pay for the beer and the gum.

"Yeah," he answered snidely. Greg could have done without crossing his arms to appear intimidating. I was a good foot taller and had at least a fifty pounds on him. Albeit mine was all muscle. But I didn't think that mattered much to Greg.

My fingers pressed onto the counter as I leaned forward to see for myself. "Is Johnny around?"

"No. He left early—"

Greg was cut off by Johnny limping from the back room. Probably after sitting on his usual stool in front of the security cameras that he manned all day long. "Sebastian?" Johnny patted his bald head a few times and huffed. "Now where are my damn glasses?"

Greg tugged the eyeglass holder strung around the older man's neck. "Here you go, Uncle Johnny."

"Thank you, Greg." Johnny beamed and let his smile fall. "Now run along. I need to talk to Sebastian. Alone."

"But, Uncle Johnny," Greg said as Johnny shooed him away with his hand.

"Go on, boy." Johnny paused and leaned close to his nephew. "I told you. Now go. I can close up the shop tonight."

Greg glared right at me before untying his apron and throwing it on the chair behind him.

Johnny waved at Greg's retreating form. "Goodbye. Goodbye." He waited until we heard the door slam before adding, "Good riddance! What is it with you kids today? You all think you're smarter than us old timers. But yet."

I forced a smile to remain pleasant, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. Johnny scooted the beer across the surface and set the gum on top.

"I guess this is to celebrate your big win today?" His dark eyes peered at me over the rim of his glasses. This was a test. An ornery old man, if Johnny knew about the accident, he wasn't letting on to it so far. Best to keep the ruse going if I wanted to walk out of here with more than a couple of lousy packs of gum.

"Yeah. Sure." I played it off with a one shoulder shrug.

"What a game that was today," Johnny added while I pocketed the gum and clutched the beer by the cardboard handle on top.

It was a great game. One that I probably should have been proud of playing in for the rest of my life. Instead, today would rank as one of the two worst days of my life.

I raised my purchase and said, "Thanks, Johnny." It was best to leave before he wanted to have any further discussions. Like asking about Kyle.

Johnny smiled. "Anytime, Sebastian. Just stay out of trouble."

"I will," I said, hoping that no other trouble found me. Especially tonight.

Wanting to heed Johnny's advice, I drove Bert to the outskirts of town, up the gravel road and stayed to the left to avoid trespassing on the Tyson's farm. At the end of the road sat an old covered bridge where most of us kids from high school would come and hang out on the weekends if there wasn't a party happening once it was a little warmer.

It was either there or go home.

That would have been the smarter option. Only there was no way I could face the reality of everything tonight. Tonight I wanted to forget everything.

And everyone.

After parking the car, I set the case of beer on the hood and grabbed a can. A quick popping of the tab and I was guzzling the first one without even pausing to take a breath. I smashed the first can.

And the second. Third. Fouth...

I kept pounding the beers down. By the time I lost count and couldn't focus on the cans littering around my feet, I could barely stand upright. Let alone walk without tripping.

Now thinking was an entirely different story. My entire rationalization for coming here and getting absolutely shit-faced inebriated was not to think. Only my mind wouldn't stop.

Kyle. His parents. Shelby.

Kyle was the only person that ever called me on my bullshit. He was a real friend. My best friend. The only other close friend I had ever had was Dylan and I screwed him over a while ago.

Since then, Dylan had a habit of making his opinion known that I was a show-off on numerous occasions. Just to piss me off.

Okay, maybe he was right. I did, sometimes, have a tendency to brag just a little.

And how I had made it a habit of putting everyone else down. Okay, maybe he was right again.

But what did it, what drove the wedge between our once triangle friendship that he, Kyle and I once shared was once I dated his older sister, Cara behind his back.

She was cute, and I somewhat liked her, and it was stupid—while short-lived. Yes, she ended up getting hurt, and I'd crossed a line. And here we were two years later, with Dylan still holding a grudge. Although, my never apologizing for everything probably didn't help matters.

Did I ever love Cara?

No. Not even close.

But I cared about her, just not enough.

For as long as I could remember, once I got past that whole "cooties phase" with girls, there had only been one girl. And she just so happened to be my best friend, Kyle's twin sister. Only Cara was part of the reason I never said or did anything in regards to Shelby.

I never wanted to lose another friend over a girl—ever again.

Now I'd lost my best friend and the girl.

Another car driving underneath the covered bridge pulled me from my inner contemplation and had me reacting. I kicked the empty, smashed cans. Enough that they would stay obscured by the oversized tires on my truck. The last thing I needed was for a cop to catch me up here, drinking, alone.

With my back turned toward whoever walked toward me, I quickly unwrapped two pieces of gum and started frantically chewing. There were probably a few other things I need to do to at this very moment, only every thought, every movement; I made was delayed.

All of my worrying was for naught though. I groaned to myself as Lindsay Matthews leaned against the bumper of the Beast and forced a sigh to make sure I took notice. She waited a few moments, and when I didn't acknowledge her, she began softly sobbing.

My eyes remained focused on the river. Branches and downed trees from this afternoon's storms meandered through the water, with most crashing into the side of the Tyson's sawmill.

She cleared her throat after she reined back the tears. "Are you okay?"

Even though I was drunk, I still cut my eyes to her and glared. "Just peachy." What the hell was she thinking? When she didn't understand my intent of her not being here with me, I added, "What are you doing here, Lindsay?"

Okay, even to me it sounded a bit slurred and garbled. And cruel. Why couldn't she just leave?

Instead, she scooted closer, leaning her head against my arm. Maybe I should just move? But if I did and she fell or got hurt somehow, the fault would have been mine.

"I  thought I'd find you here." She brushed a few tears away from her cheeks and gave me a sad smile. "I don't want to be alone right now."

I chuckled, and she must have assumed I intended it as an invitation. Nothing could have been further from the truth. All I wanted was for Lindsay to make an about face and leave me and my remaining ten or so beers alone.That way I could have finished what I attempted to do, which was forgetting.

Lindsay being here meant she wanted to talk. About Kyle. And seeing as she and he had broken up over a week ago, due to her cheating on him with his sister's boyfriend, I figured she lost that right to talk about him. To care about him. To even mention his name.

Not now. Not here.Not tonight.

"Look. I get that you're upset and you want to talk to someone about what happened. But the last thing I want to do is talk, okay?"

The words hadn't even left my mouth, and Lindsay positioned herself before me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Who said we have to talk?" she asked before crashing her lips onto mine.

-_______________________________________

Damn it Lindsay!!! Ugh.

Please remember to comment and vote and let me know what you think of Bass's story so far. I promise it will get back to good old Bass here in a few chapters but all of this was a story needing telling.

Also I'd love it if you would check out our other book: The Blood Reader, and let us know what you think!!!

See you next week. XOXO