Falling Capricorn (14 page)

“Yes, so loud that I can’t hear myself think!” Christen yelled over the music before sighing. A nightclub wasn’t the place she wanted to be; but, it was what it was. Kat frowned at Christen’s reply. Suddenly, their favorite song came on. Kat pulled Christen to the center of the dance floor.

“Let’s dance, it’s our song!” Kat exclaimed in excitement, breaking into full out dance. Christen smiled slightly at her friend. She did not know how to dance by far, but that wasn’t stopping Kat. Christen swayed halfheartedly to please her friend. Kat was making her own little scene. It didn’t take long for some attracted men to cut into their little party. They both accepted, but since Christen was so not into the whole dancing scene, she only lasted one dance before heading to the bar.

She sat at the bar stool, looking down at the ring. She played with it for a moment, wishing that Joey was there next to her. She would feel like dancing if Joey had appeared next to her and asked to dance, but she knew that would not be happening anytime soon. To drown that thought out her head, she looked up as the bartender asked her if he could get her anything.

“Why yes, actually,” she ordered a drink, and it began. She had drink after drink, chatting and dancing with Kat here and there with a new found happiness, at first. It wore out and fell shallow rather quickly, which prompted her to continue drinking just to regain the fleeting happiness which slipped out of her reach, again.

“I’d like another...” Christen slurred but a woman’s voice interrupted her.

“She’ll take a water,” the woman’s voice rang like a bell. Christen turned to see a woman who was muscular and standing tall with pride. The bartender nodded to the woman and fetched her a bottle of water. Christen just sat there, staring at the ground as the woman took a seat next to her. “So what’s your name?” the woman asked to try and break the ice. Christen didn’t really reply. She just looked at her with a sigh. “Look, my name is Ruby. See, it’s not too hard to say your name.”

“It’s Christen,” she sighed giving into the woman’s request.

“Hello Christen. Now, I couldn’t help but notice a beautiful woman over here drowning herself in alcohol. Do you want to talk about it?” Ruby asked her. Christen was never one to just randomly tell people her life story. Nor was she one to mourn with strangers, either. Despite her normal tendencies, however, the alcohol had gotten to her. She found herself suddenly blubbering to this stranger.

“…And now everyone says he is out of my reach, but how can that be when I feel him everywhere. He is so close to me I can taste him,” Christen cried. Her hands covered her face to hide her crying, but Ruby moved her hands away from her face.

“There is no use in hiding your tears, just let them flow. It sounds to me that you still are attached to him, and perhaps, he is still attached to you. I’m not sure how much of this story is centered in mythology, or what to believe, but I know one thing. You are a girl in love; so, why are you hanging around here for? Why aren’t you there right now trying to retrieve the man that you love?” Ruby asked of Christen with a small smile.

Christen blinked at Ruby’s words, her tears flowing open and freely. She had never thought of approaching the situation head-on. Actually, she didn’t know much of anything at that moment except that what Ruby said seemed to make sense.

“You know what, you are absolutely right!” Christen exclaimed standing straight up before stumbling and nearly falling. Ruby caught her, and laughed loudly. She pulled her straight and brushed her off.

“Let me walk you to a taxi,” Ruby offered. Christen nodded, accepting her offer. They both walked out the door just as Kat turned to go check on Christen.

“Christen?!” Kat went automatically on panic mode. Christen was no longer at the bar. Where had she gone off to? She caught a glimpse of some woman walking out of the club with her arm around Christen’s shoulder. “What is she doing!? Where are they going!?” Kat whispered. She abruptly ran after them to catch a glimpse of Christen getting into a taxi. “Christen wait!” she called after her. Before she could get there to stop her, the taxi pulled off the curb and onto the busy road.

“Do you have any clue where that taxi was heading?” Kat asked Ruby who shrugged in reply.

“She didn’t tell me the address of the place she was going, but I did tell her to go after the man of her dreams. She seemed so heartbroken, so I asked her what she was waiting for. She said he was out of her reach. Perhaps you know the man she was speaking of?” Ruby asked Kat.

“I know exactly who you are talking about. Thank you,” she nodded to Ruby before calling her own taxi. Ruby was left alone, and she blinked a few times as she watched Kat’s taxi pull away as well.

“Whatever floats your boat, I guess,” she grumbled as she returned to the club.

Eric’s head had been pounding with Kat’s questioning since yesterday. She was so close or, perhaps, she even knew the truth. He tried to remain calm and trick her, but that didn’t work. He hoped to never have to face her like that again. It was absolutely frustrating that she had figured him out, and even out-witted him. That conversation had been full of intensity and tension that Kat herself had not been aware of.

“You should have just told her the truth, man,” Joey chided in his ear. “What would she have even done about it?” he asked him with a chuckle.

“That has nothing to do with it, okay Joey? I wouldn’t expect you to understand this anyways,” he grunted, swirling the alcohol around in his glass with an unamused frown.

“Oh! It’s mister high and mighty. How adorable,” Joey said sarcastically with a shake of his head. “How could something this little bother you to the point that you skipped work and had Roxie go in your place? This seems so unlike you, Eric,” Joey pointed out.

“Yeah, well, I haven’t been myself in a while,” he scoffed, pouring the drink down his throat.

“Well I could have told you that, man. You used to care about your friends, and you were much more intelligent than this. You never used to drown yourself in alcohol,” Joey said in a mocking tone.

“Like you are anyone to talk!” Eric snapped, slamming the glass onto the table. He picked up the potion bottle he had set next to the gradually disappearing decanter of booze. "Shut up dumb-ass! Or I'll use this whole damn thing!" he threatened. Eric calmed down as he heard the key turn in the lock. He hid the potion behind him. Roxie walked in with grocery bags. She was very tired. Despite this, she saw him at the table and walked over to him. She looked between him and the alcohol, and seemed to have to process that for a moment.

“Since when were you a closet drinker?” she asked him, standing with her weight all on one side. Eric shrugged, pouring himself another glass.

“I have never been a closet drinker. Just needed some drinks right now; got a lot on my mind,” he said with a relaxed tone, though his eyes showed that he wished to be alone. Roxie watched him carefully before she sighed.

“I understand. Well, I had a busy day, so I think I’m going to head to bed. Don’t stay up drinking too late, honey,” Roxie told him with a sweet look. She leaned down and kissed his forehead softly before heading into her bedroom. She shut the door quietly behind her.

Eric didn’t take Roxie’s smart advice. Hours later he was still sitting on the sofa, polishing off the last of the booze. He had finally been able to drink Joey’s voice away, or perhaps Joey became drunk himself? He really wasn’t sure, and didn’t think about it. He started to peacefully nod off, but a knock at the front door pulled him out of it. He got up, nearly stumbling over onto the table. He felt a bit sick, but forced himself to get up. He swayed and struggled before eventually getting to the door. He opened the door, and was caught off guard by who was there.

Chapter 9

“Christen? What are you doing here at this late of an hour?” Eric's voice slurred, rubbing his eyes. Was he seeing things now?

“I know your secret,” she whispered, pushing him through the door. Eric stared at her with confusion. Secret? Was there a secret he was keeping? It was so hard to think. He walked backwards away from her, but she kept walking toward him with a sad and tired smile.

“W-what are you talking about?” he muttered, going to tie his tie but she stopped him, pushing him back. He stumbled and hit the sofa right below the knee causing him to fall backwards. The potion bottle hit the floor and shattered. It was all going too fast. He didn’t even know what was what. His body tried to play and keep up which was nearly impossible for it to do. The voice he tried to get rid of by drinking, returned.

“There my baby is,” Joey purred. “Well this is going to get exciting fast. Can you let me take over?” No, he couldn’t do that to Roxie.

“I know Joey is there. I will reach him,” Christen whispered, sitting on the sofa. She leaned over Eric and placed a hand to his cheek. “Hello Joey,” she said softly, caressing his cheek. Eric shut his eyes tightly, taking a shallow breath. The alcohol was making his resistance to her sudden moves on him rather low. It didn’t help that calling Joey’s name just made Joey more excited.

“Let me hang with my baby Eric! You’re totally standing in the way of true love,” he snapped. True love this and true love that. Eric couldn’t take that as an excuse anymore. He shook it off with a dismissive motion in his mind, but he was so busy concentrating on fighting Joey off he didn’t get a chance to fend off Christen. She leaned down and planted her lips on his. He froze as he didn’t know if the sudden feeling of longing was from him, or from Joey. He kissed Christen back for the sensitive tingle in his lips and the deep pain he felt with in his chest. He needed to stop this or his world would come crashing down on him. He pushed Christen off him and wiped his lips.

“Christen knock this off,” he told her with a hushed voice. He did want to wake up Roxie. He knew if she were to wake up that meant he was done for. “I am not Joey. Christen let him go,” he hissed. He felt a sharp pain rush through his body as if Joey was trying to make him shut up, but he pushed on. “You’re going to destroy yourself. Don’t you see what he is doing to you? What his memory has done? When is the last time you got a full night's rest? When was the last time you truly smiled? Stop doing this to yourself, to him, to me,” he nearly begged pulling her into his arms. “Free us from this Christen, can’t you see?” Christen stumbled back. She stared at him wearily, pulling away from him.

“I…what? Why are you asking me to forget you?!” she yelped. She ignored all of Eric’s words as though he wasn’t there. “Why would you wish me to do such a thing? I would rather die than let you go,” she stated darkly. She placed a hand to her heart. She was confused even more. It was as though insanity was devouring her and pulling her deep into a hole. She was stuck and couldn’t pull herself back up. She stared at Eric with crushed and confused eyes.

“Christen don’t say things like that!” He winced as it felt like a truck was rolling over his chest, his heart so weighted down and heavy. “Never say you would die for someone. It’s like you’re building your own casket.” He shut his eyes tightly.

“Who are you to talk!?” Joey roared in his mind. Eric gripped his head since the new pressure felt like it was crushing his poor skull. “You can’t even accept Roxie’s love, can you?” The sound of Roxie’s name made him feel happy, yet sad. It created sensations of love, and yet hate within him. He couldn’t tell which one he felt. The whole situation was maddening.

“SHUT UP!” Eric yelled loudly and got up to start flailing around like he was wrestling with an invisible opponent. Christen backed up putting her hand to her mouth as if she had said nothing.

“Joey…why are you being so cruel to me!?” she asked with teary eyes. “Why do you refuse to just come back to me?” She looked down with tears streaming down her face. She didn’t know what was reality anymore. She kept backing up until she hit the door. “I don’t understand this!” she yelled at him, shaking her head side to side. She had no clue what was going on. Eric really didn’t listen to Christen now. It was a battle only for Joey and Eric, even if it would rip apart Christen in the process.

Roxie woke up from all the commotion. She headed out of bed and cracked the door just a little to get a peek outside. She watched carefully and quietly. She wondered what was going on, but really couldn’t say what was exactly true or not anymore. All she could see was that Eric was in an argument with the thin air. She placed a few fingers to her lips with a shake of her head.

“You Eric! One who keeps everyone away would not know the first thing about love and love’s pains! It was you who said that words like 'I love you', are useless and overrated, weren’t you? You don't know the first thing about the depths of love for another person because you are too worried about your damn self!!!” Joey words were like a knife stabbing Eric repeatedly in the chest.

“You are the one who knows nothing of it, you immature snot! This 'love' you keep wielding about isn't of this world anymore, not like this. For what you are doing to us all is the exact opposite of 'love', Joey! You never used to be like this! You have become selfish, and so filled in your own greed for Christen's flesh, you can’t see the difference between healing someone and hurting someone!” Eric snarled in return.

Christen shut her eyes tightly. She wanted to leave then and there, but she was frozen in fear.  She didn’t like yelling and screaming. She never did, but she was powerless to stop it. The whole battle raged from Eric.

Joey stopped to look at Christen. His eyes softened as he knew she must be terrified. “Tone it down man! Look at Christen. Look at what you are doing to her!” Joey scolded him. “Can’t you see you are destroying her right now?” he said slowly, and filled with spite. Eric looked at Christen, who had slid down the door and was now hugging her legs watching him. Her heart felt so torn, she thought it must have been ripped open and caused internal bleeding from this; at least, that’s what it felt like.

“You’re the one that had to go up and fucking die. Things were just fine before.” Eric's voice had softened, but his words were piercing Joey like a spear. How could he counter that? What would he say to that in response?