what.” A patron, a regular, sat down at the bar, shrugging out of his coat. “Get me a Bud, Miles, would you?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, standing on my tiptoes and trying to see over the heads of the curious customers.
“Can’t even walk down the street these days without somebody going for your goddam throat. Fuck that.”
Miles handed the man a beer, his calm voice breaking in. “Now, Joe, what the heck are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, when I walked in, some guy was lying on the ground next to some fancy car.”
“A guy?” My voice sounded hollow in my ears as I stopped trying to look out the window, staring at the patron in what probably looked like desperation. “Oh my God... What did he look like?”
“Bloody.” Joe laughed half-heartedly, taking a hearty swig of his beer. “Probably some hoodlum wanted that fancy car or something. Damn kids. I don’t feel safe walking in my own city, anymore. Back in the day...”
Joe’s conversation faded from my attention. A fancy car? Surely there were plenty of those around in the city. But right outside the bar? My heart sunk into my stomach. I reached into my pocket and rubbed the paper Mason had given me just minutes before, which held the words I had wanted to hear from someone for so long. Mason, where the hell are you now? I wondered. I hadn’t seen where he had come in, or where he had left.
I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my phone, staring at the screen. Nothing from Mason. My heart sank further into my stomach. One missed texted from a number I didn’t recognize.
Jake is mine, not yours. Tell him to get his fucking ass back home.
Jake wasn’t with me. Why would whomever this is think he was with me? I tapped on my phone, contemplating whether to call Mason and then decided against it. He could take care of himself. I was sure he was fine.
Mason
The world was red. I blinked a couple times, forcing my heavy eyes open. A bright light overcame my gaze, driving out the red with pain.
Ringing sirens pervaded the background of my thoughts. I felt whatever I was laying on give a jolt, and heard a following honk from what was presumably a vehicle outside.
“Mr. Asher? You hear me? How are you feeling, Mr. Asher? Can you talk?”
The voice was loud, speaking to me like I was a child. My eyes darted around the little space as a bright light flashed in my eyes. I could feel the pressure of someone’s hands on my face, in my eyes, pulling my eyelids open.
The strong light moved away from my gaze and was instead replaced with the face of a young man in an EMT uniform.
I tried moving my tongue, tasting iron from what must have been blood. I could feel the color around my neck and my head strapped to down. I wanted to move. I wanted to get up, but couldn’t.
“Sir, try not move. We need to assess your injuries.” The young voice barked orders at another EMT sitting out of my view.
I could feel adrenaline seeping through my chest. I remembered Lucky’s, that stinky bar that I had walked into just moments before going out toward my car in the fading light. Then pain. Lots of pain. That piece of shit. Jake. Fucking coward. Jake had done this to me. I didn’t know how I knew, but I just did. I tried to get up, the IV in my arm pinching at the skin but everything was strapped down.
“No, don’t move, it’s okay,” another voice broke in, and two strong hands forced my shoulders back. “Is there someone we can call? Do you have someone we can call for you?”
I closed my eyes, trying to keep the small room from spinning.
“We’re going to the hospital, sir. Anyone we can call for you to get some information?”
Harper . No, I remembered, Harper didn’t want me anymore. She didn’t love me. She wouldn’t even care that I was here. I had spoken to Harper just minutes before walking out to my car. I couldn’t forget the look on her face as she had told me to leave her alone, after I had apologized. My mind
“What do you mean?” I asked, standing on my tiptoes and trying to see over the heads of the curious customers.
“Can’t even walk down the street these days without somebody going for your goddam throat. Fuck that.”
Miles handed the man a beer, his calm voice breaking in. “Now, Joe, what the heck are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, when I walked in, some guy was lying on the ground next to some fancy car.”
“A guy?” My voice sounded hollow in my ears as I stopped trying to look out the window, staring at the patron in what probably looked like desperation. “Oh my God... What did he look like?”
“Bloody.” Joe laughed half-heartedly, taking a hearty swig of his beer. “Probably some hoodlum wanted that fancy car or something. Damn kids. I don’t feel safe walking in my own city, anymore. Back in the day...”
Joe’s conversation faded from my attention. A fancy car? Surely there were plenty of those around in the city. But right outside the bar? My heart sunk into my stomach. I reached into my pocket and rubbed the paper Mason had given me just minutes before, which held the words I had wanted to hear from someone for so long. Mason, where the hell are you now? I wondered. I hadn’t seen where he had come in, or where he had left.
I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my phone, staring at the screen. Nothing from Mason. My heart sank further into my stomach. One missed texted from a number I didn’t recognize.
Jake is mine, not yours. Tell him to get his fucking ass back home.
Jake wasn’t with me. Why would whomever this is think he was with me? I tapped on my phone, contemplating whether to call Mason and then decided against it. He could take care of himself. I was sure he was fine.
Mason
The world was red. I blinked a couple times, forcing my heavy eyes open. A bright light overcame my gaze, driving out the red with pain.
Ringing sirens pervaded the background of my thoughts. I felt whatever I was laying on give a jolt, and heard a following honk from what was presumably a vehicle outside.
“Mr. Asher? You hear me? How are you feeling, Mr. Asher? Can you talk?”
The voice was loud, speaking to me like I was a child. My eyes darted around the little space as a bright light flashed in my eyes. I could feel the pressure of someone’s hands on my face, in my eyes, pulling my eyelids open.
The strong light moved away from my gaze and was instead replaced with the face of a young man in an EMT uniform.
I tried moving my tongue, tasting iron from what must have been blood. I could feel the color around my neck and my head strapped to down. I wanted to move. I wanted to get up, but couldn’t.
“Sir, try not move. We need to assess your injuries.” The young voice barked orders at another EMT sitting out of my view.
I could feel adrenaline seeping through my chest. I remembered Lucky’s, that stinky bar that I had walked into just moments before going out toward my car in the fading light. Then pain. Lots of pain. That piece of shit. Jake. Fucking coward. Jake had done this to me. I didn’t know how I knew, but I just did. I tried to get up, the IV in my arm pinching at the skin but everything was strapped down.
“No, don’t move, it’s okay,” another voice broke in, and two strong hands forced my shoulders back. “Is there someone we can call? Do you have someone we can call for you?”
I closed my eyes, trying to keep the small room from spinning.
“We’re going to the hospital, sir. Anyone we can call for you to get some information?”
Harper . No, I remembered, Harper didn’t want me anymore. She didn’t love me. She wouldn’t even care that I was here. I had spoken to Harper just minutes before walking out to my car. I couldn’t forget the look on her face as she had told me to leave her alone, after I had apologized. My mind
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