Ship Me Off [Completed]

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: [E]ven After All This Time?

How do you look at the person you love and tell yourself it’s time to walk away?

-         - Leo, The Vow

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: [E]ven After All This Time?

 

Stephen Ludwig Goldbugen’s P.O.V.

I woke up with a massive headache and a blurry memory of last night. I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes hoping to get the drowsiness away. When I looked around, I just realized that I wasn’t in my room. I was in Addy’s apartment. 

My pants and shirt were on the floor which was weird because I didn’t remember taking them off. I was about to get off the sofa when I realized that under the sheets I was in my birthday suit. How the hell did that happen?

As quickly as I could, I hurried back to my pants and put back my shirt on. I took in deep breaths hoping I could remember something from last night. “Okay, Stephen, relax. You can do this. You just need to remember…”

I tried looking for Addy hoping she was here but she wasn’t. The apartment was empty. There was no trace of her which made it more frustrating. I sat back on the sofa and rubbed my head in frustration. Closing my eyes, I rifled through my brain for answers.

The last thing I remembered was that I was with Zeke and Kalb in some local bar. Okay, no problem there. I could still remember that clearly. I remembered Zeke offering me some drink and I took it without hesitation. I may have drunk a lot more than I normally do because I was pretty sure Zeke was trying to make me stop. That memory was still crystal clear. But after that, well, let’s just say it made my head ache to even remember.

I took in another deep breath and ran my hands through my hair. Then I remembered. I had a fight with Diana over the phone. It was one of those irrelevant fights where I never win. I may have pissed her off at some point because I shut my phone off for the rest of the night.

Then everything went surging in all at once. I remembered going out and found myself wanting to talk to Addy. I remembered being mugged by a bunch of high school guys and by some odd luck they stopped. I didn’t know how that happened to be honest but I was glad they went off.

I remembered someone dragging me out the alley and entering this apartment. Addy was here with me last night. I was sure of it. She stared at me with concern as she tried to wipe off the blood of my face. And I wanted to kiss her so bad. The soft gentle kisses were still fresh in my memory. And maybe it happened. Maybe it didn’t. I didn’t know but I felt some kind of connection between us and then…here I was, alone in her apartment. Great. Just great.

I reached down for my phone and turned it on. I scrolled down the messages and noticed most of them were from Diana.

Please pick up your phone.

Stephen where the hell are you?

Don’t you dare shut yourself on me.

And it goes on and on. You get the idea. It looked like I had some explaining to do. I sighed at that thought. Before I went out Addy’s apartment, I picked up a pen and a piece of paper to leave a note.