Fading Out (COMPLETED)

Chapter seventeen

I put on my tight black jeans, the ones with the rip on my thigh and my black leather belt with the big silver Jack buckle. I pull on my black cowboy boots to remind my brother of better times and I throw on a stretched and faded Killers shirt. I mess my hair and tuck my work shirt in my back pocket, throwing on my leather jacket I go to wait in the kitchen for my ride.
Izzy's already here, she's finishing down a glass of soda water but by the shine of her eyes it was spiked with something stronger.
"God, how do you move so quietly?" Iz gasps caught out.
"It's a skill honed from many years of trying not to be noticed, sometimes you really need the bathroom even though there is a rampaging asshole looking for a fight on the other side of your door" I shrug and grab a beer from the fridge.
I offer it to Iz before opening it and she shakes her head. I twist the lid and toss it in the sink leaning back against the counter.
"How was class?" Iz asks with a shaking voice and nervous hands.
"Good, learned how to fuck an extremely pregnant woman. Might come in handy one day" I answer gruffly.
"What?" She asks again shocked this time.
"It was sex Ed day today, watched porn and everything"
"You're making that up" Iz giggles and I swallow down a large gulp of beer.
"If you say so" I shrug.
"Cole about last night.... I want to apologise. I'm sorry for hitting you, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'll never reach my limit on trying to get you back, I'm frustrated and I miss you. I hate seeing you like this. I'm sorry for staying with you, I knew you wouldn't want me to but right then you didn't hate me. You let me help you, it kinda felt like I was getting you back"
"I don't know what you want from me Isabel, this is me. This is who you made me" I finish my beer and drop it in the trash.
"How? I can't fix this if I don't know, let me fix us" she begs holding onto my arm.
"There's nothing to fix" I shrug her off and go to wait out by the car.

"Bro I wouldn't stand out in the middle of the yard, it's open season and you're target number one" Coop strolls out behind me with a huge grin on his face.
How can he be happy right now?
"Why's that?" I grumble.
"Big Man just got a demonstration of your exceptional relaxation techniques. If that wasn't bad enough his little sister just called for dating tips, his married little sister" he laughs and throws an arm around my shoulders. "I thought we were over this suicidal stuff?" He jokes.
Really? My attempts to end my pathetic life are funny?
"Jess is dating again?" Iz asks shocked.
"It appears so" Coop slaps the side of my head playfully.
"It's not a date" I grumble.
"You're taking Jess out?" Iz screeches.
"Is that a problem? She's alone in that house all the time with Jaxon, I offered to take them out and celebrate Valentine's Day to take the focus off our doomed relationship statuses. Some might even say I'm being nice" I grumble moving the seat forward so Iz can climb in the back of the mustang.
I gesture for her to precede me and she watches me as she does so with a frown. I hate that I need to explain myself, there was a time when I thought this woman knew the man I was.
"Doesn't hurt that she a total babe right? I see the way you watch her ass" Cooper chuckles.
"You have? Wasn't sure you could see anything other than her ass when she's around" I mutter back.
"Don't know what you're talking about bro" Coop clears his throat and reverses out the drive.
Iz snorts in the backseat and it sounds like she's hurt. Cooper doesn't pacify her this time. Maybe they're in more trouble than I thought. Okay I'm starting to feel bad, it must be the fact I haven't got high yet today. I plan to change that within the hour and that must be what has me feeling anxious.

We pull up at the bar and I don't wait around, I don't move my seat or offer my hand to my...Coopers girl. The band is already going to be pissed they had to do sound check without me.
"Cole don't forget, my office, ten minutes" Coop calls out.
I give him a thumbs up without looking back, would he bring me all the way down here to fire my ass? Maybe it's a band thing and he wanted to fire all of us together?
"What's up A-Ron?" I ask the new bar man who stands at the bar watching Jewel with interest.
His name is Aaron but I like A-Ron better.
"Tell me you've hit that, those pants are so fucking tight" he slaps my shoulder licking his lips.
"Yeah they are, and no I haven't. We keep it semi professional, by which I mean we flirt and she will sometimes grind on me onstage. Once I thought she was going for left cheek but she was going right and she ended up kissing my mouth. It was kinda hot but awkward too" I overshare while pouring two beers.
"Where's the boss? He hasn't given me my jobs for the night" he asks like an ass kisser.
"You don't need to be told man, you see a customer waiting for a drink and you get them one" I roll my eyes and take the beers with me over to the stage.
"About time dude, I went ahead and set you up. You're good to go" Jewel tells me popping her hip.
"Thanks babe" I blow her a kiss. "Boss wants to spank me, did I do anything last week I should be concerned about? You guys didn't leave the green room trashed again did you?" I ask
"No but you might've, you were smoking back there till after we left" Dude tells me.
"Shit, oh well wish me luck" I groan and go face the music.