went to his apartment after the reception, he wasn’t there either.
Not knowing what else to do, I reluctantly went home and texted him for the twentieth time.
I tried not to worry too much, but I was really scared for my best friend.
Thirty-Four
Madeline
My phone rang as I was leaving work, and I sighed when I saw Casey’s number. Today was supposed to be a day I could go home and relax after work.
I’d been working double shifts for two weeks lately. I went to my job during the day and then over to the bar after work to take care of things.
Griffin hadn’t been around much, and when he was, he often drank with the customers. I had never seen him do that before, and now, it seemed like he couldn’t stop. Casey and Mitch and the other bartenders often had to kick him out and send him upstairs.
Thankfully, they were all understanding of what Griffin was going through and were loyal employees. And I had managed to hire someone the week of Glen’s funeral. The new bartender had been training two weeks and was working tonight. Griffin had plans to be with Troy, which was why I was supposed to have the night off.
I was going to take a long soak in the tub and go to bed early.
“Hello?” I said, answering my phone.
“I am so sorry, Madeline, but I think you need to come down here.”
I didn’t even ask why because I assumed the answer wouldn’t be good.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
When I got to the bar, I found Griffin lying down in the circular booth—the same booth he had given me an orgasm in—with an ice pack over his eye.
“What happened?” I asked Casey.
“Nothing,” Griffin said, slurring his word.
“I wasn’t asking you,” I said in a firm voice. I looked at Casey.
“He got in a fight with a customer.”
“Shit,” I said and rubbed my forehead. I was on the verge of a massive headache. “Where’s the customer?”
“He left.”
“Do you think he’ll press charges?”
She shook her head. “Griffin was too drunk to even fight back. If anyone could press charges, it would be him.”
“Don’t be so sure about that. He can press charges all he wants. Making them stick is another thing.”
“I doubt it. We explained that his father died, so Griffin is not himself.”
“I hope you’re right.” I looked at Griffin. “Can you help me get him upstairs?”
“Yes,” Casey said.
Griffin sat up. “I can get up on my own.” He pushed himself out of his seat and only wobbled a little bit. “I don’t need anyone to help me.”
I gestured to the back of the bar. “Lead the way then.”
Going up the stairs after a drunk person who refused help was a long and painful process. I wanted to smack some sense into him, but in his state, it would be pointless.
Finally, after what felt like a year, we made it inside, and Griffin collapsed on his couch.
I sat down on his coffee table. “Griffin, what is going on?”
I thought maybe he’d talk to me with alcohol in his system because he sure wouldn’t talk to me while he was sober. Although those times were becoming rarer and rarer.
“What do you mean?” he asked, pulling his ice pack away and looking at it.
I ripped it from his hand and threw it down next to me.
“Whoa,” he said. “You’re mad.”
“Hell yes, I’m mad. I’ve been busting my ass, trying to keep your bar running, all while working forty hours a week at my own job. Meanwhile, you’re drinking and getting into fights.”
He held up a finger. “One. One fight.”
“Oh,” I said sarcastically. “That makes it so much better.”
“I think it does.”
“I can’t keep doing this.”
He frowned. “Doing what?”
“I can’t keep running things for you. I don’t have the energy. I’m exhausted.”
“No one said you had to.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Okay,” he said in a smart tone.
“I’m telling you I can’t do this anymore, and you’re telling me no one asked me to.” I wanted to pull my hair out from frustration. “Griffin, I am your friend. Actually, at this point, I would like to think we’re more than friends. You don’t have to ask me. It’s what friends do. But friends don’t turn around and use their loved ones. You need to figure out what you want because I can’t do everything for you any longer.”
As I said my speech, I realized something. Something I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized before.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
“What?”
I looked at him in shock.