DOUBLE TAKE (Part 8)

Inside My Mind

The clanking of glass penetrated my deep, drunken sleep. Turning my head over on the hard surface that had served as the night's pillow, my cheek was greeted with the cool wood of a table. Barely cracking my red eye's open into slits I groaned lowly and strained my vision. I was certain that I was in a booth at the Dens bar. Apparently this booth had been my bed for the night.

Squinting my burning eye's, I searched for the noise that was wrecking havoc on my already pounding head. Spotting the bar keep who was washing and drying the glasses from last night's drunken feast, I shot him a evil glare. Quietly he placed the glass down and disappeared behind the swinging doors. Closing my eye's to shut the light out I heard an all too familiar snicker. Fuck me I thought as the bastard spoke. "Nice to see that Sleeping Beauty decided to wake up".

" Cut the shit Cole and help me out". I growled then smacked my dry lips together.

"All ready got you covered". He said as I heard a glass slide across the table toward me.

Willing my head to pick itself up from the table, I managed to sit up in a slumped position. Cole's famous hangover remedy sat before me, a Boiler Maker. A drink that consists of tomato juice and a beer and many swear by it. Cole along with other's claim this drink will knock the hangover right out of you. In no mood to question it, I slammed it back followed by several asprins. Making a sour face I released an ear shattering burp. To my amazement within in minutes my stomach seemed to have leveled itself out. Maybe numb nut wasn't that dumb After All.

Signaling for a bottle of water I rubbed my unshaven face. "How bad was it?" I asked not sure I wanted to know.

Cole snorted. "On a scale of one to ten it was a fuckity. You shot the globes from above most tables. Found Sam's bat and sawed it into toothpicks" .

I hissed at hearing her name. "Please refrain from saying that name".

Cole shrugged and continued. "I'm afraid the pool tables will need to be replaced after you slashed them up".

Scrunching my brows together in confusion as well as shame I groaned. "In other word's I destroyed the damn place?"

Cole only nodded.

Sitting up straighter, I took a sip of water and shook the fuzziness from my mind. That's when a vivid memory resurfaced. The word's fell from my lips before I could stop them. "She wants a divorce" .

"Yea, you told everyone within a twenty mile radius last night". Cole said.

Blowing off his shot at me I sat in silence wondering what the fuck to do. "Look Dem you still got a chance to fix this. We all know you're going through some shit but you need Sam more than ever right now. I can't pretend to even phantom what you're going through but we are all suffering in our own way. Yet you've shut everyone out. You need you're wife but lately you've neglected her. She's hurting too. Miri also. She's still having difficulties coping and she needs her brother."

I hated to admit it but the fucker was right. I ran my finger down the condensation that had formed in my water glass. I watched As tiny rivlets of moisture scattered in several directions breaking off on their own. That was me currently, I was the rivelets. The past few year's my life had taken off in many directions at once her I had broke away to be alone, grieve alone. My mind was so consumed with finding the responsible one's I let down the most important people to me. I'm doing exactly what the enemy wants. I'm allowing the murder of my parents destroy the family and eventually the Empire.

Sliding the glass from me I stood up to my fullest height and a new determination. "I'm a fucking King and I'm about to take it back".

" Thats my boy". Cole encouraged.