Page 27 of Unchained
Levi hated irony.
They had rushed to unload the truck, filling the front yard of Gus’s beach house with boxes. Both Jon and Gus assured him it would take them no time to get them inside, but he needed to rush back to the bar. He hadn’t yet found someone who could truly run the bar in his absence, especially now that bands were playing every night.
Once he had arrived home, it felt oddly empty. Everything had been boxed up. He would load their things into the truck the next morning to take over to Gus’s house. He knew Gus would kick his ass for still calling it that, but it would take time. All change does.
Of course, the fact a blues band played that night wasn’t ironic. The band had just settled into a technically correct, yet somehow soulless rendition of Right Place, Wrong Time, when James walked into the bar. Levi hadn’t seen him in years and was instinctively reaching for the shotgun Gus kept stashed under the bar. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. He didn’t know if Jon would like to date an inmate.
“Levi! How’ve ya been?”
His eyes narrowed. “Well, before you walked in, I thought I was doing ok. Now I’m feeling a little nauseous.”
“Ouch. I figured we’d be past this by now.”
“What the fuck are you doing here? I know I told you to never come here again.”
“Gus never really banned me. I just stayed away because you asked me to.”
“How considerate. You have thirty seconds to get out or you’ll get an ass full of buckshot.”
“Still upset I see. Strange. I heard a story that sounded an awful lot like you might’ve moved on.”
Levi scowled. “Fifteen seconds.”
“Ok. I’ve kinda been dating this girl named Alicia.”
Levi glared at him.
“Do I need to run for the door, or are you going to hear me out?”
“We’re holding at five. Make it good.”
“Fair enough. For what it’s worth, I know I was an asshat and I’m sorry.”
Levi eyed him suspiciously. “You better get to the damn point.”
“OK. Shit.” He shook his head. “So like I said, I’ve been dating Alicia for like a couple of months. When I heard the Dragon was under new management, I thought it might be safe to come back, and a band I like was playing here. Anyway, I mentioned it to her, and she went on some long rant about her brother running off with some guitar player here named Levi.”
“And you’re telling me this? Why? So that you can gloat about fucking my boyfriend’s piece of shit sister?”
James seemed surprised. “Boyfriend? When we were together, you never talked like that.”
“You never told me you were married, so obviously you weren’t that serious, either.”
James put his hands up. “I never claimed I was perfect.”
Levi took a deep breath. “Fuck this shit. Why are you really here?”
“Since…we blew up…I’ve done a lot of soul-searching, and I’ve come to peace with a lot. Gloria left me, and I decided I didn’t want to be in a relationship again where I wasn’t honest with my partner. I just hadn’t gotten around to telling Alicia yet, but some of the shit coming out of her mouth would’ve made me question staying with her even if I was straight. I thought about breaking up with her right then, but first I had to be sure because I really wanted to rub her nose because she was with someone who couldn’t keep the great Levi Ward.”
Levi narrowed his gaze. “Nice try, but you should remember that flattery doesn’t work on me when I’m pissed. But I was right. Just pegged the wrong target.”
“Can I get a beer or am I still in danger?”
Levi cocked his head. “I’m going to regret this, but get comfortable. I’m gonna hear you out, but I want to discuss this with Jon before you say a word to Alicia.” He sighed. “I only know her to be a bitch, but I love Jon. I don’t want to go off half-cocked and mess up a potential chance for his family to patch things up with him in the future.”
“Did you just say ‘love’?”
“James, we all deal with shit in different ways. Things between us might’ve been different if you hadn’t been married and I hadn’t been sinking farther into a sea of anger and depression. Maybe we would’ve worked, or maybe we would’ve taken a different road to the same place.” He paused. “Seeing you here reminded me of that. I was still angry, but honestly, none of that matters now.”
“It doesn’t?”
“Not a damn bit. The past is carved in stone. The pain we cause and the hurt we feel leaves permanent scars. Sometimes the stone cracks and cracks and cracks again until it is only a pile of gravel. But sometimes, you meet someone who sees beyond the damage that’s already done and gently sculpts around those cracks. They find a way to use those weaknesses to reveal the strength and beauty underneath. Jon is that for me. I hope one day you find the person who can be that for you.”
James rolled his eyes. “Wow. I never thought I’d hear you talk like that. Jon sounds like he must be a hell of a man. Alright. I’ll keep my mouth shut for now and see what he decides. You deserve to be happy. It’s no skin off my back.”
“I’m not going to deny that you are suffering with that bitch, but maybe you deserve a little pain and suffering.” Levi felt a grin creep across his face. “Let me tell you what I know about Alicia, and you can tell me what happened, and as much as what she said as you can remember. Jon will be back tomorrow night. I’ll talk to him then. I don’t dare call because he’s with Gus, and if your name comes up, God knows what the old man would say.”